Triumph in Las Colinas

Texas's conservative movement left Dallas invigorated, Saturday night.

Conservatives from across Texas came together to honor those who have been at the spear-tip of the movement, at the Marriott Hotel in Los Colinas this past Saturday.

There were many black ties and black cowboy hats among the hundreds in attendance at the Conservative Leader Awards, organized by Texas Scorecard.

The events opened with the National Anthem and Texas Our Texas, sung by Fran Rhodes. Rhodes can best be described as the Fightin’ Fort Worthian; if there is a conservative cause, she has fought for it. Rhodes is the president of the True Texas Project and her work during COVID was among the first to bring the dark sides of COVID response in Texas to light.

Chris Salcedo, Texas’s “Liberty-Loving Latino” gave the opening remarks.

Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller was in attendance, as was state Senator Bob Hall. Texas Republican Party Chair Matt Rinaldi was seated upfront and when a speaker said his name the chairman was greeted with universal cheers.

(Several nominees awaiting their awards)

Bonnie Wallace, who was both a speaker and an award recipient, spoke to the audience about the need to keep pornography out of public schools.

(Bonnie Wallace addresses the audience)

Wallace noted that her inspiration came from seeing “Gender Queer” while getting a haircut. Gender Queer is a comic children’s book that includes numerous graphic depictions of oral sex and other acts and has appeared in many public libraries.

Wallace broke the audience into laughter when she joked that an injury to her ankle that required her to wear a boot was the result of a fistfight with henchmen from the porn industry.

Tracy Shannon was met with a standing ovation when she received her award.

(Tracy Shannon receives standing ovation from Conservative Leader Awards audience)

Shannon has become known for her fight against transgender ideology and its deleterious effect on families after her former husband came out as trans.

Likewise, Dr. Mary Talley Bowen, a Texas doctor who opposed vaccine mandates received an award for her brave stand against COVID totalitarianism.

A full list of award recipients is available on Texas Scorecard’s website.

The event had two main themes.

First, speakers and attendant organizations put a heavy focus on cultural issues, especially in public education. “It is time to push back against the left… the people trying to change our culture,” Brandon Waltens, Texas Scorecard’s editor and the event’s organizer, said in his address.

Organizations focusing on cultural issues were particularly well-represented at the convention.

Carrie Moore, Stephanie Holderfield, Audra Deaver, and many others from Citizens Defending Freedom, an organization fighting corruption in public education were in attendance.

True Texas Project, an organization whose focus includes stopping illegal immigration, kicking CRT out of public schools, and opposing COVID mandates, had many representatives at the event.

Similarly, there was a sizeable presence from Texans for Vaccine Choice, Eagle Forum, and the O.W.L.S.

Interestingly, the young Texas Nationalist Movement (TNM), which anchors its arguments for Texas independence in cultural terms rather than purely historic terms had an unexpectedly large turnout at the awards, signaling a groundswell for the movement.

The second theme of the event was discontent. This could be felt in the conversations going on between attendees who mingled over dinner.

“We have no good state reps,” one attendee from North Texas said. This sentiment was widely reflected by others seated at my table. Speaker Dade Phelan and District 98 Rep. Giovanni Capriglione were singled out by discussants as being among the worst Texas representatives.

However, there were some exceptions. State Representative Tony Tinderholt was identified in table conversation as being well-liked. Representative Nate Shatzline, who was also in attendance, was widely regarded as the young face of Texas conservatives, whom many hope will play an increasingly large role in state politics.

The feeling of the event could be best summarized by a statement from the liberty-loving Latino, “For the first time, they [the left] are afraid.”

Conservatives feel they are on the offensive in Texas and indeed they are.

Numerous new conservative activists were minted during the pandemic. The right wing has been reinvigorated by the fresh faces and new ideas that have been drawn into the movement by the need to protect children from the madness consuming public education, defend the state against illegal immigration, and repel COVID totalitarianism.

Few were in a hurry to leave the Conservative Leader Awards, even after the event concluded around 10 PM.

Many speakers, awardees, and attendees stayed in the lobby or reconvened at the hotel’s bar to share contacts and make connections.

When the last stragglers left, in the wee hours of the morning, none stated that they felt anything other than it was a “triumph” for conservatives who continue to organize in the remaining 11 months before election day in 2024.