12.11.09

Pragamatic party building

Posted in 2010 Primary, Around The State, Commentary, Election 2010, Williamson County at 2:19 pm by wcnews

Earlier in the week EOW posted about an article written by Democratic political consultant Harold Cook in the Texas Tribune, Democrats have been working hard. The part that was highlighted in the post from Cook’s piece points to the problem the Democrats have had since the GOP takeover was complete in in 2003. Having the issues on their side, Democrats have lacked candidates at the top of a statewide ticket with the ability to point that out, take advantage of it, and win. In case anyone forgot here’s what he said earlier in the week to refresh you memory:

But because of the lack of high-profile Democratic “marquee candidates” at the top of those tickets, many in Austin haven’t even noticed those highly-successful coordinated efforts — ironic, since the results of those very efforts are what lead to marquee candidacies like Bill White’s.

To be sure, the Republican leadership has also helped Democrats win, because they haven’t had an effective conversation with general election voters in years. As their consultants tell them general elections don’t matter because the Republican primary winner will take office, their party shrinks. And as the Republican leadership continues to cater to its far right wing, Democratic legislators have prioritized issues of broad importance to Texans: passing a teacher pay raise, fighting against and then partially mitigating draconian cuts to children’s health insurance, proposing tripling the homestead exemption, and standing up to utility and insurance companies. Some suddenly vulnerable Republican legislators are now echoing many of these Democratic positions, or at least the rhetoric, in an effort to avoid being called “former Republican legislators.” [Emphasis added].

It’s also key to notice what Cook pointed out and the title of our post was not “Democrats are cinch to win in 2010”. He pointed out that it’s been the hard work of many unknown and unrecognized Democrats in Texas that an opportunity now presents itself for Democrats to win statewide. The reason this needs to be reiterated is because GOP consultant Ted Delisi wrote, what appeared to be a response to Cook, at the TexasTrib yesterday, Democrats’ Irrational Exuberance. Suffice it to say Democrats should not take advice from GOP consultants on strategy, and Delisi’s concerns miss the point. We can only hope that all Texas Republicans show the same deafness to the work Democrats have been doing in Texas.

Delisi’s feigned concern of Democratic exuberance also points out that the GOP in Texas is in a place the modern party has never been in - having to defend from all sides. The GOP in Texas is facing a situation where it can’t take for granted that the middle will come back, or even be there, after this primary. With an extremely radicalized right wing of the party running the show, it will make running back to the center in the general election much harder. It’s also something the modern Texas GOP has never really had to do - been taken for granted - and will be impossible for them to do with Perry and the teabaggers on board.

A large part of Delisi’s argument was that the Democrats are not performing better in the suburbs, and specifically in Montgomery County north of Houston. That argument was shredded pretty handily at BOR today by Austin Stout, Treasurer Young Democrats of Montgomery County, A View from a Red Suburban County.

Now, I won’t claim that Montgomery County will be purple in the next election cycle. In fact, it is one of the most conservative counties in Texas and has been trending that way for many decades. We are home to a perfect storm of Republicanism with the burgeoning affluent community of The Woodlands, a solid retiree base in the Western part of the county and a very rural base in the Eastern part of the county. And our county is experiencing rapid population growth in the most conservative areas. But, the efforts of local Democrats have made a dent.

From 2004 to 2008, registered voters increased by almost 15% and voter turnout increased by 2.40%, yet Republican straight-ticket voting was downnearly 2.50% and Republican voting went down by 2.22%. In a county with 160,400 registered voters, these are significant numbers. In a county that should be trending more conservative, the Republicans are losing votes.

We had an active campaign in 2008 where we strategically targeted precincts that were trending in our direction. Of our 85 precincts, we increased Democratic performance in 56 of them and did so by 5% or greater in 20 of them.

2010 will be a better year as we have opened a headquarters, launched a new website, built an email list of nearly 6,000 voters (17% of Democrats), greatly strengthened our voter file, held successful fundraisers attracting serious statewide candidates, started an active YD chapter, and trained precinct chairs — just to mention a few things.

Getting out the vote will be the major priority for 2010. So, I contend that Mr. Delisi’s assumption, that a lack of state-level focus on suburban counties will somehow inhibit GOTV there, is unfounded. He fails to recognize that local activities can have an impact. Additionally, red counties in the Houston metropolitan area have an advantage due to the popularity of Bill White in this region.

That county sounds very similar to the way Williamson used to be talked about by GOP consultants as an impenetrable wall of Republicanism, which Delisi didn’t even mention. We all know, and Delisi is well aware, of how Williamson County has changed. It’s likely that in Delisi’s mind these responses are just more “dangerous” optimism from Democrats. But the point Democrats don’t think they can win now just because Bill White has gotten in the race. They’ve been rebuilding in places like Dallas, Harris, Williamson, Colin, Fort Bend, and yes Montgomery County for years in preparation for the time when we would have a candidate like Bill White that can recognize, and take advantage of, the work that’s been done by the grassroots of the party.

It’s not irrational exuberance. Texas Democrats have been involved in pragmatic party building in preparation for an opportunity just like this. Does any of this mean that Bill White or any other Democrat is shoo-in to win in 2010? Of course not. What it does mean is that all Democrats have a chance now, and can win, and that’s a long way from where Texas Democrats were in 2003.

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