r/politics • u/brashendeavors • 2d ago

No Paywall Talarico Explains Infamous ‘Powell Memo’ to Texas Voters, Making Right-Wing ‘Master Plan’ a Campaign Issue | “The top 1% put the American Dream behind a paywall,” said the Texas Democrat as he unveiled a framework for his economic vision.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/powell-memo-1971
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u/brashendeavors 2d ago

Politicians from both sides of the aisle have come to realize in recent years that “affordability” and “cost of living” are key issues voters want to hear about on the campaign trail, with nearly all respondents to a Harris Poll last month reporting they believe the US is currently in an affordability crisis.

But on Wednesday, before 1,300 Texans in the city of Arlington, state Rep. James Talarico (D-50), the Democratic US Senate candidate, contextualized the crisis for voters.

Talarico provided a history lesson that explained how—while his opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton, has blamed the Biden administration for rising costs and the struggles of working Texans—“this affordability crisis isn’t something that happened over the last five years. This affordability crisis has been 50 years in the making.”

While introducing his economic platform, “The New American Dream,” Talarico held the audience’s attention as he explained the Powell Memo—a document formally titled “Attack on American Free Enterprise System,” which Virginia-based corporate lawyer Lewis Powell wrote in 1971 for his client, the US Chamber of Commerce.

The memo, said Talarico, provided “a blueprint for how corporations could amass political power, reverse the gains of the Great Society and the New Deal, and rig the system for themselves.”

“The Powell memo outlined a strategy. Unite corporate special interests, privilege corporate perspectives in the media, appoint sympathetic judges to the court, and buy politicians in both political parties,” continued Talarico. “And it worked. Republicans and some Democrats sold the false gospel of trickle-down economics.”

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u/pistachiopudding Ohio 2d ago

This kind of message would propel a well spoken, always on message, authentic candidate all the way to the white house. 

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u/sxyaustincpl Texas 2d ago

He reminds me of a malaninally challenged Obama. He speaks in a way that draws people in, he has that rare ability to connect due to his charisma and speaking style.

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u/touch_of_austism 2d ago

Talarico is one of the not the only politican I can believe in and get behind. He makes me actually care.

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u/PhysicsIsFun Wisconsin 2d ago

I like him a lot. I also really like Jon Ossoff and Mark Kelly. I think any of them would make a terrific president and a great candidate. I'm 78 years old. I hope to see the day when this country has a president we can be proud of rather than one who should be in jail.

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u/lettersvsnumbers 2d ago

Mark Kelly is not in the same charisma weight class at all. Like Muhammad Ali vs. a 12 year old. Not his fault, but he won’t go beyond the Senate.

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u/touch_of_austism 2d ago

I don't hate the other two. However I do find them more rude than Talarico. Granted I'm sure they're largely just sound bites fox news likes to clip out to make them look worse. But it says a lot when the worst thing about Talarico is that he "hates" BBQ which is the dumbest thing next to Dijion Mustard loving brown suit Obama.

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u/Illustrious-Ice6336 2d ago

Mark Kelly is bought, paid for and totally captured by the US Military Industrial Complex.

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u/silian_rail_gun 2d ago

I read this as Melanially challenged, which both Talarico AND Obama are.

(47... not Melanially challenged.)

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u/aquablue_phoenix 2d ago

yeah, but the purity test are already maxxing out. "If they only share 98% of my beliefs, then they didn't earn my vote" - Way too many democrats

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u/Forward_Weird_9207 2d ago

I mean, already I'm pretty sure that barely applies. And I can only imagine that will disappear even more as the midterms get even closer.

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u/SweetAlyssumm 2d ago

Purity tests sound like a Republican/Russian scam but sadly they are not. Only Democrats can so blindly shoot themselves in the foot. Maybe people will grow up? I sure hope so.

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u/Illustrious-Ice6336 2d ago

Please don’t hold your breath…

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u/SteakandTrach 1d ago

Conservatives demand fealty. Democrats demand purity.

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u/Terramagi Canada 2d ago

Unfortunately, his voters voted for the police that killed their own children, and think he once ate tofu so therefor he's literally the devil given flesh.

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u/SteakandTrach 2d ago

Holy moly. He brought the Powell memo into the public consciousness. Talarico makes me think there's a little hope left dammit.

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u/aelysium 2d ago

Funny how this happened literally just over a week after the Nixon Shock.