KSEV Mornings · November 2, 2026 · Hour 1
Craig on why James Talarico can’t be trusted, Ken Paxton’s record as attorney general, Abdul El-Sayed on Israel’s right to exist, and a preview of Craig’s comparison of the DSA and the early Nazi party.
James Talarico, Ken Paxton and Abdul El-Sayed led the election eve edition of KSEV Mornings. With Wayne Dolcefino on special assignment, Craig Coglianese made the case that Talarico can’t be trusted, played Paxton’s Corpus Christi speech on his record as attorney general, and took on El-Sayed’s answer on whether Israel has the right to exist.
“Don’t worry, my positions haven’t changed”
Craig opened with a Talarico clip he posted to the show’s new TikTok that took off a couple of days before the election. In the audio, first reported by The Daily Wire, a supporter tells Talarico she’s worried by what she’s seeing on social media, and Talarico tells her his positions haven’t changed. Craig said it’s true of a lot of topics for Talarico, from the border to oil and gas: “There’s so many things he’s flip-flopped on in the 11th hour.”
The lesson, Craig said, is that Talarico “can’t be trusted at all,” so voters should throw out the language and look at his voting record. “He stood against oil and gas in multiple different ways,” Craig said, and he has stood for telling parents that schools do a better job of raising their kids.
How the left paints the right
Craig said a lot of kids who believe they’re trans aren’t, and that social media and some schools are pushing children to think something they’re struggling with is more serious than it is. He said the left has to paint the right “as extreme and ridiculous as humanly possible” before the conversation even starts. “That’s not what I said,” Craig said of claims that he thinks teachers are performing surgeries in class. His point is that a child isn’t mentally capable of making a decision like that.
Paxton edges ahead in a poll
Craig previewed the deep dive coming in Hour 2: a point-by-point comparison of the Democratic Socialists of America’s pitch with the platform of the party that gave rise to the Nazis, which he researched with AI and then checked himself. He also noted Ken Paxton squeaked ahead in one new poll, while reminding listeners that most polls are still wrong a lot of the time.
A birthday weekend, and three hours arguing with AI
Craig’s birthday was over the weekend. He got last-second tickets to see the Rockets win on Saturday night, with Kevin Durant on the court, and spent Sunday at the Texas Renaissance Festival. Then he went home and argued with AI for about three hours to get his research for the DSA comparison right.
Abdul El-Sayed and Israel’s right to exist
Craig played Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s interview, where El-Sayed says yes when asked if Palestine has the right to exist, but answers on Israel, “Yes, if there is a shared understanding.” Craig said that struggle shows El-Sayed thinks it should all be Palestine: “This is anti-Israel rhetoric, anti-Semitic rhetoric in a way, because it’s the river-to-sea stuff.” He also pointed out that Israel has won that fight multiple times and did not wipe out the people it defeated.
The most expensive Senate race in history
Craig played a Fox News report calling the Texas Senate race the most expensive in history, and the New York Times/Siena poll that puts Talarico ahead, which Craig doesn’t believe. His message: if you haven’t voted, show up tomorrow and make sure Paxton wins.
Ken Paxton in Corpus Christi
Craig played Paxton’s speech in Corpus Christi, where he talked about taking on Google over your privacy, suing Pfizer “because they lied about the vaccine,” recovering more than a billion dollars from Meta over what it exposed kids to online, and suing Joe Biden 107 times. “This should have been the campaign all along,” Craig said. He noted Paxton hasn’t run from President Trump; he’s run toward him, and Craig said that’s the right call in Texas. He also played CNN acknowledging that Texas is “a legal graveyard for Biden policies.”
On Talarico, Craig pointed to his vote on letting children transition, and said “the fact that Talarico voted to say that parents can be removed from that equation is disgusting.” If Paxton wins, Craig said, never listen to a poll again.
The lighter side
- The never-ending cruise ended early, and Craig wants to know how people got on and off the boat.
- A dad named Daniel delivered his baby in the left lane on the Massachusetts Turnpike, and Craig says that should buy him a while without complaints at home.
- A Texas family dressed as cops got pulled over by the cops on Halloween night, and Craig said only in Texas would kids dressing up as police be no big deal.
- Craig has never understood couple costumes or matching holiday onesies, and he says he has never worn one.
Hear Craig and Wayne live weekdays from 7–9 AM Central on AM 700 KSEV, The Voice of Texas. Visit the KSEV Mornings show page for live-listening controls and more episodes. Listen live weekdays 7-9 AM CT on the KSEV app.
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