Staff Reports
A political splash has turned into a mud fight. Resurfaced social posts from 2018 and fresh reporting about a middle‑school performance have put Tejano musician Bobby Pulido under a harsh light — and now State Representative James Talarico is taking heat for endorsing him. This week’s outrage centers on Pulido’s old comments downplaying child molestation and on footage showing a convicted sex offender onstage at a school event where Pulido performed.
What resurfaced: the post and the middle‑school performance
Conservative outlets and social feeds dug up a 2018 post from Bobby Pulido that said, in part, “Child molestation is abhorrent. But is not necessarily rape or murder…” That line, blunt and chilling on its face, has been replayed widely. Axios and local reporting also showed Pulido performed at a 2018 middle‑school benefit where Frankie Caballero — convicted in 2014 of indecent sexual contact with an 8‑year‑old and listed on the sex‑offender registry — appeared onstage. The combination of the post and the school appearance is the specific development driving the backlash.
Why James Talarico is getting pilloried
State Representative James Talarico publicly endorsed Pulido at a South Texas rally as part of his Latino outreach. Now that Pulido’s past remarks and associations are back in the mix, opponents are attacking Talarico by association. The point is simple: voters don’t like candidates who link up with people who minimize child abuse or shared stages with convicted sex offenders in front of children. If Talarico thought this endorsement would help win hearts, it’s turned into a liability instead.
Pulido’s camp says he didn’t know — but questions remain
Pulido’s campaign claims he and his team didn’t know Caballero was a registered sex offender and that Caballero was a contractor the management company handled. That defense might buy time with some, but many will ask how someone touring and performing together for years could be genuinely unaware — and why a public figure would post words that seem to soften the horror of child molestation. Voters deserve clear answers, not vague PR lines.
Bottom line: this is the kind of political story that moves fast and hurts hard. For Talarico, the lesson is obvious — vet your allies before you hug them onstage. For Pulido, the damage control must be fast, full, and convincing, or the idea of a fresh Democratic face in South Texas will be overshadowed by a controversy nobody wanted. Either way, Texas voters will be watching how both men handle the fallout.
