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Friday, June 28, 2013

What’s it Gonna Take Texas Democrats?



I’m tired of watching the Texas Democratic Party get steam rolled, time after time, after time. After 1994, I lost interest in Texas politics because that’s how long it’s been since a Democrat has won a state-wide election. I know it’s an upward climb because the gerrymandered districts look like a snake trail to favor white Republican candidates. I also understand elections matter because the winner gets to draw the congressional districts. Whining is not the answer, so we must follow the examples of the 2012 voters, who fought the voter suppression laws by standing in lines for hours; in defiance.

I don’t think Governor Rick Perry will run for governor this time around, so Senator Wendy Davis would probably run against Atty. General Greg Abbott, who is to the right of the governor we have now. I think she needs to paint Abbott as the right-wing extremist he is, early in the campaign. Ordinarily, Senator Davis would have a funding disadvantage but her recent notoriety gained her a check from Moveon.org for $240,000.Some might say that money from Moveon.Org, and Hollywood liberals will hurt her chances in Texas, but I think she can overcome that, besides, I doubt she would get votes from that crowd anyway. Texas is a red state and not a bastion for independents. The only negative is giving up that important Senate seat.

The new voter ID law will certainly hurt since 600,000 voter eligible people do not have a valid picture ID. Student IDs will not be accepted and over 80% of the 600,000 without pictured IDS are Hispanic. The rest are elderly who normally don’t have a need for a picture ID.

Texas Democrats have a problem with name recognition and a weak bench but after Wendy’s filibuster, which was seen nationally by 200,000 folks, more and more networks are asking Texas Democrats to appear on their shows. Rick Perry doesn’t realize how damaging his condescending words towards Senator Davis were. He’s the 2013 version of Clayton Williams. A Wendy Davis/Julian Castro gives the Democrats a one/two punch as governor and lieutenant governor and name recognition. They won’t take over the House and the Senate anytime soon, but it puts their foot in the front door.

Wendy certainly has a lot of ammunition that she can use because she can point to GOP controlled states where they all have overreached. She can stick with education, health care, and a living wage, as their part of her platform. She can let the Republicans talk all they want to about small businesses because most people are wage earners. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hillary Clinton made Texas one of her frequent stops. Her opponent can demonize Hillary at their own peril. When Clinton ran in the Texas Democratic primary against Barack Obama in 2008 - about 3 million voters showed up – that’s double the number who turned out in the 2012 GOP primary when Mitt Romney was the Republican nominee.

I continue to think local elections don’t have much to do with party affiliation and people at that level  will change parties depending on which way the wind blows.

Nationally, I’m very optimistic because of the make-up of today’s GOP. We have a local longtime Republican who thinks climate change is about fluctuating temperatures. No, we already know that the planet is hot and we are now discussing the rising sea levels and the more destructive storms due to the heat. We have another local poster who thinks Republican men should tell women about their health care choices. I can tell you the result of the first Republican who runs on a platform of supporting an amendment to ban gay- marriage. House Republicans representing very conservative districts will always vote against a comprehensive immigration reform bill, and the federal party will suffer the consequences. The national GOP is just now waking up to the fact that most voters are wage earners not business people. Let them keep supporting coal fired plants,banning the EPA,getting rid of the IRS and more tax cuts for rich people. The Democrats need to continue to support the ACA,background checks,students,the poor and tax reform and they will continue to win national elections. North Carolina under their new Republican governor just eliminated unemployment insurance.

It’s up to us, do we want to continue to be door mats or do we take advantage of the everyday gifts the GOP hands us? It’s in our hands but there are 1.2 million unregistered voters in Texas and at least that many who don’t vote. We have the numbers;it’s getting them to the polls where we have a huge problem.

16 comments:

BIGJ said...

What will it take? Texas Democrats need to do.....

1) Learn from OK governor Brad Henry's run ten years ago.

2) Fight and call out Hate Talk Radio. Joe Pags and that racist bigot Michael Berry.

3) Don't wait on the influx of Hispanic voters.

4) Realize Abortion and Gay Marriage isn't everyone's cup of tea. Education, criminal justice, water, and health should be the focus.

5) All candidates must, must must campaign in rural counties among 1-35, HWY 77, and HWY 90. The coastal counties too. Don't focus on urban centers alone.

6) Weak parties in counties like Victoria, Lavaca must be pressured into recuritment.


Justin Williams.

Mike said...

Interesting

1....I don't know who Brad Henry is or what he did and how it relates to Texas

2...I don't know what AM radio hosts has to do with voting for legislators

3...Enough Hispanic voters are already registered to win elections and make an immediate impact,so it wouldn't be really waiting on n influx of voters. It would really be making use of what's already there...IMO. ...You don't ignore 40% of population and moving to 50% in 10 years.

