Does Texas have some climbing down to do?

[gulliver]

Let's mess with Texas. I have a couple of friends from there, so I feel I am an expert.

What is it about living in Texas that makes a cube monkey want to wear cowboy boots and adopt a drawl? Why do they think of themselves as frontier people when they spend most of their time in front of a tube or at the mall?

Most of all, how can they make a governor of a certifiable, feckless twit like Bush? Texans let that boy put on a cowboy outfit and drawl his way into the governor's seat. They created Enron; they created Dubya.

Texas, I'm sorry, but this is for your own good. Please grow the hell up! You're not a cowboy. You're not your own country-in-waiting. None of your people are Clint Eastwood or Slim Pickens or Bill Holden.

Stop letting the GOP play on your bogus self-image. If you want to be like a real cowboy, then get tough. Don't let a bunch of "citified" carpet-bagging asses play on your egos. Climb on down to earth. It's a nice place.

[Skittles]

1. lol......the "Alamo mentality"

in the state that practically shuts down with a quarter-inch of ice. :o

[AspenRose]

28. As well it should! No one there knows how to drive on ice!

If you want a bunch of moronic, inexperienced ice drivers on your highways, go right ahead! I'll stay home and avoid the accidents, thank you! They drive bad enough when it ISN'T icy!

I was born in Germany, but consider myself to be "from" Texas. I was raised in San Antonio, and went to high school and college there.

I think Texas is large enough that it has a cosmopolitan side and a rural side. I've never owned a pair of cowboy boots in my life. But I think the image is played up for the outsiders.

When I moved to New Mexico, I interviewed for a journalism position at a radio station in Santa Fe. The news director, who had been stationed at Ft. Sam Houston in a former life, actually COMPLIMENTED me on my lack of Texas accent. But that's just it: I've NEVER had a Texas accent, let my northern husband and foreign friends tell it. And I've never gone out of my way to cultivate one.

Perhaps it's because San Antonio has enough military influence, with people from all over, as well as a diverse hispanic population, so that there isn't really a distinct "accent" per se (unless you're from New Braunfels or Boerne or Kerrville or Fredericksburg or Seguin or Castroville and you're working REALLY hard to keep it).

My brother lives in the Metroplex and he's intending to move back to Houston. We are of the opinion that the negative image Texas has with people from outside of the state (rich-bitch, self-centered, wealthy oil, obnoxious, etc.) mainly comes from folks who live in DALLAS (NOT Ft. Worth, you boots-and-buckles guys are the real deal and you rock). Even Houston is more down-to-earth than Dallas. :evilgrin:

San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Amarillo...they are NOTHING like Dallas. And for the image of the entire state, big as it is, to hinge on the personality of one major city isn't entirely fair.

And yes, I HATE the Cowboys. :evilgrin:

[Skittles]

33. I'm pretty well rounded

17 years in Austin, 2 years in rural Whitesboro, 10 years in Plano.
Gawd, I used to TDY to Houston when I was stationed in Del Valle - Houston is a f***ing PIT.

As for the image of the entire state - it is WAY OVERRATED.

[0007]

39. Thank you Skittles

Come to Midland and witness the real cowboy mentality, and the USA USA kick butt attitude.

[NuttyFluffers]

2. *sigh* i can't fling any stones...

my state voted for reagan as gov. and now ahhnold.

can't say it's my fault, for the recall i voted for Gallagher! he would have at least smashed innocent watermelons for my amusement...

[Soup Bean]

7. If you really voted for Gallagher

one could make a case that part of the blame for Arnold does indeed lie with you....

But I'm sure you're joking, so....:)

[NuttyFluffers]

38. no, i voted for gallagher. i really did.

i knew it was a foregone conclusion ahhnold would win. he had obscene leads, and he was the media's darling. there was no real hope. and cruz<givecaliforniatomexico>bustamante (as my friend who voted for him calls him) was a weak candidate and tying a noose around his neck.

since i knew what was going to happen i decided to have fun and vote my conscience. do i share in the blame of that? sure. but so does those who voted for ahhnold. and so does the DNC for giving us such a crappy alternative.

gallagher had a plan too...

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. Most Texans I know

moved to Arkansas where they can live the way they want to live. They voted for Ann Richards and departed the state when she lost. My brother in law is still there, though, and in no way will ever vote GOP. BTW, he speaks like a fellow from New Jersey, never wears boots, and owns a bar in Arlington. (And he's a sixth-generation Native Texan!)

[DAGDA56]

4. I drove cross country with a friend back in January...

...from Florida to California, and we both agreed that Texas has some of the dirtiest, most polluted pieces of useless real estate we have ever seen. Houston was horrible and El Paso was just plain nasty. Now, admittedly, we stayed on I-10 to get through as quickly as possible (sorry to have not spent any time in San Antonio...it looked like it had potential. My friend kept remarking about how dirty the air was...and she lives in Los Angeles.

[Turbineguy]

10. San Antonio is very nice

There's a sense of history there. And of course the Spirit of Henry Gonzales still lives.

We enjoyed the riverwalk area. We had an encounter with a policeman and he was very kind and helpfull.

The area around S.A. is hilly and verdant.

The freeways are a little confusing though.

[powergirl]

5. I'm a Texan - sorry about Bush ;(

There are still about 46 percent of us Texans who vote Democratic. I live in an especially conservative area of the state, but most of us "educated folks" are liberal democrats. