Will He Ever Say A Critical Word About Trump?...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

BROWNSVILLE, Texas | Accountant Carlos Cascos is a well-respected resident of this luckless border town. Most everybody who is anybody knows him, from his days as Cameron County Judge and his two years as Texas Secretary of State.

Mr. Cascos is a throwback Republican. Don't expect crazy, wild-eyed political rhetoric from him. He's too-grounded in the Rio Grande Valley culture to act-out some fake persona. Think bygone and mostly boring Texas Gov. Bill Clements and that's the sort of calm & collected politician you'll find in Carlos Cascos.

Still, what with the avalanche of strange and high school-silly stuff coming from the leader of his party - one Donald J. Trump - you'd think that Mr. Cascos would at some point venture a public comment on the mess that is his party and his party's racism and bigotry ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

He's not an announced candidate for anything yet, although he's on record as saying Labor Day (Sept. 4th) will be the day he decides on a run for the 34th Congressional District seat held presently by well-funded Democrat Vicente Gonzalez.

Would a candidacy force Mr. Cascos into the public debate stage?

Yes, it would. And really only because his party opponents would never let him skate to the primary next Spring. Overly-vocal declared candidate Mayra Flores certainly would charge after him. She's deeply invested in winning the shot at Gonzalez, who beat her by almost 10,000 votes in the last election. Mauro Garza, another announced candidate, isn't as boisterous as Miss Flores, but you never know if things get tight. He's from Raymondville, with ties in San Antonio - sort of a bit away from the district's territory, which runs mainly up the Texas coast north of Brownsville.

Mr. Garza was beaten by Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz of McAllen in the last election.

It says here that much will change in the Republican Party's primary if Mr. Cascos enters the race. Like from the moment he says he's in the contest. The dynamic would be the equal of a semi-cloudy sky going full high and bright, not a cloud in sight.

In earlier comments, Mr. Cascos has said he wonders about Miss Flores ability to articulate her candidacy away from Trumpspeak, a language she is quite adept at spewing. A debate would be in order, he went on, adding that he was unaware of Miss Flores debating anyone since she began her political career from a life of respiratory therapy, her earlier profession.

A public debate would test Miss Flores (and Mr. Garza) in a very different manner. Carlos Cascos has much more political experience and, as a graduate of the University of Texas, is better-spoken. About that, there is no doubt.

Still, he has to address the Trump foibles.

What does Mr. Cascos think of all these indictments (three, so far) hanging off Trump's neck? We know Mr. Cascos to be a level-headed man, so would he be with former Vice President Mike Pence on whether Trump is stomping on the U.S. Constitution, or is he fully, 100% behind the former president?

Bet this: Mayra Flores would ask him directly in a debate.

Mr. Cascos prides himself in being a conservative. Is Trump flashing his brand of conservatism? Does Mr. Cascos endorse Trump's penchant for making threats against those not sold on his cult-like ways? Does "revenge" belong in our national political discourse?

It's a cruel, heartless, winner-take-all world, politics. We do wonder why Mr. Cascos, who is almost 70 years old, would bother.

Yet, as mad as politics have become in this country, he may be of a mind to go at it one last time.

Look for this: Should Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott offer his blessings publicly, Carlos Cascos will climb into the ring...

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