There’s an old saying that someone is “dumb as a brick.” Texans ought to apologize to the brick.
A brick knows what it is. It has a purpose. It holds its position when the weather gets rough, and it doesn’t need a politician to tell it which way the wind is blowing. Stack enough of them together, and they can build something useful.
Too often, Texas politics manages the opposite.
For years, Texans have been told that their state represents the best of American independence: low taxes, personal freedom, hard work and a government that knows when to stay out of the way. It’s a powerful sales pitch. The problem is that too many voters seem content to admire the slogan without inspecting the product.
Take the electric grid. After the deadly winter storm of 2021 exposed serious weaknesses, Texans deserved straightforward answers and reliable fixes. Instead, many political leaders rushed to assign blame and defend their preferred sources of energy. Residents were left to wonder why a state that prides itself on producing energy could struggle so badly to keep the lights and heat on.
A brick, confronted with a cracked foundation, would at least have the good sense not to insist the crack was a sign of strength.
Then there’s the habit of treating every policy question as a loyalty test. If a politician says the right things about freedom, guns or Washington, some voters appear willing to overlook almost anything else. Is the power reliable? Are homeowners getting relief from rising costs? Can families find affordable insurance and health care? Those questions ought to matter more than whether a candidate can deliver a fiery speech in a cowboy hat.
This isn’t a problem unique to Texas. Voters in every state can fall for a familiar voice, a familiar party label or a convenient enemy. But Texas does everything bigger, including the gap between political branding and political accountability.
Consider the endless celebrations of “freedom.” Freedom should mean more than the freedom of politicians to tell people how to live while insisting that government is too large. It should include the freedom to make personal decisions, speak openly, question those in power and expect public officials to do their jobs.
Yet some Texans will cheer when government interferes with choices they dislike and cry tyranny when it interferes with choices they support. That isn’t a consistent principle. It’s a preference dressed up as one.
The same selective outrage appears when leaders promise to fight for ordinary families. A press conference attacking Washington can generate applause, but it doesn’t lower an insurance bill. A viral video about the latest cultural battle won’t repair a local road. And a tough campaign advertisement won’t keep an elderly neighbor warm when the power fails.
A brick can’t solve those problems either. But at least a brick doesn’t hold a press conference and claim it already has.
Texans have plenty of reasons to be proud of their state. It has remarkable businesses, farms, communities, universities and people who work hard and help their neighbors. During disasters, ordinary Texans have repeatedly shown generosity and courage. They deserve leaders who demonstrate the same qualities.
They also deserve a challenge: Stop judging politicians by how loudly they declare their love for Texas. Judge them by what they accomplish, what they cost and whether they tell the truth when things go wrong.
Ask hard questions of candidates from both parties. Demand evidence when someone claims a problem is fixed. Pay attention to local races, not just the contests that dominate cable news. And remember that voting for someone once doesn’t require defending that person forever.
Texas likes to say it’s a place where people think for themselves. The best way to prove it is to stop accepting slogans as a substitute for results.
Now you’ve gone and voted for Democrats that destroy everything they touch. Democrats still believe in slavery and the plantation is the government they create. Just look at the areas that have voted Democrat for hundreds of years and see how great they are.
Otherwise, the bricks win again. At least they know when it’s time to hold something up.