{"id":7751,"date":"2025-10-17T03:14:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T03:14:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/7751\/"},"modified":"2025-10-17T03:14:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T03:14:09","slug":"texas-democrat-wins-obamas-approval-despite-name-blunder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/7751\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Democrat wins Obama’s approval-despite name blunder"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former President Barack Obama<\/a> appears to be giving his stamp of approval to this Texas Democrat.<\/p>\n

While on a podcast episode with Marc Maron<\/a>, he praised state Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin)<\/a>\u00a0for possessing the qualities people are looking for in candidates.<\/p>\n

“There’s this young state rep. James Talarico, who was on [Joe Rogan’s podcast], out in Texas,” Obama said. Maron interjected, questioning Obama, “Oh, that guy’s good, right?”<\/p>\n

In the midst of the former President’s praise, Obama pronounced Talarico’s last name as “Turico,” butchering the state representative’s last name.<\/p>\n

Talarico playfully<\/a> responded to Obama’s praise, saying the former president could pronounce his name “however he wants.”<\/p>\n

“He’s terrific-really talented young man,” Obama said of the U.S. Senate hopeful<\/a>. “It does require a certain confidence in your actual convictions to debate and have a conversation with somebody who disagrees with you on a whole bunch of stuff.”<\/p>\n

Maron asked what made Talarico “so good,” noting that Talarico has the same “grounding” quality Obama had.<\/p>\n

Obama attributed it to “knowing what you really believe.”<\/p>\n

“I think a guy like him, his starting point is, ‘Let me say what I believe,'” Obama said. The former President argued that, although the term is overused, people are longing for “some core integrity that seems absent.”<\/p>\n

The former president said people are looking for candidates who “walk the walk,” seemingly pointing to Talarico as one of them.<\/p>\n

Talarico took to X following Obama’s conversation with Maron, sharing the jest and thanking Obama for his “kind words.”<\/p>\n

One of Talarico’s supporters flocked to the comments, joking that it was “too late” to change his name. Another said the former President’s pronunciation didn’t matter, adding, “What matters is what he said,” lauding Obama’s pseudo-endorsement of Talarico.<\/p>\n

Talarico launched his bid for U.S. Senate in early September after speculation that he would enter the race to take U.S. Senator John Cornyn’s seat.<\/p>\n

The state representative<\/a> secured his spot in the Texas House by flipping a seat in Austin’s booming suburbs in 2018. He has since made a name for himself by fighting against conservative Christian influences in the Texas Legislature.<\/p>\n

More News<\/p>\n

Education | Texas A&M suspends fraternity amid hazing reports<\/a>
Mystery | Houstonians fear a serial killer is dumping bodies in a bayou<\/a>
Business | AI megaproject launches in Texas <\/a>
Politics | District Clerk lays off employees-then votes herself $81K raise<\/a><\/p>\n

For the latest and best from Chron, sign up for our daily newsletter here.<\/a><\/p>\n

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