Texas Observer: The Road Back to Power

[crispini]

The Texas Observer talks recovery with two Democratic campaign experts

BY JAKE BERNSTEIN


Democrats are still dazed from their drubbing at the polls on November 2. The initial shock has given way to a low-grade depression. It’s a funk fueled by all the tragedies—large and small—they see coming in the days and years ahead. The sane among the party faithful are willing to admit they’ve hit bottom. In order to win back power, it’s time for new faces and new approaches.

There is no reason it can’t start here in Texas. After all, from Texas vaulted the radical Republicanism that currently has a chokehold on the nation. It would be oddly appropriate that a new pathway to power go through the Lone Star State. If progressives can convince Texans—their toughest audience in their least receptive market—the rest of the nation should be relatively simple.

http://www.texasobserver.org/showArticle.asp?ArticleID=1801

[montieg]

1. Huzza! for Aldrete and Tameez !!

And, damn it, Tameez is right: "I believe the only way you win in a statewide race is with true magnetic personalities." As a west Texas County Dem chairman, I can't count the number of times I have been asked, "When are we (ya'll) gonna get somebody to run that gets us fired up? I think the steps we have to take to reclaim America (starting with Texas) are debatable. We can sort out the economy/morals/war issues. What we can NOT do is sell ourselves with a Willy Lohman. We have to set out now to find, recruit,and polish our candidates, from the statehouse to the whitehouse. And if they have no intrinsic charisma, make them campaign staff. Don't just run somebody to have a name on the ballot. Why does Obama strike such a pure chord?