Texas... A Republican Stronghold... What can be done about it?

I decided to post this thread because I made some statements about Texas on an earlier thread which got me called a bigot. So, I decided to back up my statements with evidence. I've never been called a bigot in my entire life, and I was shocked. So, to save face and to illustrate that I don't just shoot stuff out of my ass, I decided to post these related statistics and articles.
Don't get me wrong. There are wonderful people who live in Texas who I admire and are friends with. So, please, do not think that I believe that ALL Texans are alike. I also love the BBQ, music and rodeos. The fiestas in San Antonio are a lot of fun as well. But, we have to be honest with ourselves about the fact that Texas is a Republican stronghold. So, what can be done about it?



Most recent state to stir up anti-sodomy laws...

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/7/afa/252003b.asp

Watchdogs Fear Homosexual Marriage Cases May Lead to Further Challenges

By Bill Fancher and Rusty Pugh
July 25, 2003

(AgapePress) - Attacks against marriage are in full swing in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision striking down Texas's anti-sodomy law. Now two homosexual men in Arizona have launched a court challenge to that state's Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) law, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

more...

One of the most heinous hate crimes recently committed (Also, the victim's grave was trashed recently as well.)

Extreme hate crimes tend to be committed by people with a history of antisocial behavior. One of the most heinous examples took place in June 1998 in Jasper, Texas. Three men with jail records offered a ride to a black man who walked with a limp. After beating the victim to death, they dragged him behind their truck until his body was partially dismembered.


Who led the nation in the most numbers of black churches burnt in 96 during the crime spree? Texas

Some 94 black churches burned in the South between January 1, 1995, and mid-November 1996, with Texas leading the Nation for the most attacks, followed by Tennessee, South Carolina, and Florida. Eighty-six Southern churches designated as "non-black" were torched in the same period, although that figure could be lower: several houses of worship that were not designated as African American are Islamic mosques -- whose members tend to be mostly black.<45>

http://tinyurl.com/33rjv

BTW, Texas still hasn't passed an Anti-Hate Crime Act.

http://www.rtis.com/touchstone/summer99/Sebesta.html

Plenty of information here about religious cults in Texas. BTW, Texas leads the nation in the number of active religious cults and is third in the number of active hate groups.


http://www.google.com/search?
q=religious+cults+Texas&btnG=Search&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&c2coff=1


Texas Republican Party definition of party is said to be none other than a...

THEOCRACY

Introduction... In 2000, the Republican Party of Texas declared that it "affirms that the United ... the Family is "a government built by God," which is by definition a theocracy. ...
www.theocracywatch.org/introduction2.htm - 28k - May 25, 2004 - Cached - Similar pages
< More results from www.theocracywatch.org >


Texas is also the state which gave us Tom Delay, Enron, Rove (at least he lived here for an extended period) and Perry... But, to be fair, it also gave us Molly and Maverick...

if Dems can win back the Governorship in 2006 and successfully govern it would help the party statewide. As for 2004--unlikely much can be done to defeat Bush--but I predict he won't win by as much as he did in 2000.

Texans will keep it within the family, and deal with him in a Republican primary. That's where the real elections take place in Texas. It's kind of like how the NFC championship was the real Super Bowl in the 1980's.

I'm making plans to leave Texas in the next year, 2 max.

There will never be a statewide Democratic Party in Texas again. The party ran the best ticket they could find in 2002 and they lost every single race, again. All but one of the races was a double digit loss. I think the Texas Democratic Party should close up shop and stick a fork in it. I'm looking to move and take my Democratic vote to a swing state.

Just curious.

But I have to finish my degree first. Swing states are a top priority, but it's a 48 state search (no Texas or Alaska).

does someone have the 2000 and 2002 election state Republican party platform proposals laying around? The most vile "round up them homos and shoot 'em" crap (no kidding) you've ever seen.

On balance though, the democrats here are fierce, as we must be.

