What is it with people making up fake hate crimes? And why are they always people on the left? When did "fake it until you make it" become a rule for Democrats?

The latest example comes to us from Texas, where Taral Patel, a Democrat running for Fort Bend Precinct 3 Commissioner, has been arrested for faking racist messages - and using an innocent Fort Bend resident's photo as the profile photo for the fake messages. Yes, really.

A Texas political candidate has been arrested on charges of sending fake hate messages to himself on social media.

Taral Patel, the Democratic candidate for Fort Bend Precinct 3 Commissioner, was arrested by Texas Rangers and is being charged with Online Impersonation and Misrepresentation of Identity.

Authorities allege that Patel spent months sending a stream of racist and derogatory comments to himself, impersonating a supporter of incumbent Republican Commissioner Andy Meyers.

Months! Months of committing what is arguably election interference, trying to set himself up as the brave soul fending off racist attacks to serve the people of Fort Bend! So brave, so courageous!

Except that, like so many of these things, it was all phony as a three-dollar bill.

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Here's the really troubling part.

Law enforcement reported that Patel used an image of a real Fort Bend resident as his profile picture without the individual's consent.

It's not a stretch to think that Patel could have actually endangered this unknown, unnamed man through this egregious act of fraud. Whoever the innocent Fort Bend resident whose face was used is, it would appear that he has a tailor-made defamation suit just waiting for him. At the very least, anyone who recognized this innocent citizen, had the fraud not been discovered, may well have reacted very badly. He could have lost his job. He could have lost his life.

All so a Democrat political candidate could set himself up as a cut-rate hero to score some political points in a race for a precinct commissioner's slot. If it wasn't so serious it would be downright laughable.

At the time of the fakery, Patel posted this:

"As your Democratic candidate for County Commissioner, I am always open to criticism of my policy positions and stances on issues," Patel said in the September 2023 post on Facebook. "However, when my Republican opponents supporters' decide to hurl racist, anti-immigrant, Hinduphobic, or otherwise disgusting insults at my family, faith community, colleagues, and me - that crosses a line."

What a despicable fraud. Few things are as contemptible as liars claiming a moral high ground to which they are not only not entitled but to which they deserve just the opposite: Contempt and derision. Fortunately, whatever consequences Patel will face from this ruse, it's pretty certain his political career, what there was of it, has ended.

At least, as long as he's in Texas.

You can see Patel's Facebook post including the fake messages here.

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