Living in deep red Texas - think media way off on analyzing yesterday

[Laura PourMeADrink]

In Texas, primaries are ALL about local races. And the local races are mostly picking one Republican over another. Drive through any town - even small, poor places and you will see dozens and dozens and dozens of campaign signs - but they are for local positions. My republican neighbor is running for district clerk against your republican neighbor...makes them get out and vote.

Yes, there are exceptions, but for the most part, Democrats had very little to get out for. It is such a new thing to even have any Democrats on ballots - and a common belief it - who cares who it is - as long as they are a Democrat.

So, we actually did very well considering. Do we have enough to beat scumbags like Cruz and Abbott? Only time will tell. But, I do know one thing - Democrats have yet to even start fighting.

[Demsrule86]

1. It is the beginning of the end for Republicans.

I honestly think...we will be watching returns for a presidential race just like with Virginia in 2008...and it will seem out of the blue but of course it was a long time in the making.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

3. Hmm...not sure I know enough about what the Virginia environment was like. Was

it middle-of-the-roaders shifting left? Unfortunately, I don't see that here at all. Sure, I know Republicans who think Trump's an asshole and would not vote for him again. But, they are still conservatives. They still don't care if people have healthcare or not. They still don't care about unfortunates and poor people. They still don't believe in climate change.

If Texas moves more blue, it will be because of the growing proportion of Hispanics in the population and hopes/trends that they vote Democratic - especially if they see their family and friends deported.

[Demsrule86]

4. No...Virginia is still a moderate state...but candidates ran who could appeal to Democratic voters

voters in statewide elections. There were governors Senators elected and then Pres. Obama won the state in 08 and 12 ...but 08 was shocking. It was decades since Virginia had gone for the Democratic presidential candidate. Between 1952 and 2008, Virginia only voted for one Democratic president. President Johnson in 64. This is how it will be in Texas. I think it will be a governor or maybe (hopefully) a Senate seat that will fall first. Let's hope it is Ted Cruz in 18, but it is coming no matter what.

[Mariana]

7. Those Republicans who won't vote for Trump again ...

Do you think they will vote against him? I suspect they won't. Our advantage is that they may decline to vote at all.

We saw in the Alabama special election that many Republicans wouldn't vote for their thoroughly disgusting candidate Roy Moore - but they just couldn't find it within themselves to vote against him. They stayed home, and we managed a win, but it wouldn't have happened if the Republicans had nominated anyone else.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

9. Well, that's a great question. Don't think they would care enough to think

I hate Trump ergo I will go out and vote for a Democratic senator option, for instance. IMHO, ideology hasn't changed at all.

BUT - do think if we ran a moderate straight talking Democrat against Trump (if worst case happens and he is running) - they would vote for the Dem. OR - exactly like you say - stay home. I know if you ran an Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders against Trump - they would not vote at all.

I saw Beto at a fundraiser a couple weeks ago. He seems to have found that perfect mix of appealing to proper values without trashing the other side as crazy and stupid for being a republican. He only criticized Cruz one time the entire night - and it was that he (Beto) had been to almost all counties asking Texans about what they care about and Cruz spent his time trapsing around Iowa.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. Indiana went blue in 2008 for Obama by a small margin

We hadn't voted Democrat since 1964 I believe. It will probably be another 44 years before the Republicans here let down their guard like that again. :-/

[Demsrule86]

8. I don't think so...if we can end gerrymanders, I think more states will go back and forth.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

10. I agree

IF we can end gerrymandering. Our Republican supermajority-dominated State Legislature made sure to neglect (and kill) an anti-gerrymandering measure but enthusiastically passed a law allowing Sunday alcohol sales, so you can see where our politicians' priorities are.

[Demsrule86]

13. Yep...the gerrymander has hurt our country so much.

[LAS14]

16. Help stop gerrymandering. Donate to the NDRC.

The National Democratic Redistricting Committee, founded by Eric Holder and Barack Obama and currently headed by Holder. Have you heard of it?

[Demsrule86]

17. I did donate...very impressive group.

[LAS14]

15. Help stop gerrymandering. Donate to the NDRC.

The National Democratic Redistricting Committee, founded by Eric Holder and Barack Obama and currently headed by Holder. Have you heard of it?

[blogslut]

2. A sort of good thing...

The money campaign by Empower Texans failed to get their candidates to overthrow incumbent Republicans in an effort to install lunatic replacement shills.

[a kennedy]

5. This makes me feel hopeful at least.......I knew the "blue wave" changing Texas wasn't to be

last night when Rachel didn't even mention anything about the Tx primary.......so I was kinda depressed, but so happy two Latina women are going to Washington.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

11. Let's all hope it WILL be a big deal in November ! huh. And yes, small baby steps - we

just need a zillion babies LOL

[MagickMuffin]

12. Do we have enough to beat scumbags like Cruz and Abbott?

Well we do have a very large hispanic population that I think would be against Cruz this time around. I do think that is why Cruz won the last time around. Name recognition, voting based on the name alone.

I think this will happen for the Democratic party this time around as well. I so wanted Julian Castro to run for Governor. I believe he would have won! But now we have a runoff in that race.


I have been doing real estate photography around the DFW area. A lot in rural communities. There are always a lot more republicon signs than Democrats. I know one reason for this is Democrats want to support the Unions, and that means spending more money on campaign signs which a lot of times candidates can't afford.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

14. Last poll I saw O'Rourke was down 8. interesting - poll from last April

A new poll shows Ted Cruz trailing by four points in a potential matchup with Rep. Joaquin Castro in the 2018 Senate race. Texas Lyceum has the Democrat — who is considering a run — at 35 percent to Cruz's 31. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who has already entered the race, polls evenly with Cruz.

yes, I know it's different in Dallas - used to live there too. But here, in central TX - most people are absolutely astounded if you say you are a democrat - it's like you're an alien. My best Dem buddy - I knew her for a year before I figured out she's a bleeding heart through and through.

yes, our side has little money. It will take real grass roots hard work and voter education and registration efforts to get as many Hispanic voters as we can.

[Dem_4_Life]

18. Very true! My district had 21 republicans running against each other for the same race

The republican in fighting was BRUTAL! We had republicans running as anti-Trump republicans to republicans that promoted themselves as Terrorist Hunters!

The dems had it semi-easy in the primaries although there were a few local very contested races here but overall I am sure there are a lot of dem's that unfortunately sat out of the primary that brought the numbers down. We need to start picking up the fight more and really GOTV however I see it as such a great sign that Beto even has REPUBLICANS VOLUNTEERING not just donating actually volunteering for his campaign!!! That says a lot!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

20. So true...it's inspired me for sure. Getting 600k+ votes

Is really pretty good now that I think more about it....it's an accumulation of all those handfuls of specific dem races like you speak of and swaths of people who really had a preference on some of the bigger races.

[TeamPooka]

19. If we can start by winning some local offices and state house seats in TX I'd be a happy (D)