Fresh Hot Jingoism

Greg Abbott is starting to look preferable:

“There’s 25 crossings over the river that Texas has. I'm going to close every single one of those in one day because I'm the actual Republican running, and I'm actually going to solve this problem once and for all," [Rep. Don] Huffines told Inside Texas Politics. 

The candidate said he believes that by closing the crossings, the economic impact that would have would force Mexico to act.

"[I’m] going to close all the crossings down for all inbound commercial traffic from Mexico. We're going to make Mexico acquiesce economically to secure their side of the river and stop these cartels."

To be clear, though, the ports of entry are operated by the federal government, not the state. 

But attempting to suspend commercial traffic between the two countries would hurt Texas businesses, since Mexico is the state’s largest trading partner, not to mention exacerbate the already strained supply chain.

Huffines is pissed because Abbott stole his idea for a border wall.  Neither of them can build the damned thing, but Huffines ups the absurdity by declaring he'll close the border crossings.  This is not going to endear him to the border of Texas were people live and cross into Mexico and/or Texas on a daily basis.  That border is just the river down there, something people as far away as Dallas always fail to understand (the El Paso shooter was from the Dallas area.  He thought he was stopping an "invasion.")

“Yes, but in Texas, here's the thing. I'm going to communicate to Mexico, and they know it, they need us a lot more than we need them, and this is a proven tactic that can work,” Huffines explained. “We don't have an option. We have to secure Texas’ border and stop these cartels and this invasion, and I'm not going to be asking permission from the federal government to do that."

More jingoistic bullshit. A lot of business interests are going to apprise Mr. Huffines of the realities of trade with Mexico.   And this will tell you how clueless he is:

But the governor acknowledged a reality in this bid for Republican primary voters. Texas does not have any land along the Rio Grande River to construct more border fencing. Abbott asked private landowners to donate that, too.

Huffines was asked on Inside Texas Politics how he would acquire the land to erect a new wall.

“Well, Texas does have condemnation authority, of course. We condemn for highways. First, we'll work with landowners that want to cooperate, but this is not an option we have,” Huffines told the television program.

Actually, if Huffines was the GOP candidate, Democrats might win back the Governor's mansion.  There's few things Texans hate like eminent domain, especially when it's used against their property when that property is on the border and the taking is for a wall.  

I gotta be hopeful a clown like this upends Abbott's candidacy.