4.I agree.....bypass the social issues and talk abut the issues important to mot Texans

5....I'll have to take your word on the importance of those regions

6...It wouldn't be a bad idea to get someone to beat Blake Farenthold

It's going to take another at least another 7 years to turn Texas purple.

Thanks for the input

Mike said...

Well you aroused my curiosity,so I Googled Brad Henry.
I agree he ran on an education platform,endorsed by Barry Switzer and he provided a sanctuary to the Texas Democrats who fled the state to prevent a quorum .

born2Bme said...

Let me see. Gov Dumdum has turned down expansion of Medicaid, wants to pass the abortion thing, and is going to change Voter rules in Texas...so far. Not to mention how he showed the nation how ignorant he is on national television.
So, in a few fell swoops, he is alienating a very large portion of Texas voters and could-be voters. Lets just hope that people are mad enough to get involved and help those that are not registered to get registered. I want to see Texas as a blue state before I die. Purple is an improvement, but I want to see Blue.

Mike said...

Bravo,very well put.

I too want to see a blue Texas before I leave this earth.

born2Bme said...

I have to say though, I'm guessing that most of the people these things effect, don't pay attention to politics all that much. They are too busy trying to make ends meet to worry about much else.

born2Bme said...

I have to say though, I'm guessing that most of the people these things effect, don't pay attention to politics all that much. They are too busy trying to make ends meet to worry about much else.

Edith Ann said...

Personally, I think we will be BLUE before folks know it.

The word around is it will be Perry and Dewhurst in Governor's race, Dewhurst wins primary and then faces Davis. Davis can beat Dewhurst. He so bent the rules during her filibuster, it will come back to bite him with those folks who have ever felt cheated, or who have a sense of fair play.

Born, that it why we have to make a better effort to get folks to see that their vote is important and why it is important.

born2Bme said...

So, maybe the only way to reach the most amount of people is through flyers sent to every mailbox. Give the people a number to call if they need help getting registered or finding their BC's or whatever else they need.
Every County or Precinct can get volunteers to help.

Mike said...

Great comments

I thought I heard that all those without a picture ID to vote had to get them at the DMV.
70 counties do not have a DMV....But I also heard that we might get rid of designated voting places whereby people can vote at any polling location.

I really wish they would make it easier to vote and not continue to throw up barriers.
We should be able to vote at Walmart or HEB,and on weekends.

True people are busy working but being at or near the bottom in education and health care should not be acceptable.

Edith Ann said...

They can use their concealed gun permits. They cannot use a state university ID or a VA ID. Add to that the 70 counties without a DL office (they come in once a week) and explain to be again how this is not voter suppression!

They think we are stupid. I'm pulling out my Costco ID if they ask for anything more than my voter registration card.

Mike said...

Student ID are not accepted because young people vote for Democrats.
Voter fraud is VERY rare but voter suppression is not.

Ronald Sandidge brings out that old Reagan Welfare Queen stories that never get old for people like him.....While he's watching the food baskets (prime rib,ice cream etc) yet said nothing when IRS blew $50 million on seminars,we never recovered the $9 billion in Iraq that went poof but if you do a little research you will find that food stamps mostly go to children and the elderly....and there is really not that much abuse,...

We also know it's not the 20 weeks because we know they are trying to repeal Roe v Wade in steps at the state level.

Edith Ann said...

Interesting article about the Voter ID ruling.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-27/did-the-supreme-court-just-turn-texas-blue-.html

Edith Ann said...

1.) http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/06/01/your-lack-of-insight-and-compassion-make-you-ugly/

2.) Jennifer Rubin from the Washington Post is an idiot if she think Rick Perry is in tune with the majority of Texans!

Edith Ann said...

Jim DeMint is and idiot, too.

Mike said...

After reading this morning’s Michael Reagan column I came to the conclusion that both he and Joe Scarborough have the same flawed opinion on what the strike down of the enforcement clause of the Voting Rights Act really means.

Mr. Reagan thinks that by President Obama stating his disappointment in the ruling, he was playing the race card. President Obama knew that three cases are before the justice dept. for voter suppression and they wouldn’t be without the pre-clearance part of the law.

I agree with Reagan and Scarborough that we are no longer in the Bull Conner era and race relations are better nowadays but neither of those two see that the voter suppression laws are politically motivated. Minorities usually vote for Democrats, so the curtailing of early voting dates and hours, heavily gerrymandered districts and overnight voter ID laws with partisan restrictions are some samples of voter suppression that was not allowed under the old law.
It’s up to Congress to restore pre-clearance (even if it’s applied to all 50 states) but I can confidently say that the House has no intention of doing that.

It doesn’t matter to Reagan or Scarborough that Pennsylvania Sec. of state admitted (on tape) that he did his part to assure a Romney win but that didn’t turn out to be the case. Joe cites the fact that blacks voted in 2012 at historical levels, so that’s his proof that the 1965 pre-clearance provision is no longer needed. He doesn’t buy the argument that not for pre-clearance, African-Americans would not have set that record.