James Talarico Part I: Obama 2.0

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Polity and the pulpit collide. It’s two-thirds of my favorite things, y’all. Put a bowl of chips and salsa out, and you have all three.

James Talarico, a Texas Democratic primary candidate, is having a moment. Viral clips on Rogan. A helpful/highroad stump on Colbert. Calm delivery. Soft tone. Scripture references sprinkled in just enough to feel credible.

He presents as thoughtful, reasonable, and kind — and understandably resonates with people who are exhausted by the ick of poli-ticks.

Politically? I’m not a Democrat. If he and Jasmine Crockett want to duke it out in a primary, so be it. See y’all in November.

As a Christian? Talarico is PNG to me and has been for some time. Persona non grata. Please understand, I would not be unkind to him as a neighbor. But from a Christian ministerial perspective? I would entertain his ideas and allow his influence none.

He is a wolf.

But he is a wolf in Texas…headed towards D.C.

Friends, I say this in love to my conservative but concerned congregants or my frustrated empaths in the pews:

James Talarico is not the refreshing pastoral sage you hope he is.

He is not new and green. He is new to you. But he’s been around.

Talarico has been publicly shaping a particular kind of “reasonable Christian” political brand for years — one that frames faith as expansive, inclusive, and culturally flexible.

Hey folks, we are where we are because faith has already been expansive, inclusive, and culturally flexible. 

The rest of the nation may be falling for the liberal-yuppie, PTA schtick hook, line, and Beto. But for the evangelical buckles on the Bible belt of Texas with Google or Ginko? We should remember that Talarico outted himself as merely “relig-ish” long ago.

He’s craftier now, more politically savvy. He’s not abrasive or angry. It feels different but it’s just not. It’s repackaged. He is white Obama 2.0—cool and collected on the surface, radical in the deep. It’s not accidental.

He is the manufactured antidote to Christian Nationalism “for such a time as this.”

It’s brilliant and diabolical. Create the environment to produce the ill, call it an epidemic and then offer the cure. That is Talarico. Bad medicine.

Texas, my Texas—he is waving red flags the size of Dallas.

Still.

I remember the first time JT went “viral,” long before Rogan and Colbert. It was his “prayer” in the TX House, 2021. It was 80% lovely (woohoo!) but the other 20% was godless (well dern).

Do you remember that? If you did wouldn’t be quoting him like he’s the second coming of MacArthur.

Let’s stroll down memory lane, brothers and sisters. To PNG Day. Take a look.

James Talarico Invocation Texas House 2021

Now to be fair, “Holy Mystery” doesn’t bother me. Don’t get weird about it, it’s poetic but more importantly it’s accurate. Christ is among the “great mysteries” Paul refers to in the New Testament. Which is funny that James would quote Paul in some places, only to butcher his words in others.

The red flag in this prayer is, “…the Quran calls you Peace, the Gita calls you Destroyer, the Dharma calls you Truth.” Holy Hindus and hadiths, Batman!

Eight seconds

Long enough for a rodeo.

Long enough for me to know James Talarico is a Universalist.

Which is neither here nor there…unless your political posturing is that of “Reasonable Christian.”

The two are not simpatico. Christian Universalist is an oxymoron.

I know zero people who are serious about Scripture, Christian pastoring, Biblical apologetics or faithfully following Jesus who would give breath or validity to the sacred texts of any other religion in a prayer—to JESUS THE CHRIST.

Then lovely words, lovely words…deceptive detail.  “A crucified carpenter who gave only two commandments…” That is not true. It’s subtle. But it’s wholly inaccurate. We can know it’s purposeful and strategic because he still says virtually the same thing today. He wants the listener to focus on the two commandments, now defined by progressive interpretation, and disregard all other commands of Jesus that would have prevented and contradicted this “modern cultural” interpretation.

Jesus did not give ONLY TWO commandments.

He summarized ten commandments into two, but then He gave many others. Even progressives know this, which is why we constantly hear, “Judge not lest ye be judged…” taken out of context.

His wording is more careful in 2025…after entering seminary, but this is one of Talarico’s tools, gross oversimplification…sloppy study presented as clarifying insight. This is the crux of progressive Christianity, the narrowest sliver of Scripture broadly interpreted, while the breadth is discarded and dismissed.

Y’all, he is not just boiling truth down to be easier understood. He is breaking truth down to be easier misunderstood.

And let’s talk about Talarico’s seminary while we are here. I’m still trying to figure out where in his education he is. Because as a freshman…okay I’ll give you some grace. But three years into a MDiv and aspiring to be pastor? Nah, man—no excuse for some of the things he says.

The how, when, and where should matter to the Christian conservatives who find themselves drifting towards Talarico.

Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is as liberal as they come.

As a Texan, “Austin” was the first indicator.

Austin Seminary is one of the official seminaries of the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA). I don’t know if there are any Barna readers in the audience today, but the mainline Protestant denominations have been lost to Liberalism one by one. Methodists and Presbyterians have already seen the fracture made official. Baptists are right behind them, casseroles in hand.

But I digress.

Don’t assume conservative understandings of things that have progressive meanings.

If your Christian seminary has a Queer Alliance, DEI framework, allows every gender expression, touts “justice-oriented” theology, offers study in black liberation and feminist theology, and helped organize pro-Hamas rallies in Austin…it may not be a Christian seminary, but rather a Marxist one.

In separate posts, I will unpack Talarico’s problematic theology point-by-point, the Rogan interview on faith, and the Colbert interview on politics.

It’s vintage Obama. Deflect and project.

Being told about dangerous censorship, the cancel culture, or corporate media putting a heavy hand on free speech from any Democrat is just rich. THEY WROTE THE BOOK ON IT.

But should you read none of my other salty posts, remember this: personality does not govern.

Policy does.

And mild manners do not neutralize the danger of progressive platforms.

Have we learned nothing from the Biden era?