UPDATE: After publication of this article, Texas Scorecard learned that in a 2016 local news interview Austin Councilmember Flannigan claimed “The Eyes of Texas”—the university fight song he recently scolded because of a far-left trend—was his favorite song.
As Election Day draws near and Texans decide which ideology they want in power in their cities, state, and nation, a supposedly “moderate” incumbent city councilman seeking re-election has continually proven his true views are far from what he tells voters.
During a recent controversy at the University of Texas, where leftist elements at the school led an assault against their fight song, “The Eyes of Texas,” Austin City Councilmember Jimmy Flannigan revealed yet again that he is not the kind of moderate he originally claimed to be.
At issue was the school song’s tangential association with early 20th-century vaudeville acts where performers appeared in blackface. While obviously in poor taste by modern standards, the minstrel show in question is a small snippet of the song’s history, making the current controversy a classic case of using a half-truth, stripped of context, to push a narrative.
While allegations against the song have simmered for years, the controversy boiled over following the Longhorns loss in the Red River Showdown earlier this month. After Texas’ fifth loss to archrival OU in their past six meetings, senior quarterback Sam Ehilger was the only player to stay on the field for the postgame rendition of “The Eyes of Texas”; the rest of the team was in the locker room. The situation deteriorated further last week when reports surfaced that the Longhorn band was refusing to play the school song.
Fortunately for Longhorn nation, the team stayed on the field for “The Eyes” following last Saturday’s victory against Baylor. While the band wasn’t in the stadium due to coronavirus restrictions, it seems likely that they’ll follow the players’ lead when they return.
Yet the controversy did allow Flannigan—a Democrat from far northwest Austin who won his election in 2016 by posing as a moderate—to show his true colors.
Consider Flannigan’s own words from June:
Random thought: Why are people so concerned with preserving history when we could be making it?
— Jimmy Flannigan (@JimmyFlannigan) June 13, 2020
I'm talking about The Eyes of Texas. What the hell are you talking about
— Jimmy Flannigan (@JimmyFlannigan) June 13, 2020
Of course, none of this is surprising. Texas Scorecard has previously documented Flannigan’s duplicity on fiscal policy, where he’s continually voted to raise taxes and wildly spend citizens’ money. But Flannigan’s far-left leanings are hardly limited to economics.
In addition to hiring a self-described “vulgar Marxist” to run his campaign, Flannigan has been a longstanding advocate for funneling citizens’ money to Planned Parenthood. He also advocated this summer for defunding the local police department and even demolishing their downtown headquarters.
Indeed, Flannigan’s commitment to the leftist cultural agenda is so all-encompassing that in 2018, he berated a dissenting local resident from the dais.
Given this background, Flannigan’s derision for “The Eyes of Texas” further illustrates what we already knew.
One final note: Flannigan played tuba in the Longhorn band two decades ago.
The good news for voters in northwest Austin is that Flannigan’s seat is on the ballot this November. Candidate Mackenzie Kelly is running against Flannigan on a pro-public safety, pro-taxpayer platform.
Early voting runs through October 31, with Election Day on November 3.
