Question I saw on Reddit: Is Abbott's goal to get progressives to leave Texas, thus making

[Comfortably_Numb]

this dystopian hellscape even redder?

[femmedem]

1. I don't know if that's the intent but I do have a friend in Austin who is leaving.

She said that Texas has broken her heart.

[hlthe2b]

2. I've been wondering that. All of those high tech businesses ought to be losing their employees

in droves. How stupid of them to relocate to such a regressive state. Yet, they think they will 'weather' this and all else by remaining silent? Really?

[mucifer]

3. could soon happen in 20 other states

[hlthe2b]

4. And unless these highly trained employees are actually clueless, they know which states these are.

[Baitball Blogger]

5. Just want to say, this is the reason DUers should be supportive of those of us who live

in these hostile locales. If we're experiencing "bad neighbor problems" it might be because they want to push us out. And isn't the point to break their strongholds or keep them from building them?

It's all about engineered gerrymandering.

[blm]

6. We're working on NC

[Baitball Blogger]

10. Def support your effort.

[Vogon_Glory]

7. Don't pack your bags yet

I suspect that the COVID pandemic is not only going to wise up a lot of previously-apathetic non-voters, but it’s also going to winnow the ranks of the Texas Republican Party’s base.

Like their distant lateral forebears, those who thought that rattlesnakes were cute, flooded crossings were passable, tornados were something to be watched and appreciated out in the open, and that smallpox and cholera didn’t bother white folks, a lot of these people are going to discover that being stoopid with COVID can kill ya!

[ananda]

8. Well, I have one niece who moved to Wisconsin.

The other one is starting college at UT Tyler.

She's only 18. I will worry about her now,
and I really hate having to worry.

[Ilsa]

11. At least in Tyler she has access to

DFW airport, or drive a few hours to Shreveport, Hot Springs, or Tulsa, if any of those locations are helpful.

Yes, age 18 is an age to be concerned about.

[ananda]

20. Thanks.

She has a good head on her shoulders, at least.

[Ilsa]

21. Excellent! Even if she gets in

trouble, she'll be able to evaluate her options intelligently. Consider this: Offer to send her cash for an emergency so she won't have to ask her parents. Parents might be good libs, but she's still their little girl and she may be worried about being judged.

[ananda]

27. I hate that we even have to think about options.

...

[GoCubsGo]

9. No. His goal is to obtain permanent power for his party.

The state is becoming more and more progressive as the demographics change, and he can't drive out all of them without causing major problems for the state. The only way to keep the GOP from turning into a fringe party is to rig the system in his favor. Part of that is using fear tactics, like giving people permission to snitch on their neighbors. This is straight out of the East German Stasi playbook

[Paladin]

14. Stasi tactics, indeed.

Reminds me of "The Lives Of Others," one of my favorite movies.

[LeftInTX]

23. Yep!

[Ishoutandscream2]

12. I created a post a couple of days ago

My daughter and her fiance' moved to Oregon in June. My wife and I have about four years to retirement. I'm going to do everything I can to convince my wife to move there. I was already thinking this with all the MAGATS that surround us, but Abbott and our state government has put me over the edge.

And yes, I think there are sane, rational fellow Texans who are having conversations within their families about this.

[lark]

13. I know 2 of my cousins are so pissed!

They're 72 and 79 and both have houses that are paid off and most of the family is there but they hate the states politics. My one cousin wanted to move to Oregon with her son, hope she made it. The other cousin would never move because her 1 son and her grandchildren and great grandchildren are all right there in the same city.

[Ishoutandscream2]

15. My wife had to have a long talk with my younger daughter the other night

She's 18, and my wife had to sit her down and talk to her about what had just happened. I fear for my 18 year old and other women in my state. It's so dystopian.

[lark]

16. Yep, I would be freaking hard if my daughter was still single too.

My heart breaks for the young women of that state. Now FL is threatening to do the same. We used to have a right to privacy here, it's the law of the state, but wouldn't be surprised if the rw nazis in charge for the last 20 years somehow didn't manage to remove that law and it's protections for the young women of this state. Hope that isn't so, but I do suspect it is. Of course, DS thinks he's above the law anyway, so can see him trying to pass this even if illegal.

[JCMach1]

17. No the a$$hat wants to get past Repug primary

Over the the last year he has rebranded as the most assholish RW Gov. In the country.

He as an evil, cynical fuck who did it it for reelection.

[Hugin]

18. It's possible they're trying to pull a Kansas.

Fits entirely into their short term gains thinking.

[Towlie]

19. If the good people leave then I say let's build a wall along the NORTHERN border of Texas!

 
←

[LeftInTX]

22. Yes sorta

It's about keeping Texas red and making it redder.

But it's also about getting the base fired up.
That's how they also win elections here.

They win elections here by being caricatures
(Go figure)

[Comfortably_Numb]

24. Abbotthole is scared of a more zealot righty like Allen West in the primary than progressives

in Texas. Coupled with the draconian voting laws that purposely disenfranchise voters of color it’s a perfect redneck hoot owl party of voter intimidation.

[LeftInTX]

25. I think you mean Allen West

Royce West is a Democrat

[Comfortably_Numb]

26. Oops. I'll edit. Thanks...