Also, don't be fooled by this state's voting record -- we've been black-box voting since before the 2000 election, and amazingly in the poorest and most progressive districts, including a district in Dallas with a very high gay population, the Republican vote was statistically highly improbable (something like 70/30 pro repug), considering that vote testing consistently shows a 10 - 1 favor for the democrats.

The Republican party here is a boil on the butt of Texas.

I dout the majority would ever vote against Shrub. I know he's not a REAL Texan, but most of the country believes he is because that's the image Rove has conjured up for him, so Texans have to defend the reputation of their State!

I rea;;y believe they would do the smae thing if it was Ann Richards in the WH.

I moved from Tx. quite a while ago, so I don't know what's left of the Dems there. The only way I can imagine the Dems wrenching control from the Pubs is to have another REAL Texan like Ann wrestle their true heritage from the liers! Ain't gonna happen in 2004! (Unless Shrub discrases the State convincingly.)

An outsider isn't going to swing the state back to the Dems. Do you know of anyone else besides Ann who might be suitable in running against these folks?

than what they contribute - and watch how Texas suddenly loses its enthusiasm for not having the wealthy pay their fair share of federal income taxes.

It's been the magazine of the Texas Liberals-since 1954. You are a subscriber, aren't you?

http://texasobserver.org

Your profile says your a Texan. Who's your Representative? Republican or Democrat? If Republican, are you working to elect their opponent? (Mine is Sheila Jackson Lee)

What about your state Reps? (Mine: Senator Mario Gallegos & Rep. Jessica Cristina Farrar. Both Democrats)

All your links are from outside Texas. If you want to do something about the state, why don't you start by looking around you?

I am an active member of the local Dem party organization and have blisters on my feet from walking around trying to get more and more people registered to vote. I also write to my paper frequently about issues. As for my sources, the statistics seem pretty solid. I don't think the articles have to come from Texas to be legit.

I give them several hundred dollars a year. The Texas Observer is my #1 read, even now that I am out of Texas. I also continue to contribute to the Democratic Party of Texas. I continue to send op/ed pieces and letters to the DAMN (Dallas Morning News). I'm still fighting for the party of Barbara Jordon, Ann Richard and Henry Gonzalez to re-take Texas from the Highland Parkers, River Oakers, and Plano Plain People. Texas deserves better than GWB, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, and (shudder) John Cornyn.

http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/RR/war2.html

to reverse this, send lotsa $$$ (+ some planning)

There are some good democrat towns like Austin, San Antonio & El Paso, but the other towns mostly SUCK!

There is some beautiful scenery and some nice people, but I'll never move back there.

The state is too big, it should be split in half between the northeast ( whiter & more evil) part and the southwest (mostly mexican-american and nice) part.

I'm white as they come, but I prefer the company of Mexicans over the bible-thumpin' texas white racist types anyday.

Accept the fact that Republicans are widespread NATIONWIDE, and that those of us who live here in Texas are busting our asses trying to change the odds!

We risk our lives and the safety of our vehicles by sticking progressive bumper stickers on them, we talk talk talk to anyone who'll listen about the way things are. We participate in voter registration drives. We protest like everyone else in other states.

Constantly finger-pointing and name calling does NOTHING to help us. You want to help us? Contribute to Republican opponents like Richard Morrison (www.takingontomdelay.com), Morris Meyer (www.meyer04.us), and Jim Nickerson (www.nickersonforcongress.com). Whoever your Dem state Congress critter candidate is, WORK for them. Give them money. Bust your butt on their campaign.

Contribute and get on the mailing list for groups like the Texas Freedom Network (www.tfn.org), to help us get liberals into office.

Contribute to causes like ACT to help them get more people registered to vote. Volunteer to get groups together to come to Texas and do door-to-door canvassing.

Find your local county Democrats club, and help out. Regularly go to meetings. Help them sell Dem merchandise. Here in Dallas, we have a Labor Day picnic every year. Go to events like these, meet MORE Democrats. Make the grass roots stronger.

