Growing Republican Strength Along the Rio Grande River?

[sonias]

Daily Kos Diary 2/24/11
Growing Republican Strength Along the Rio Grande River?

The state of Texas is one of the Republican Party's most valuable strongholds. It adds a good 38 electoral votes to the Republican candidate's electoral vote; Democrats have not been competitive in the state for at least a decade.

(snip)
This region is the part of Texas that borders Mexico. It is readily apparent in the map above as the only group of blue counties that President Barack Obama won outside of a major city.

The area is one of the most Hispanic areas in the United States; there are places, especially next to the border of Mexico, where the Hispanic percentage approaches 100%. Some of these people have lived along the Rio Grande for hundreds of years, with roots dating back to when Texas was a part of Mexico.

There are several other distinguishing characteristics. The parts of Texas along the Mexican border are among the poorest regions in the United States. Politically speaking, voter turn-out is very low - perhaps lower than any other part of the country.

When the rest of Texas moved steadily Republican, South Texas swung leftwards for much of the twentieth century. In 1996 the Democratic presidential nominee won almost every single county south of San Antonio, some with over 80% of the vote.

Not a pretty picture. :(

[NoPasaran]

1. Not a pretty picture indeed

And a warning to Texas Democrats that their faith in demographic shifts being the solution to their inability to compete statewide may be misplaced.

[sonias]

2. True

If you don't build the party, then they won't vote.

We take the RGV for granted as a Democratic stronghold and it's quickly turning red. Quite depressing.

I would love to see a 256 county Democratic party strategy like Dean was implementing for the U.S. I know, I know - where is the money going to come from? I don't know. We need a billionaire Texan who decides he wants to build up the state starting with the RGV.

:shrug:

[AgainsttheCrown]

3. A Coup?

How about a TX DU'er takeover of the TX Democratic party? This forum can be the unofficial headquarters.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/01/23/937592/-Can-Democrats-rebuild-in-Texas">This Diary sum's up the Democratic disaster fairly well

[sonias]

4. Welcome to the DU Texas forum, AgainsttheCrown!

:hi:

Great diary at DK. Missed that one in January.

(snip)
So it's been a rough 12 years for Texas Democrats, ever since the near-misses of 1998. Things are about as bad right now as they've ever been.

Is this where the revival begins? It might be. If the Presidential race is genuinely competitive for the first time in two decades, it's likely to be a pretty decent year for Democratic candidates for the Texas House and in U.S. House races, even if the Senate seat remains out of reach.

Let's hope these numbers hold, and that the state's changing demographics coupled with an increasingly unpleasant collection of Republican presidential candidates can breathe some life into the Texas Democratic Party.

Great overall history reminder of where Texas was and where it is now.

Love your spirit about DU takeover of the TDP, but we aren't that organized. :) Whatever the solution, one thing is for sure is that it requires money - money for staff to do outreach and money for campaigns. Even grassroots efforts require money. This is where we always come up short.

And finally, it's going to take the people of Texas to say "enough is enough" for things to change. Right now most of Texas is obviously happy with the Rs taking full control. Until they feel the suffering up close and personal, voters are happy with the current corrupt regime. Sad but true. :(

[AgainsttheCrown]

6. Thanks!

Those of us lost in this Red Sea of regressivism must stick together.

These days I'm torn on electoral politics. Sometimes I think that Chris Hedges is right and that all vehicles of incremental liberal change have been corrupted thus making electoral politics pointless.

And then I see the Republicans and think- how much better off we would be if their ideology was relegated to history books. Imagine if Bill Clinton and Barack Obama were as conservative as the country got.

Can we really get there without an electoral vehicle?

or

Can we just sit on the sidelines, make an effective case against their ideology and wait for people to get fed up with it?

Read this Midland Reporter Telegram endorsement of Bill White- I mean Rick Perry.

They acknowledge his corruption and still endorse him!

Still...today I'm hopeful. Even after reading that article again. I have no idea why... probably because I'm a cynical idealist. (Or my daughter is in town!)

I think Ralph Nader's wrong. We're never gonna get a Koch brothers for the left. George Soros and Warren Buffet don't want to do it. We've got to be the one's to do it. We have to build movements that challenge them. So much is at stake.

Can we count on a demographic change to bring ideological change when they are trying to poison our children's mind with their propaganda? They understand where the fight is. Hearts then minds and contrary facts won't matter.

I have so many questions and no real answers. The immediate future is bleak, but I do know that it'll have to get worse before it gets better.

[WolverineDG]

7. I've been saying that for years

sounding the alarm about not campaigning in South Texas....but noooooooooooo

and now the neglect is coming home to roost.

dg

[timo]

8. not just for votes

As a resident of the 956 a lot of times it feesl as though the rest of the state tends to look down on us as second class citizens here "south Texas" in the media for example is usually Laredo with an arc drawn thru San Antonio on down to Corpus....unless its a headline generated from some heinous crime or big time drug bust we get overlooked by just about everybody!!

[Lithos]

5. I think this has more variables than a simple graph can show

And can lead to the wrong conclusions. This represents the turn out of two Democratic Presidential victories and I think does not represent much about State level preferences in this case Clinton vs Obama. The difference I think represents the turn out and appeal between Clinton and Obama among the various demographics. Truthfully, I just don't see Obama having as much appeal in the RGV as Clinton and these numbers reflect that.

L-