James Talarico, a Texas Democratic lawmaker running for Senate, was supposed to hold the second rally of his nascent campaign on Sept. 10, the day Charlie Kirk was shot. The horror of the killing shook him deeply, and he thought about canceling. Instead, Talarico retooled his speech to make it all about Kirk’s murder and the algorithmically fueled rancor and contempt deforming American life.
That evening, almost 2,000 people crammed into the sprawling patio of a San Antonio pizza and burger joint called Backyard on Broadway. It was so crowded that before Talarico arrived, the kitchen announced that it had sold out of all its food. There were none of the windup speeches so common at political rallies. Instead, standing inches from the throng, Talarico spoke about Kirk’s death and the atmosphere of hatred suffocating the nation.
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