07.09.07
Let Us Begin - The End Of Republican Dominance In Texas
Over the weekend Opinion Journal had an interesting article on the state of Republicans in Texas, The Troubled Texas GOP. The main idea of the article is explained in the subtitle, Will Lone Star Republicans blow it on immigration like the California party did? Meaning, is the GOP in Texas headed back to the minority because of the angry, intolerant stance they are taking on immigration? The answer is like so many things yes, but.. With this intolerant stance on immigration and the “inevitability of demographics” it is definitely possible. BUT it takes is an opposition that is willing to take advantage of this opportunity. If Democrats take action to paint the Texas GOP into the corner they’ve already started moving into then it will happen. But if they wait for the inevitable to happen, “..depending on voters to reject the other party is a losing strategy”, then it won’t. Democrats must take the opportunity not just to highlight the ugliness of the Texas GOP’s stance on issue but must show the difference between that ugliness and the restoration of the American Dream.
Make no mistake this is an opportunity for Democrats and many are realizing it, as evidenced by the amount of interest there is at the opportunity to take out the vulnerable John Cornyn. There are many more vulnerable Republicans all around the state, in local races too, that only need good Democrats to run against them to send them home. EOW wrote about this last week - at least as it pertains to Williamson County - but it’s true for the entire state. (Everywhere you see Williamson County substitute Texas).
My gut tells me there are many Democrats in
Williamson CountyTexas that have been voting Republican and working with the Republicans because that was the only game in town. Well, that’s changed and it’s time to come home. If that was the case, there’s no reason anymore to wait in line for someone to decide not to run again and continue to keep quiet and aid the other side. Your needed to run as a Democrat, run a campaign for a Democrat, fund raise for a Democrat, block walk for a Democrat, NOW. Opportunity is knocking with the Democratic Party inWilliamson CountyTexas.
Many factors are moving in the Democrats favor, not the least of which is the Republicans inability to govern. But without an opposition party that will hold them accountable for their mistakes they will, more than likely, stay in power. If that happens then the Democrats have lost a huge opportunity to take this state back and will have no one to blame but themselves. So let us begin.
tweety said,
July 10, 2007 at 9:42 am
“Back-in-the-day”, say 30 plus years or so, Wilco was a Democratic county. All empires fall! Especially when power goes to their (Williamson’s leaders and Attorneys’) heads and arrogance eats at their INTEGRITY! Like a “snowball headed for hell”.
wcnews said,
July 10, 2007 at 11:08 am
From my recollection it was more like 20 years ago that the Republicans in Williamson County started to make serious gains. And yes, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
tweety said,
July 10, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Okay, 20. I was not quite at voting age. Can you enlighted me on how that happened, the party change that is.
RobinGTown said,
July 12, 2007 at 1:27 pm
My dad was a county commissioner and very much a Democrat from 1976 to 1992, so I had a chance to watch the transition up close.
Even in 1980, Williamson County had such a heavily Democractic turnout it got extra delegates at the Democractic State Convention. That’s about the time local officials sensed the tide was turning nationally, and they could gain prominence in the national Republican party by being part of the transition from a place where Nixon came in third in some precincts to some precincts being nearly 90% Republican.
In the early 80’s the DA (before Anderson) gained some notoriety for prosecuting Henry Lee Lucas. He hoped to use his fame to become Texas AG, and that wasn’t possible running as a Democrat. He ran into some surprises in the state-wide primary as a Republican, but that opened the door for Ron Wood to run, and win, as Republican county commissioner.
As hard as it may be to believe, at one time then-DA and now Judge Ken Anderson characterized himself as a liberal. “Conversion” is as popular in Republican circles as it is in evangelical circles, so he gained cachet as a newly turned Republican in either 1984, or 1988, memory not serving me at the moment.
By the late 1990’s, the tide had turned so that with the retirement of the late Jerry Mehevec, and the party of switch of Judge Judy Hobbs, there simply were no elected Democrats left.
But most of the Republican establishment here used to be Democrats. They became Republicans to secure advantage within the party. Nancy Rister was quite fond of saying “But they must learn our ways” (who would be Republican), and is more than slightly a partisan purist. For the most part, however, party switches had to do with aspirations to higher office and national recognition in the Republican party. Go from 90% Democrat to 90% Republican, the Republican party notices.
Whether the Democratic party would notice if we switched back, I’m not so sure.
Eye on Williamson » Let Us Begin - Follow Up said,
July 12, 2007 at 4:22 pm
[…] would like to invite everyone to read the comments to the earlier post, Let Us Begin - The End Of Republican Dominance. The last comment in particular offers some great historical information on how the change took […]
Eye on Williamson » Texas GOP Has Issues, Democrats Must Exploit Them said,
July 17, 2007 at 10:40 am
[…] these issues to matter they must be exploited by an opposition party. As EOW has pointed out before let us begin. There’s no better way, nor a better candidate to begin exploiting those issues than Rick […]
Eye on Williamson » GOP Brand Is Losing It’s Luster In Williamson County said,
October 15, 2007 at 4:44 pm
[…] been voting for the GOP in Williamson County because they were perceived as the only game in town. That’s changing, and faster then most people […]