My once reviled home state is suddenly finding itself embraced in a bear hug as big as, well, Texas.

Why would this be happening? Because Texas could maybe shift from the Republican column to the Democratic one, that’s why. Suddenly everyone is crazy about us. Like they haven’t been since, oh, 1976, when Texas went for Jimmy Carter and most residents of the state probably regret it to this day.

Now I remember what it’s like to be loved. Houston! Praised as the most diverse city in the nation — ¡Tanto Español! — even from candidates who aren’t native speakers. (Mayor Pete Buttigieg, your accent puts Beto O’Rourke’s to shame.) Cory Booker scored points by translating the word “no” into Spanish for the folks at home.

This is an election year when the biggest yahoo comes from New York, and the Texans on the stage talk like the Ivy League smarties they are.