Our local Dem club has helped get high schoolers interested in starting their own Young Democrats club on campus. And from the contributions of our members, we started scholarships for them. Those kids are going to college to major in government. And optimistic kids like those are the ones we need pulling for us in this state in the future (when the Demographics begin changing to pink, then blue, as another DUer pointed out).

If you want to change things, be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Constantly bashing those of us who have lived here for years (myself since 1971) only diminishes your message and your argument. Yes, the Republicans have become VERY STRONG here. But we Democrats are once again becoming a force to be reckoned with.

When someone can buy a house in Crawford, call it "The Peace House," and see multitudinous visitors increase every month, people are beginning to wake up. Dr. Dean woke many of us up. Kucinich woke many of us up. Sharpton and Moseley-Braun and Kerry did too. Redistricting and so much more has come along this last year to get us off our collective asses and get us working.

As the saying goes, "Don't mess with Texas."

The whole "Don't get me wrong, I have lots of friends who are Texan" argument is bulls%^&.

If they are really your friends, let's see you all out in 105 degree heat helping out.

However, I don't think pointing out the facts is fingerpointing. Someone further down the list of posts mentioned getting the religious organizations behind us. I agree with them whole heartedly. Part of the problem is that any religious group can get money from the state for their organization. So, many organizations pop up all over the state.

Did y'all get a cold front out that way? :)

is the only way for this state to move blue.

the fundies have hold of the people, even the non church going non religious, non practicing texan. they still mouth the talk

Baptist Convention already. It would also inspire the SBC in several other states to break off, the republican party at prayer.

Demographics are in our favor. As the Hispanic population grows, first we'll turn pink. Then a few years after that we'll start getting a beautiful bluish tint.

The vast majority of the Anglos here are hopeless.

here in California.

Hispanic people do NOT vote as a bloc.

Hispanic people are NOT all Democrats.

Hispanic people are NOT all liberal.

All of America is a problem. For America you can list ALL of the items from Texas and then add all of the other bad items from other states.

Why not just donate to the guy, Morrison, who is running against Tom Delay?

Why be divisive when you can be constructive?

I don't agree with you. The facts speak for themselves. Texas is turning into a theocracy. Perhaps you see this reflected nationally because of who is running the national gov. right now. So, perhaps going to one of the states which is at the root of the problem and changing the problems within that state will keep us from going down this dark path again. Maybe...

The word "defeatist" comes to mind.

I've got a Canadian husband, and I talk a big game about moving up some day, but this is my home. And I'm going to fight for it.

Education is our best friend. We need to reclaim the younger generation. Especially the Latinos. I think that's our strongest weapon.

Yes, the religious right has a huge advantage here, but they are not unconquerable.

east and southeast Texas has a large african-american population. That combined with hispanics, college students, and the minority white midle age liberal vote could swing it.

can be done to turn Texas blue being defeatist. As I stated earlier, I am an active member of my local Dem party, have blisters from walking around registering voters, talk a lot about how terrible Bush is (believe me I have a reputation), and I donate to those running against Republican candidates. I'm not a defeatist.

You already said you were called a bigot.

You ask in your intro message "What can be done?"

but then post every negative thing you can about Texas. Most of us living here already know what's occurring around us. We live with it every day.

There are a few of us on this board who have said multiple times to knock off the Texas bashing, and yet people still do it. It's an easy way to piss people off, even if your intentions are good.

Just say "We have a lot of fundies and Republicans here. We're already doing a lot. What more can we do?"

This could start a brainstorming session instead of the petty bickering we're doing right now.

I don't like being called a bigot. I'm glad to see that others on this thread have been most helpful in pointing out how to change things in this state. Things I didn't know. So, I don't regret posting this thread. I also posted positive things as well. But, the problems I pointed to are why we're having problems in this state not only during elections but how the state is viewed by outsiders.

It's how you're posting it. People here are proud of this state, no matter what party they belong to.

Denigrating the work that good Dems do by constantly pointing out the negative helps no one.

