Encouraging Signs for Texans

[freshwest]

This post is a response to a poster's comment about Texans. I asked him to consider these facts about Texas. Another poster responded to this post, requesting I make an OP of it. So I said I would make it here:

US Census Quick Facts (about Texas)

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48000.html

And the latest election results in Texas:

Newly-Elected Texas Senator Is Absolutely Terrified About His State Going Blue

In Ryan Lizza's story in this week's The New Yorker, Texas' newly-elected Republican Senator Ted Cruz worries about the changing electoral landscape — and how it could get even less favorable for the GOP in coming years.

Cruz provides what must be a truly terrifying thought for the Republican Party:

“In not too many years, Texas could switch from being all Republican to all Democrat,” he said. “If that happens, no Republican will ever again win the White House. New York and California are for the foreseeable future unalterably Democrat. If Texas turns bright blue, the Electoral College math is simple. We won’t be talking about Ohio, we won’t be talking about Florida or Virginia, because it won’t matter. If Texas is bright blue, you can’t get to two-seventy electoral votes. The Republican Party would cease to exist. We would become like the Whig Party. Our kids and grandkids would study how this used to be a national political party. ‘They had Conventions, they nominated Presidential candidates. They don’t exist anymore...’”

http://www.businessinsider.com/texas-swing-state-blue-election-obama-ted-cruz-2012-11

Republicans lose supermajority in Texas House

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Republicans lost their 102-member supermajority in the Texas House early Wednesday, opening the door for Democrats to slow or block the majority's conservative agenda or demand compromise.

Democrats have won more than 50 seats in the 150-member lower chamber of the Legislature. That means Republicans can no longer suspend the rules to push through legislation over the objections of minority Democrats.

Last year, Republicans had enough lawmakers to form a quorum without any Democrat showing up for work. Now Democrats could shut down state lawmaking if they wished.

Democrats added seats mostly through redistricting, which occurs every 10 years when the new U.S. Census is released. Texas added more than 4.3 million people between 2000 and 2010 and 89 percent of them were minorities...

http://www.sfgate.com/news/texas/article/Republicans-lose-supermajority-in-Texas-House-4017513.php#ixzz2BhkTehKu

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021771842

That was despite gerrymandering and the other thuggish actions of Republicans. Also the state of Texas has had 39 Democratic govenors versus only 6 Republican governors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Governor

Texas has a longer history of being Democratic than Republican. Don't rule them out yet.

[johnlucas]

1. Let's make it happen! Texas is GOP's California electorally

I want to see the Republican Party OUT OF BUSINESS.
They propped up those racist fools that left the Democratic Party in the 1960s over the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
They use those racists for voting numbers so that they can reverse all that was done from FDR's New Deal Legacy in order to boost the rich over the poor.
They want wars to wreck the economy & people's lives for personal profit & further destruction to the New Deal Legacy.

IRRESPONSIBLE & DESTRUCTIVE!
I want that party dismantled!

Such a shame that the party which once freed the slaves had turned out liked this.
In 1877, they left Blacks in the lurch for big money opportunities.
They could have been a reform party for the greater good.
Through FDR the former slaveowners' party, the Democratic Party, atoned for its past by becoming that reform party for the greater good.
If they of all parties could do it, why not the Republicans?

No instead they chose to represent the worst in society to gain power.
The greedy, the bigoted, the warmongers.
They chose their fate & now it's time for their fate to be realized.

This country is moving FORWARD.
This country is getting back to PROGRESS.
Let that Backward Regressive party get left behind where they belong.
I'll throw a party the day Texas becomes a Blue State.
The Republicans are FINISHED!
John Lucas

[TxVietVet]

15. We have to stay focused and "organize, organize, organize".

The conservanazis have been playing the race card for a long time now. The newer generation are not buying into it especially in metropolitan areas.
We need to have some funds to push our agenda. All I can say is save a little here and there so at the next election cycle, we can beat their bu$hit with accurate and positive campaign advertising.

I hope I live long enough to see the conservanazi repukes and their rich bribers go down for good.

[progree]

2. I thought a court redistricted Texas? My understanding is that neither side liked the resulting map

But at least it wasn't a totally Republican redistricting job. So maybe that helped.

[DhhD]

4. D-Wendy Davis, Senator of the Texas Legislature was reelected to a second term despite

redistricting or gerrymandering by the Texas Legislature.

When I went in the voting booth area, everyone there was filling out a paper ballot even though voting machines were present (voting machines can not handle a write-in candidate). As this part of the county is very affluent, my the first thought was, all of us are voting for Democrat Wendy Davis. She is the voice of the future; public education, women's issues and many other public needs.

[progree]

5. I don't think the Texas legislature had anything to do with the current redistricting map...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/28/texas-redistricting-blocked_n_1837364.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/19/texas-redistricting-supreme-court_n_1897439.html

[DhhD]

8. It was bounced around from court to court. Last time, no injunctions were sought to stop it.

Women's issues came to the forefront by Republicans. What 40 year old women wants the right to birth control pills stopped? Birth control pills mean no egg. No egg means no fertilization. No fertilization means no pregnancy. No pregnancy means no abortion needed.

Did you see the Ads run by Davis? I would never want my granddaughter to go see a doctor that votes against the health needs of women, like her opponent did.

Who drew up the new District lines? Your links given above say it was the Texas Legislature.

