Everyone and Their Brother Is Taking Credit
Opinion by Alberto Govea
Primero (First), I want to say I haven't felt this genuinely happy and relieved in a very long time. In fact, it may be the happiest I've been since the Dallas Cowboys won their last Super Bowl more than thirty years ago.
As I watched the early election returns Tuesday evening, I saw my team jump out to an early lead. Using a football analogy, I remained cautious. I've seen plenty of games where a team leads at halftime but doesn't win the game.
Pero (But), as the night wore on and the clock approached 9:00 p.m., the numbers continued moving in our favor. That's when I finally allowed myself to believe that victory might actually happen. Around the same time, social media was reporting that Abbott had conceded, although local television stations had not yet confirmed those reports.
Early results also showed Talarico looking like a likely winner, and several Tarrant County races were trending in the direction I had hoped. Before long, it appeared to be part of a larger national pattern. For those of us on the blue side of the political spectrum, it was shaping up to be a very good night.
By 10:00 p.m., most of the state and local races I was following had been effectively decided. Even then, I wasn't ready to hang any championship banners. Years of political ups and downs had taught me to be careful about celebrating too soon.
By the end of the evening, my wife and I were all smiles, though still a little surprised by what we were seeing. As we headed to bed, the television was still on. I turned to her and said, "I hope I'm not dreaming."
"Shut up, don't say that" she replied.
I knew exactly what she meant. Like many Americans, we've spent the last decade waking up to political realities we never expected.
Thankfully, this wasn't a dream.
If you're someone who believes in democracy, values freedom, and believes we must restore respect for the dignity of all people, then you probably felt some relief as well. ¿Que no?
Pero ahora (But now), I'll admit that I'm getting a little annoyed.
It seems like everyone and their brother is lining up to take credit for the victory. Some are saying, "It wasn't them, it was us." Others insist, "People should be thanking us, not them."
To all of those people, let me simply say this:
Thank you.
You deserve whatever credit you've earned.
Now let's stop arguing about who gets the trophy and focus on what comes next. Elections are important, but they are only one step in a much larger journey. If this victory means anything, it should be an opportunity to build momentum, strengthen our communities, and continue working toward a better future.
Let's take the win, learn from it, and move forward together.
Because the next election is already closer than we think.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or views of Hola Texas or its affiliates.
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