And you seem to be oblivious to the advice people are giving you about how to make your message work.

I read your examples. I'm aware of the problems. I also offered you examples of things to do. You're doing them. That's all we can do.

He asked how to change it. I don't think the demographics of Delays district bode well for Morrison, personally.

As someone said, "The place you can look the farthest and see the least."

The armor is made of tin foil, it can be pierced.

Texas has a history, even a RECENT history of electing democrat governors. Ann Richards anyone?

There are pockets of liberalism around each of the larger cities with a potentially powerful minority vote even in more rural areas. Austin is a very progressive city compared to other cities nationwide.

Democrats make a fatal error if they ignore Texas as a potential conquest. The potential is there, it just needs to be tapped correctly.

Check out the latest polls on Chimpy. Even though Guv Goodhair is down in the polls, he would only lose to another Repug in the primaries.

Texas's legistlature is solid Repug. Texas courts are solid Repug. All Texas statewide officeholders are Repug. The two Senators are Repug. The congressional delegation will be Repug after the recent gerrymandering.

There is no Texas democrat who has any sizable base statewide.

Texas would be a waste of scarce Democratic resources right now.

There are 16 Texas dems in congress and 74 in the state legislature. There are hundreds of smaller lesser local office democrats.

Yes, they're a minority but they represent the fact there ARE democrats in Texas who can organize.

It's bleak. It isn't hopeless though. The armor is not impenetrable.

And look at it this way- how many of us expected California to end up with a REPUBLICAN governer? If it can happen there, the opposite can happen in Texas!

However, I do agree with you that until more inroads can be made to reduce the impact of the recent repug immigration to Texas, that it might be wise to focus party resources elsewhere, but I'm not certain.

With Ron Wilson (a Dem who sided with the bug man during the recent gerrymandering) voted out after 28 years and another Democrat replacing him, well, I think that is a good sign that the tide is turning.

Many native Texans and multigenerational Texans are solid Dems. However, it is a little late in this election to get steam behind a respected Democratic name like Hobby or Hightower. There are many, many extremely capable, well-known-in-their-power-circle Dems who won't run because of the fishbowl, and because they are effective behind the scenes.

One good thing that could happen is for the multinational corporations (not just oil companies) to get some good real estate deals elsewhere and take their repug employees with them. Dreaming here.

The MOST important thing we can do with any limited resources is to concentrate on getting voters registered, especially youth. May I suggest that you join me in passing out MoveOn "The Day After Tomorrow" flyers stapled with a voter registration form?

And thank you, all, for the first pretty darned acceptable Texas thread I have seen on this board, ever. Most of them are very bigoted. :evilgrin:

http://www.moveon.org/dayafter/flyer.html

http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/vr17.pdf (English)

http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/vr17spanish.pdf (Spanish)

They can set up their own country and we can build a wall around it to protect the rest of the world from them.

so those of us paying off mortgages can escape when we have more equity?

Thanks

It's not indicated in your profile. Please let us know what pinnacle of perfection has produced you.

oh wait, they don't want it either

Trash talk from a denizen of the child molestation capital of the world?

funny. as an ATHEIST i don't get the joke

what did YOUR Jesus do to stop it daddy?

Your Attorney General struck some sweet little deals with the Catholic Church.

Clinton's penis?

again, i am but a simple atheist here

Sorry, poor taste but had to do it.

why would you do that?

i am serious

It implies that the United States, like Mexico, does not want Texas. This is a bigoted general statement in my opinion. Compare: Send all the blacks back to Africa. How would a black person feel if you said that?

Just taking care of my consciousness-raising duties. :D

However, if you want to make fun of Aggies . . . that's nowhere near bigotry. :evilgrin:

The poor ones come here to work. The richer ones come here to shop. They find Spanish spoken throughout the state.

But removing Texas from the USA would remove lots of non-whites as well. That would be fine with you, I bet.

