General Discussion

DonViejo

(60,536 posts) Thu Feb 14, 2019, 09:41 AM Feb 2019

Worried Texas Republicans call for more national help in 2020

BY ANDREA DRUSCH

FEBRUARY 14, 2019 04:00 AM,

UPDATED 3 HOURS 38 MINUTES AGO

RODGER MALLISON RMALLISON@STAR-TELEGRAM.COM

WASHINGTON - Texas Republicans have long coasted to re-election while ignoring their Democratic opponents. Not anymore.

For 2020, GOP incumbents in what has historically been one of the most solidly red states in the union are plotting offense-driven campaigns they hope will insulate them even if the party brand takes a nosedive.

Strategists and party operatives interviewed by the Star-Telegram say the approach comes after a number of long-serving Republicans notched closer-than-expected victories in 2018, while their party lost ground in the suburbs.

Even popular lawmakers aren’t safe if Texas voters continue to move away from the GOP in the Donald Trump era, the strategists said. So they are aiming to more aggressively drive attention to their opponents instead.

“People are concerned, worried, fearful, about how do we strike a balance between handling the president and the base, versus building that broader outreach?” said Texas GOP strategist Brendan Steinhauser, who has worked for Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, as well as GOP Reps. Mike McCaul and Dan Crenshaw.

The answer, Steinhauser said, is offense: “You talk about how the left is out of the mainstream and they want to socialize the country.”

more
https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/national-politics/article226226280.html

7 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Worried Texas Republicans call for more national help in 2020 (Original Post) DonViejo Feb 2019 OP

Damn straight the Democrats want better...... ProudMNDemocrat Feb 2019 #1

Hispanics and D-leaning people in metropolitan areas will soon outnumber Trump fans in the boonies dalton99a Feb 2019 #2

Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah malaise Feb 2019 #3

Texas will turn blue Gothmog Feb 2019 #4

Cruz won by 2.6% Rstrstx Feb 2019 #7

"Socializing" is how you deal with a feral cat nuxvomica Feb 2019 #5

"You talk about how the left is out of the mainstream" gratuitous Feb 2019 #6

ProudMNDemocrat

(16,913 posts)

1. Damn straight the Democrats want better......

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Feb 14, 2019, 09:51 AM

Feb 2019

Infrastructure that does not fall down because of neglect.
Expanded Health Care access so no one slips through the cracks.
The very rich pay their fair share.
Green jobs for our Energy future and combat Climate change.
Paid Education to Public Schools and Colleges. (Pay for Private)
Expand Social Security.
Protect Medicare.

You walk out your door and see that Society benefits when Government does good things.

dalton99a

(81,708 posts)

2. Hispanics and D-leaning people in metropolitan areas will soon outnumber Trump fans in the boonies

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Feb 14, 2019, 09:59 AM

Feb 2019

malaise

(269,351 posts)

3. Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Feb 14, 2019, 10:03 AM

Feb 2019

Beto's bigger crowd must have scared them, despite the Con's lies about crowd size.

Gothmog

(146,012 posts)

4. Texas will turn blue

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Feb 14, 2019, 01:18 PM

Feb 2019

Romney won Texas by 16%. Trump won Texas by 9%. Carnival Cruz won by 3.5%. There is a trend. Cornyn needs to worry

Rstrstx

(1,403 posts)

7. Cruz won by 2.6%

Reply to Gothmog (Reply #4)

Thu Feb 14, 2019, 02:06 PM

Feb 2019

I don't know where this 3.5% number keeps coming from

nuxvomica

(12,472 posts)

5. "Socializing" is how you deal with a feral cat

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Feb 14, 2019, 01:25 PM

Feb 2019

It's the process of getting them familiar and comfortable around people. If that's what Dems are planning to do to with the country, I don't see a problem.

gratuitous

(82,849 posts)

6. "You talk about how the left is out of the mainstream"

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Feb 14, 2019, 02:00 PM

Feb 2019

Yes, Democrats keep backing all these very popular programs and platform planks. It's just horrible!

Tips for Democrats: Keep endorsing popular notions like more affordable and more available health care, clean water, clean air, and higher wages for workers. Then spend a minute or two on the lack of accomplishments the Republican record shows. Yes, the Republicans certainly passed a big tax cut for their fatcat benefactors. They're very proud of that. But what have they done for YOU? An extra buck fifty in your monthly paycheck? Well, that defrayed some of the cost of your rising health care insurance premium, which went up due to Republican fuckery with the Affordable Care Act.

Support popular programs, and make Republicans run on their non-existent record.

Reply to this discussion