Houston, we have a problem
One of the primary reasons underpinning my belief that Joe Biden will win in November is that the current iteration of the Republican, captured by Donald Trump, is too extreme for most Americans, and Joe Biden will hoover up the centre and independent ground so this finding from deep in the heart of Texas reaffirms that belief.
Conservative Republicans’ attacks on gun control, abortion and climate-friendly investing practices are deeply unpopular — and costing Texas billions of dollars, according to a new poll.
The findings by progressive advocacy group Unlocking America’s Future (UAF) included a survey that found that nearly three-quarters of Texans said they believe their state has lost focus on pressing problems in favor of “an extreme conservative agenda.”
The survey shows that “Texans do not support leaders who ignore real issues to push an extreme agenda, and we’re seeing that trend nationally,” Kyle Herrig, a spokesperson for UAF, told The Hill….
…Over the past three years, however, Republican leaders including Perry’s successor, Gov. Greg Abbott, or Attorney General Ken Paxton, have told a different story of Texas’s economic success: that it relies on the unchecked ability of the fossil fuel and firearms industries to access capital….
…Since 2021, Abbott, Paxton and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) have gone to war against financial firms they accuse of boycotting fossil fuels or firearms.
As part of this strategy, the state has barred state and local governments from doing business with 14 major banks that have policies around ultimately divesting from coal, oil or gas — the burning of which is the principal contributor to heating the planet.
These include UBS Group, Danske Bank and Societe Generale — companies that have been selling off their fossil fuel assets over the past several years, although they still hold billions.
The UAF poll suggests these findings are broadly unpopular; more than three-quarters of respondents said the Texas government shouldn’t be doing business with companies with bad environmental or workplace safety measures.
TSE
PS – Hat tip to NigelB for first posting this article on PB