Democrats and/or liberal independents will not take a statewide race, unless they are an incumbent. And even then, the odds have been stacked with the blatant power-grab that was redistricting.

What we need to do is start at the bottom. Get more people in at the local level, more progressive school board, city council members, dogcatchers, etc. In my town, a city council seat can be won with under 2 thousand votes. The problem is that the public isn't interested in getting out and voting for the unglamourous offices. With some organization, the democrats can take over at the local level. It's not that hard. It's exactly what the wingnuts did when they decided to take over.

Whe have to put people in at the bottom, and support good folks through careers up stepping up in elections to higher and higher office.

I'll bring this up at the next meeting. Great info.

Texas Sucks...being a democrat is like being gay in Texas...you have to hide...I had it doubly bad...I am gay and a Democrat.

I get tired of the relentless jabs at gays around here. I tell people it's none of their business, but I guess they think the Bible tells them that it is.

It is clear that Bushco look more like Sodomites than gays after Abu Ghraib.

Yes, there's prejudice & bashing. But we've got a lot of brave, out gays here, as well.

Ever hear about the Texas Gay Rodeo Association? They've even got corporate sponsorship.



www.atomar.com/tgra/

From: http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2001-12-07/pols_capitol.html

*SNIP*

Although in recent years Maxey has become a hero of gay activism in Texas, in the mid-Eighties he lived a life he would later describe as "extremely closeted." That ended abruptly, and not entirely by design, when he took up the cause of a Houston man with HIV, who had been threatened with quarantine by Texas health authorities.

As Maxey recalls the episode, "It was very early in the AIDS crisis, the disease wasn't very well understood, and the commissioner of health began talking about declaring HIV a 'quarantinable disease.' I was working with AIDS activists, and I went to Mauzy and asked him could we get involved. He answered, as he always did, 'Well, get something organized.' So we called committee hearings, and I contacted Dr. Mathilde Krim, at the time the foremost authority on AIDS and an advocate for patients. She came down here and testified against the quarantine."

The Board of Health backed down, and legislative aide Glen Maxey found himself on the steps of the Capitol being interviewed about the controversy by TV reporters. "The word was never mentioned, the question was never asked -- but on the CBS Evening News that night, the tagline said I was a 'Gay Activist.' Nobody else was working on AIDS at that time, so they just assumed it. That's how my mother and my relatives found out I was gay. I was outed before outing was cool, by Dan Rather."

Maxey said that night he realized his only alternative to acknowledging his real self would be outright dishonesty: to return to the closet with a vengeance. He couldn't do it. "I lost most of my job opportunities," he remembers, "but I became gay."

In a 1994 speech, Maxey recalled the remarkable transition from his fearful teenage years to his public prominence, now accustomed to wearing the designation of "the only openly gay Texas legislator." "I was extremely closeted. I was so scared that I contemplated taking my life," he said. "Now I'm probably one of the most visible homosexuals in the conservative state of Texas."

*SNIP*

Maxey believes that whoever is the next "openly gay legislator" won't have quite as tough a road as he had. And he remains optimistic about the prospects of progressive legislation, despite partisan redistricting and the likelihood of Republican domination of both houses. "In many ways, it's better now than it was when I came into the House. There were more Democrats then, but so many of them were old guard, actively hostile to any progressive change in Texas, and really hostile to gay people. Some of the current Republicans are easier to work with than they were."

*SNIP*

The man is amazing!

You try corraling a bunch of wacky, incredibly enthusiastic Dean supporters, getting them all coordinated for multiple trips to Iowa, and kicking butt while doing it!

I could tell you some of the most hilarious stories about plane and van coordination, flights with mechanical troubles, musical cell phones, wacky birthday announcements on a flight back to Texas, lots of orange hats, buses with frozen fuel lines, and lots of utter chaos.

In the middle of it all was Glen, trying frantically not to lose his marbles, cell phone glued to his ear, constantly cracking jokes, and becoming a hero to me.

