Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton seems hell-bent on making his race for a U.S. Senate seat against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico one of the dumbest spectacles in American political history.

Rather than focus on the needs of Texans he might represent, Paxton has zeroed in on impotent suggestions that Talarico isn’t masculine enough to represent the Lone Star State and false claims that the Democrat – GASP! – is somehow not carnivorous enough to serve.

That latter point is nonsense stemming from false claims that Talarico is a vegan. He has made it clear he’s not. But truth has no place in Paxton’s campaign, which apparently revolves around highlighting goofy Texas stereotypes, then accusing Talarico of not fitting the mold.

Macho-man Ken Paxton challenges James Talarico to dinner

That would explain why the attorney general, standing alongside right-wing podcaster and conspiracy theorist Benny Johnson on June 13, threw down the man-gauntlet like a real man’s manly man and spoke these bold words that will undoubtedly be studied by political scientists for years to come: “Let’s meet at a barbecue restaurant and let’s see how, how much you love barbecue. Let’s, let’s have a real........

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