2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumWill Texas become another brick in the Democrats’ blue wall? - By George F. Will
Political conventions are echo chambers designed to generate feelings of invincibility, sending forth the party faithful with a spring in their steps and hope in their hearts. Who would want to be a wet blanket at such moveable feasts?
Steve Munisteri would. Although he calls himself the eternal optimist, he respects reality, which nowadays is not conducive to conservatives cheerfulness. He served as chairman of the Texas Republican Party from 2010 to 2015 because he discerned a seismic shift in demographics that meant his state could turn Democratic sooner than most people thought.
The fact that Republicans have won every Texas statewide office since 1994 the longest such streak in the nation gives them, he says, a false sense of security. In 2000, Republican candidates at the top of the ticket in statewide races averaged about 60 percent of the vote. By 2008, they averaged less than 53 percent. And Republican down-ballot winners averaged slightly over 51 percent.
Texas is not wide-open spaces filled with cattle and cotton fields. Actually, it is 84.7 percent urban, making it the 15th-most-urban state. It has four of the nations 11 largest cities Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Austin. Texass growth is in its cities, where Republicans are doing worst.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/will-texas-become-another-brick-in-the-democrats-blue-wall/2016/07/20/08b55f5e-4de0-11e6-a422-83ab49ed5e6a_story.html
Eric J in MN
(35,619 posts)I've seen conservatives call America a "center-right" country since the 1980s.
I wasn't expecting George Will to say the opposite in the last sentence.
beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)......as long as democrats get off their asses and vote, conservatives LOSE
Gothmog
(145,242 posts)I am working hard with the Texas party to turn Texas blue. Progress is being made. The Texas voter id law really hurt Wendy Davis in 2014
LiberalFighter
(50,928 posts)Anyone thinking they can just go in and expect to win right off the bat is trump-shit crazy.
Gothmog
(145,242 posts)1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)We stand to gain a Senate seat (bye bye, McCain).
auntpurl
(4,311 posts)We could get Texas this cycle, we really could. I know Texas will turn blue in the next 10 years. But it could be this year. Spend some money, Dems.
Hillary's organisation has been stellar so far. I hope they see this opportunity too.
TwilightZone
(25,471 posts)Turnout is the big problem here. Latino turnout, in particular, is much lower than the national average. We're working on it, but I think it's going to take a couple of cycles before it's effective enough to swing the state. Ideally, we could do so by 2020, the next redistricting year, and we could undue some of Delay's nonsense. That would certainly help.
yellowcanine
(35,699 posts)The numbers are there and Trump could make it happen.
Paladin
(28,257 posts)"Texas's growth is in its cities, where Republicans are doing worst." Certainly not the first time this fact has been pointed out, here. Now that George Will is intoning it, maybe all you Texas Bashers will manage to keep it in mind.
TwilightZone
(25,471 posts)so I was a little surprised that he actually understood something about demographics in TX.
Between that and "center-left", he seems to have developed some rationality. Hell must be freezing over.
Paladin
(28,257 posts)Extremely short duration.
yellowcanine
(35,699 posts)He has left the Republican Party over Trump so he seems to be morphing into something new.
Demsrule86
(68,576 posts)I do believe that one day just like Virginia...Texas will turn blue.