Whutta guy. =)

I hear this and similar from people that were strongly for and strongly against his politics, including one politician that is EXTREMELY anti-gay.

in his case, you know that he's so passionate about what he's doing, and so gosh-darned likable, that it doesn't make any difference if you're for him or against him.

He keeps you laughing with his constant caustic comments that you have to smile.

You made this comment... "please, do not think that I believe that ALL Texans are alike. I also love the BBQ, music and rodeos. The fiestas in San Antonio are a lot of fun as well. "

Does that define Texans? I don't care for any of that stuff.

Texas is the only state that was once an independent nation and it's the one most mentioned in books and movies and everywhere else.

Back to the subject...

Most "Republicans" used to be Democrats. Offer them an alternative. They vote 'conservative', but most are progressive. Also, most of them are paranoid white folks, worried about being a minority as Hispanics take over. Texas is the next California, that's why they redistricted, so the GOP can hang onto power a bit longer.

The numbers are with the Democrats, but it will take a while.

Hawaii was an independant monarchy untill only the last century.

(I do agree with much of your assesment but I've heard this before about TX and wanted to point out its not totally accurate)

Texas is a repub stronghold only because we have very low voter turnout. We are 46th in the percentage of eligible voters who are even registered and 47th in the percentage of eligible voters who go to the polls- THAT is the problem.

Increase turnout and we go Dem again.

Of course, people also might actually want something to vote FOR- and until the past legislative session, Texas Dems hadn't been much more than the "me too" party. Between the Bush Lite Syndrome, the hideous party leadership we've had lately, the abandonment by the national party, and the low turnout, it's no wonder we're stuck with the Nazis who are currently running my state.

says that we actually have more registered Democrats than Republicans in Dallas County (example: Laura Miller getting elected mayor), BUT we have to give them a reason to get out and vote!

Let's do it!

Texas is solidly for Bush for 2004 for a number of reasons including plain old Texas loyalty.

Hoever, there are encouraging signs. Gore did carry Harris County in 2000 and the State Party is beginning to get its act together. If there is enough backlash against Bush, things will get better.

In your post on the Texas forum you pretty much inferred that all Texans are bad by citing one example of a person who was very rude and disrespectful to you. I think that your problem is that you just don't understand Texans. You mentioned Fiesta in my hometown of San Antonio. Did you notice people of all colors, all backgrounds, all different kinds of politcs, etc just getting together and having a good time? That is what Texas is all about. In Texas we just get along. Everyone gets along. Those of us who are Democrats don't dislike our state or our fellow Texans just because they are Republicans who we disagree with. In Texas we can have hard political battles but go out and have a beer at night. Sure the politics of this state is bad. But don't knock the people.

Getting along sometimes means being of the same political persuasion in this state.

and I'll keep bustin my ass with my fellow Dems here to take it back.

This shit doesn't happen overnight people.

Off to register people to vote.....

ETA I don't sit in judgement of the good liberal souls who leave this place, but I'm not leaving thankyouverymuch. Damn mother - #*&$%$* idiot racist homophobe repukes aren't running me and mine the hell off.

but I'm 4th generation Texan, and my roots grow around my 'nads.

There are many good hearted, quietly Democratic Texans, it's just that Republicans make the most noise.

But I suspect the country is not going to stay as conservative and right leaning as they have bee, this last decade and a half. . .

"What? Me lie?"

Rodeos suck. Let's go see a poor abused bovine get yanked off its hooves by a brutal cowboy wielding a neck-strangling rope. Yeee haw.

Or, let's go see a poor horse with an irritating strap lashed around its belly get cut in the ribs by some dumbass wearing spurs. Yeee haw.

Rodeos. Ugggh. :puke:

My first thought to was to.... Give it back to Mexico

Please let us know so we can appreciate the wonderfulness.

We are a donor state

Texas is a parasitic state, us Californians could go it alone, how about the the rest of you?
<sarcasm>

Really we just need to get * some place else, this would solve many problems

On edit: This land was stole from Mexico also, who stole it from the Indians

There is also a secret history to Missions here that took over and enslaved the natives, but that's another story.