[progree]

9. Both stories say the maps were drawn by a 3 judge panel of a federal district court

1st story: "Instead, voters in Texas this November will use interim political maps drawn last year by a different three-judge panel in San Antonio."

2nd story: "The Supreme Court is allowing Texas to use congressional districts that were drawn by a lower federal court for the November election. ... The court-drawn map is intended for use only in this year's election."

It seems there are two maps drawn by two different sets of 3 judge panels, which make the stories confusing. But I see nothing in either story that the legislature's redistricting map was used in 2012. What will be used in 2014 and after seems to be up in the air. That's what worries me - if the map actually used in the Nov. 2012 elections is the result of a relatively non-partisan federal judicial process, and if the U.S. Supreme Court eventually rules that Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act in unconstitutional and (perhaps) thus the legislature-drawn map may be used, then things might not turn out so well in 2014 and 2016.

On Edit - I'm wondering why you bring up contraception -- I'm ALL FOR IT! My biggest charitable contribution (aside from political campaigns) is to Population Connection ( http://www.populationconnection.org ), formerly Zero Population Growth.

[DhhD]

10. The 2011 Texas Legislature, coming to order in the Spring of odd years, changed and supported

new district lines. (The legislature adjourns at the end of Spring of odd years.) The changes have been in and out of several courts since the end of the last session, Spring of 2011. Thanks for clarification on the court dates and rulings.

Last time the matter came out of court, in my opinion, a challenge was not needed in Ms Davis's district, because, the GOP promoted the removal of women rights to say no (in case of rape and other offensive issues that result) in the national elections, which includes Texas Conservatives.

There is the Blunt Amendment which would remove a woman's right to contraception.

Women vote in secrecy, is why I brought up contraception. Do men carry babies in their uterus? Oh, they do not have one. Women do not excuse men. Look for many Conservative Women to vote for President of the United States in the privacy and secrecy of the voting booth in the near future just like they did in the battle on November 6, 2012. And all of this is an extension of the war won in 1920. Please remember that, "The Pill," became available to women in the 1960s. Thanks for supporting women and our daughters.

The Texas Legislature meets again this Spring of 2013. Also on November 6, many red counties went pink even though a Red RW Extremist was elected to the US Senate to represent Texas. What a mismatch. I believe his voting record will be in opposition to the new Texas that is just waking up and becoming empowered. I believe that the TEA Texas Legislators voting record will be in opposition to the new Texas that is just waking up.

[DhhD]

3. Canadian born Cruz, the TEA Party Extra Red Extra Right, will not be elected for a second term

in the 2018 Senatorial mid election, in my opinion. When he was debating Democratic Sandler on PBS, he seemed to refer over and over again, to the small group of TEA who bought him the down ticket. And during the debate, it seemed to me that the RW Extremist could find no confident self. I think he knows that his voting record will be made evident in Texas by both the Democrats and the Middle Republicans (Primary election). In my opinion, he is TOAST here in six years. Wishful thinking, he may jump ship and go elsewhere to run for POTUS. Texas will not help his career as major opposition to his positions will develop over the next six years due to his Right Wing voting record and extremist beliefs.

Hopefully all RW Extremist will be swept from Congress and other lawmaking state and local governments over the next decade.

[DhhD]

7. Foreign born persons cannot be President of the United States so why did Cruz run in Texas?

Who helped him make the decision to run for office in Texas?

[efhmc]

11. He is a lazy, ego maniac who ran with a group in hs who thought they were all

destined for big things. He is, however, very smart and extremely well connected and well funded.

[santamargarita]

6. If the youth vote really caught on, that would be end...

of these crusty old white asshole Republicans!

[efhmc]

12. In this backward place those are the ones who destroy Obama signs and steal US flags.

[graegoyle]

13. I finally found this; thank you.

I was the one who asked (begged) you to make this a seperate thread. Again, thank you. This post and the responses have lightened this hardened heart. A little, at least.

[freshwest]

14. Hey, it's gonna be all right. Just got off the phone with mi hermana down there.

Making the future is will require hard work. Some were demoralized and believed the media hype, and gave up months ago on Texas, but not Texas Democrats. .

Some said, even on this board, that the Democrats in Texas weren't even trying, asking, where were they? W8liftinglady had to do a campaign to get the papers to acknowledge believed the media hypeSadler was running against the Teahadist Cruz.

These are not the results from people who did not try, but who worked under the radar of corporate media. The meme of oppressors winning is the work of those who want to break the heart and demoralize people.

A few quotes to make you feel better, graegoyle:

The Arc of the Universe Is Long But It Bends Towards Justice

Take a look, it's an interesting read, going from Obama to King to Parker and Gandhi and before all of them.

http://open.salon.com/blog/arthur_howe/2009/01/18/the_arc_of_the_universe_is_long_but_it_bends_towards_justice

And I posted this encouragement a while back:

To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.

What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something.

If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.

And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand Utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.

~ Howard Zinn

I'll post more here if you guys want.

[bootat9]

16. in my opinion...

it is going to be 10-12 years before D's become consistently competive in state races. As a matter of fact in my county and in surrounding counties(all with high % hispanics) more and more voters are voting straight R. It is going to take a lot of time and money to turn around. I hope I am wrong. I am 70 and hope I live long enough to see Texas at least turn purple.