IS CARLOS CASCOS A "COWARD" AS WIGHTMAN SAYS OR SIMPLY A PRAGMATIST?

Carlos Cascos

 Bobby Wightman, editor of the Brownsville Voice, used his space in the blogosphere yesterday to declare Carlos Cascos "unpatriotic," "cowardly" and "unfit to hold any public office."

Wightman's rationale for painting Cascos so unfavorably is what he describes as the former Secretary of State's desire to simply "move on from 2020 and the January 6 insurrection" without acknowledging the "facts" or defending Republicans like Adam Kinzinger, who has courageously supported a bipartisan committee to get at the truth of what triggered the January 6 insurrection.  

Notice Kinsinger's remarks:

"As I have said before, we cannot let fear stop us from doing what is right. While I believe an independent bipartisan commission is the best approach, I voted today in support of establishing a Select Committee for January 6th--because the truth matters."

In fairness to Cascos, he's shown courage in the past. Certainly, switching a few years ago from the county's dominant Democratic Party to the Republican Party, an obvious minority, demonstrated fortitude.

Cascos' explanation at the time was:

"I didn't leave the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party left me."

Those words implied a course of action based on values as opposed to political expediency.

More recently, Cascos left a prestigious position as Secretary of State without explanation. If that departure was based on principles, it was a courageous move.

Nationally, only a few Republicans have had the intestinal fortitude to speak truthfully about the 2020 election and the January 6 insurrection.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

Some, like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have initially spoken with some courage, but, then cowed as they noted the pro-Trump winds still swirling among their constituents and in the party.

Notice McConnell's initial reaction to the events of last January 6:

"There's no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day. 

The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president and having that belief was a foreseeable consequence of the growing crescendo of false statements, conspiracy theories and reckless hyperbole which the defeated president kept shouting into the largest megaphone on planet Earth.

He did not do his job. He didn't take steps so federal law could be faithfully executed and order restored."

Lately, seeing the direction of the political winds in his party, the politically expedient McConnell has gone quiet, sealing his lips about the events of January 6 and the former President's responsibility for those events.

That is not a good look.

Cascos is in a similar quandary.  

The visible nucleus of the local county Republican Party is Anglo and Harlingen-centric, mostly older folks who are decidedly pro-Trump.   Obviously, a sizeable minority of Cameron County Hispanic voters do vote Republican, but, in my visits to local party meetings, I've not noticed their presence.

Those taking the lead locally in party matters likely keep up with "alternate facts" by religiously getting their information from Fox News, OANN and Newsmax.

Make no mistake.  Donald Trump is their hero, along with Carlos Cascos. 

Cascos knows only too well that he would not be able to win the County Judge race by disenfranchising his Cameron County Republican base.

The path of least resistance is to simply "move on," as if nothing happened and our country and democracy itself was not attacked.    

That's the obvious, pragmatic, if not courageous, approach.

It will be interesting to see how Cascos chooses to run his presumed next race for Cameron County Judge.

Will courage or pragmatism direct his steps?