What were your refering too?

http://www.calinst.org/pubs/bop2000.pdf
(snip)
... STATE BROKE ITS OWN DEFICIT RECORDAND MAINTAINED ITS DONOR STATE STATUS FOR A 13TH STRAIGHT YEAR ... prior years.California has also been a "donorstate" with regard to ...
(snip)

Btw. I didn't even start on a few other things, but I got to go to work, but will check the post later if you have some rebutals

is due to voter disenfranchisement, gerrymandering and/or outright lying by the media misleading the big-hearted Texans. I have always imagined Texas to be Dem country and if its not its probably due to shenanigans by the repubs.

and took lots of voters with him.

It went downhill from there.

We got a lot of northern repubs starting in the late 70s after the OPEC "gas crisis" coming here to work in the oil bidness (tons from Michigan--and still). A lot of them put down roots. It's hard to find a native in the highly-populated areas.

However, your idea of repub shenanigans is pretty factual. Cecile Richards is doing a lot of work with the Texas Freedom Network to un-doo-doo the tactics of the wingnuts and here is the website.

http://www.tfn.org/

I read the other day, on DU, an article that said that people who participate in polls are the one who are most interested in politics, but that the election is going to be decided by the everyday people, who sit in the bars, shop in the stores, etc., and who are too busy with their day-to-day lives to bother to participate in polls. I agree with that statement.

And, I think that Texas might just surprise you. I talk to people everyday, as I go about my busy life, and I find almost no one supports Bush. These are the people that the polls don't hear from. But they are the ones who are going to be voting in November.

I don't find many that truly support him...but I find way less that have any use for Kerry...so I don't know. I have seen only two bumper stickers that mention Kerry...and not in a good way.

the one at Greenville and Lovers.

The other evening we were down there, and I saw three bumper stickers that encouraged me, all within a block:

1. The Dixie Chicks for President!
2. Pro-Child/Pro-Choice
3. John Kerry (campaign sticker)

This is North Texas, people. Take encouragement where you can get it.

From: http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2001-12-07/pols_capitol.html

*SNIP*
Maxey believes that whoever is the next "openly gay legislator" won't have quite as tough a road as he had. And he remains optimistic about the prospects of progressive legislation, despite partisan redistricting and the likelihood of Republican domination of both houses. "In many ways, it's better now than it was when I came into the House. There were more Democrats then, but so many of them were old guard, actively hostile to any progressive change in Texas, and really hostile to gay people. Some of the current Republicans are easier to work with than they were."
*SNIP*

It is very economically progressive dating back to the new deal. She has strong liberal constituencies in the big cities and the S. Texas/Rio Grande Valley. We have a strong support among both parties for good schools and republicans are very worried about Perry's dismantling of Robin Hood funding for schools. Republican-lite voters in the suburbs are tired of feeling icky all the time about the way X-trian looneys are carrying on all the time. Believe me, Delay's support in Ft. Bend County is softening (the Houston Chronicle wants him out). Even Nazis can be embarrased.

By the way, you seem to want to understand Texas better, which is good, because you don't.

There are more gay/lesbian people in Houston's Montrose section than any other city besides SF. They hold the key to who is elected mayor. Their activism in fighting the Texas sodomy law has made it more possible nationally for gay/lesbians to marry. LAMBDA, Esperanza Center, Ray Hill, and others need lots of help, but their problems stem from a shortage of activism generally, and the level of participation and contributions by ordinary people is no better or worse than other places.

Stephen F. Austin, the Father of Texas, was queer as a football bat.

This Juneteenth have a Big Red and toast the Jubilee!

After reading through most of the posts on this thread, I think that both those advocating the position that Texas is solidly Republican and that Texas has a chance at getting back to a more balanced Republican-Democratic existence are talking past one another instead of to one another.

