As I noted Yesterday—Saturday—James Talarico reappears—sort of; Talarico did surface briefly at a music festival in Austin, where he lives. He walked around a bit—we don’t know how long—did some flesh-pressing and selfie-taking with a few people, then left. His campaign said he plans to return to a “full campaign schedule” prior to a CNN Townhall on October 14, and:
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The campaign previously noted that, prior to his illness, Talarico had already completed more than 100 public campaign events across the state.
That doesn’t explain why he was under wraps for nearly two weeks, where he was, or why he canceled every campaign event and wiped his appearance calendar clean.
At Powerline, there’s a 2.15-minute video with local reporter Phil Prazan who sets up a question with Talarico by saying he was gone nine days. He was gone at least twelve. Talarico agreed he was gone only nine days and said he had the flu, and the campaign decided to let him fully recover so he wouldn’t get sicker.
Prazan sets up another softball question by noting Talarico is a diabetic, and gosh, diabetics can get really sick from the flu, so was it bed rest, a doctor, hospital…? Talarico said he went to “my primary care physician, but it wasn’t worse than…uh…a nasty case of the flu.” He didn’t want to get anyone else sick, and he’s feeling much better.
Prazan said conservatives on the internet had the idea that Talarico had a “stress-induced event” and was getting treatment for it. So? Not quite. There were multiple reports that he had a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized for treatment. Talarico, smiling, said: “That’s not true. I just had the flu, and I’m feeling much better, but it’s a good reminder you can’t believe everything you read on the Internet.”
Prazan tossed another softball, asking about a debate with Texas AG Ken Paxton. Talarico, feigning concern and with a particularly smug expression, said Paxton should debate and “I think it’s mysterious that Ken Paxton hasn’t responded to our requests for a debate in maybe five days. I hear that people are getting really concerned about the Attorney General, and I’ve heard he has a rare medical condition that causes clinical levels of cowardice, and I know that Ken Paxton has asked for proof of life for me. I’m asking for proof of spine from him.”
Perhaps Paxton hasn’t responded—if that’s true—because Talarico has been hiding for nearly two weeks? Prazan set up softball questions, asked no follow-ups, and let Talarico dodge and insinuate that it’s actually Paxton who isn’t willing to campaign and debate.
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Graphic: X Post
At PJ Media, Matt Margolis provides audio from Rhein Amacher, who called the Lindner Center of Hope in Mason, Ohio, and spoke with a female staffer who confirmed that he was speaking with the Lindner Center. He asked if Talarico was still there, and the woman replied that he had been a patient, but was discharged earlier in the week. The Lindner Center “specializes in around-the-clock mental health treatment.” Nick Sorter also confirmed the call and its content:
Graphic: X Post
Talarico campaign spokesman J.T. Ennis responded, saying: “This is a lie designed to promote a pathetic conspiracy theory. Last week James Talarico was home in Austin, Texas recovering from the flu.”
Take the link to hear the call with the Lindner staffer. Talarico partisans are claiming the recorded phone conversation was faked. If that’s so, how did the “fakers” decide on a treatment center in, of all places, Mason, Ohio? Did they throw a dart at a map stuck to a wall? Wouldn’t it be easy to falsify their report, and why hasn’t the Talarico campaign done that instead of sticking to the flu story?
If Talarico really was home in Austin with the flu, how hard would it have been for him to wave from a window at a reporter? Neither Talarico nor his spokesmen have explained how Talarico, who said he had a bad case of the flu—is there any such thing as a good case?—took at least 12 days to recover from a common illness that normally takes no more than 3, perhaps four days. On the other hand, why would Talarico go all the way to Ohio for treatment when world-class care is right there in Texas, unless he and his campaign didn’t want anyone to know where he was, and couldn’t even ask for a wave from a window?
As we’ve learned in the last year or two, today’s “right-wing conspiracy theory” usually becomes tomorrow’s fact. It shouldn’t be hard to confirm Sorter’s report or find the plane that took Talarico to Ohio, and I suspect we’ll learn about that soon.
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Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, lifelong athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer, and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.