Texas Realtors Conference Keynote will be about “Unity”. You Won’t Believe Who They Picked
The Texas Association of Realtors is having their annual conference at the beginning of September. Surprisingly, they’re using some common sense by making the conference virtual; good for them. But their common sense, apparently, stops there. They’ve invited a national political figure for their keynote speech on the subject of “Unity and Leadership”. Take a wild guess who the speaker will be…give up? You should because on a list of 1,000 people to discuss unity, you’d never think of this guy. Said speaker is Trey Gowdy. Yes, THAT Trey Gowdy, he of goofy hairstyles and baggy suits, is going to speak to Texas realtors about his groundbreaking work on unity and leadership.
Recall that Trey Gowdy led the House investigation of the tragic killings of US ambassador to Libya and 3 other Americans during a terrorist attack on the American Consulate at Benghazi. Gowdy led that mudslinging, falsehood hurling witch hunt for two and a half years, including an 11 hour marathon grilling of Hillary Clinton, publishing an 800 page report that basically said the attack was tragic and no fault of anyone in the US government except for maybe the Republicans in Congress who had slashed the security budget for the State department during the Obama administration.
Gowdy probably ranks in the top ten of divisive, cynical Republicans from the Obama era who took a leading role in the Benghazi investigations. He was also a proponent of the culture wars brought on by the Teabagger wave that he rode into office in 2010 after defeating mainstream Republican Bob Inglis in the South Carolina primary that year. He also rode the Trump wave in 2016, even being floated as AG early on, but ended up on the trash heap of disappeared Republicans after he criticized Trump for falsely accusing Obama of “spying” on his campaign. That ended his career in Congress and he now is apparently trying to stay relevant by trying out the minor speaking circuit.
That brings us back to the Texas Realtors’ #ShapingTexas conference. As I heard earlier today, “Asking Gowdy to speak about unity is like inviting Putin to speak about American democracy”. This is what happens when right wing politics are mainstream as it is in Texas. Organizers will probably be shocked that most people would be offended hearing from Gowdy about “unity”.
Deplatforming advice at JJ?
1Considering your governor, and now this, maybe that motto “Everything’s Bigger In Texas” needs to change to “Everything’s Backwards In Texas.”
2In my experience, realtors often use creative terms in their listings and sales announcements; handyman’s special, artists retreat… I saw one here in Hawaii that promised ocean views. When I drove over to look at it, a ladder, a rope, and a climb to the roof peak would have been required for any chance of spotting the far distant ocean. But the realtor insisted, “no, right over there, between those two houses.” He was pointing at a patch of blue sky. I guess his powers of suggestion worked on some clients.
So now we have the Texas Realtors Conference slipping us Trey “Handyman” Gowdy’s phone number for some plumbing and electrical unity between a permitted section of a house with an unpermitted addition. “I’m sure Trey is the guy who can fix you right up and tie the place together! Oh, and he only takes cash.”
3I think Zippy The Pinhead is the perfectly appropriate speaker for this group.
4Disclosure: I am a Realtor. Disclosure #2: I have ethics. It’s supposed to be requirement, but I admit I have met several who did not, unfortunately. The Texas Assoc. of Realtors send out a “suggestion” list of people we should vote for, every election. Even if I did not follow politics, I would vote the opposite of that list.
5No surprise here. Except the willingness to not know one’s customer.
6I have bought and sold houses in Houston, Austin, Dallas, Waco Galveston and San Antonio. And I’m looking to do it again within a year to 2. Might be a good time to remind the Texas Realtors that a bunch of us are Democrats. On second thought, I’ll wait till Texas goes blue in November.
Crone, maybe you should hold off until November to see who we have for president. It could make a big difference in any financial dealings.
7I encourage the Dems in attendance to stand and turn their backs to him.
8Trey Goudy?? Wow. Just wow.
Shouldnt he have been prosecuted for impersonating a human being?
9Chloe @8. The Texas realtors association has a lock on all things real estate. They even control the information regarding what one paid for their house, not the state. The trouble with giant bullies is if an agent did turn their back, that agent would never again get a referral. I once sued an agent and a builder in Rockwall. And the warranty company. we won. The warranty company fixed all that was wrong with my new house if I let them join my suit. After that, not an agent in Rockwall would list my house. A few were willing but the agency that lied in a contract asked them to not list my house and they complied.
10Crone I am so sorry. Sounds like the Mafia and a RICO case in the making… but it is Texas. One of the many reasons I left Texas.
11Mike @4: I never would have made that connection, but now that you’ve posted it I’ll never be able to avoid it when Goudy’s name comes up. And it makes Zippy look far, far better in comparison. After all, Zippy once said “don’t criticize me until you have walked a mile in my mu-mu”.
More relevantly, is this what Goudy does to make money nowadays? Is he so far fallen that even Fox News won’t give him a job fluffing Hannity? Or maybe (in a big step up from anything involving Hannity) mopping out toilets at the Fox headquarters?
12Leader of the Apple Dumpling Gang!
13Pretty sure the Realtors won’t make Trey sweat as much as Hillary did.
14With apologies to Cheryl and the few other decent realtors, my lifetime of experience has been 90% negative in dealing with ‘realtors’. I’ve had them try to cheat and swindle me seven ways from Sunday, I’ll never trust another one. And they tried it in some amazing ways, both subtle and blatant.
15My advice: never trust a realtor, do your own detailed ‘due diligence’ on every aspect of your trade [with an eye out for -any- possible chicanery], and retain a skilled RE lawyer from the beginning [even before contacting a realtor].
Ideally, just delete the middleman realtor and do it yourself, with the lawyer and a title company.
I would like to get his fa@@y ass in Tahadi Ring. For non intellectuals, the meaning is a fight to the end with knives!
16Well, look. Really now. what an you expect of a guy who sticks his head in a pencil sharpener just to save money on a haircut!
17When Lord Voldemort left Congress, I breathed a huge sigh of relief, hoping there wouldn’t be another Benghazi-like circus. Seeing his name and visage sends a shiver down my spine.
18Yeah, Texas realtors care about national unity about as much as they care about the environment and the blight of packing McMansions into every vacant lot and pasture.
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