It is true that Texas is dominanted by the Republican Party. There are many salient reasons for this, reasons that include a soft state Democratic Party, suburban Republican growth, and Republican co-option of issues that traditionally carried rural Texas for the Democratic Party.

It is also true that Texas has the potential to be more Democratic. There are significant Democratic constituencies in the Rio Grande Valley, in urban Houston, Dallas, Ft. Worth, El Paso, San Antonio, and Austin. The implosion of the national Republican Party combined with the dog-and-pony show that the state Republican Party has become will open up opportunities for Democratic candidates to make some slight inroads with the recently-Republican suburban voters.

Where both sides are talking past one another is at the crucial topic of voter turnout and political mobilization. This is the reason why Texas is so goddamned Republican yet with the significant POTENTIAL Democratic constituencies mentioned above: Too many of those Democratic voters don't vote.

We can't expect help from the state party; if you live in a country like mine, the county party is an embarassing afterthought. The Republicans did not take Texas overnight; they built their woman-hating, God-bothering, fascist machine from the grassroots beginning back in the 1970s. We will not be ablve to get rid of them overnight simply because they are thoroughly-installed at the county and precinct levels on up over much of the state.

Similarly, we Texas Democrats are going to have to take ownership of local political initiatives if we want to do something about the Republican dominance of the state. Waiting around for the state party to do something will be a great waste of time. Opportunities are present and will continue to be present; it's just a matter of getting started at the smallest level.

It was amazing how quickly and successfully they were able to come in and co-opt so many issues. I think I first became aware that this was going on with Governor Richards and the CHL issue. Then it was one domino after another.

I have been happy with the changes in how petty drug offenses are handled and the changes in gun and gang crime prosecution...but why was this not exported to Washington also?

that the Texas dissing(full disclosure-born and raised in Austin, live in NYC now) doesn't make one a bigot per se, just really intellectually lazy and apparently incapable of digging deep and understanding the word "nuance". As in, "there's this one person from TX I don't like, therefore I don't like all so and so million people that are also from the same place this person is from, even though I don't know them at all." It's pathetically lazy and completely non-constructive. I also think that a lot of the "I hate the South, I hate Texas, I hate "fill in the blank..." threads that seem to infect this board, then metastasize all over are just an indirect form of self-praise. The same way that some Texans seem to think they're the shit for being Texans(I'm a native and that's always bugged me) and the same way Americans all act like they are a shining light simply by virtue of where they were born, some people on DU seem to think they are better by virtue of not being Texan or Southern. Which again, makes no sense and is just lazy thinking. I get the distinct impression most of the people posting on this( and posting on a lot of other things) don't contribute to helping Texas blue at all-the extent of their concern with increasing Democratic strength in Texas, perhaps anywhere, is just posting on here.

Threads like this and so many others make me really pray for a Kerry victory even more-it seems like both sides-honestly Free Republic( which I have only heard about on here) and Democratic Underground are politically opposite but seem equally nasty- are getting so hateful towards each other and not seeing each other as people and although I shouldn't see DU as a barometer of anything that matters in the real world(for better or worse, this site is not mainstream at all), I think a Kerry victory would allow people to just take a breath and calm down and not be so nasty, at least on our side.

Sorry about the tangent and how incoherent it is at the end. I just had to get that off my chest. Increasingly this site just seems unproductive and really negative to me and it could be so much more, especially at this time.

You just said a mouthful. And we will hope a productive one. Excellent.

break off from the National Southern Baptists. It is a movement that started basically because the SBC had become to partisan and extreme.

Aside from whiping it from the face of the earth (not incredibly plausible) I see very little hope that it is salveagable anytime in the near future

Man, after listening to The O'Franken Factor yesterday from Bee Cave.....*shaking head*

I feel for my Texas Democrat brothers and sisters. Your work is definitely cut out for you.

Solidify and increase the minority, GLBT Democrat representation in TX. Especially among College Democrats. That may be one solution to help the situation.

would be a good start

If the new approach works then I doubt we will go back down this dead end road.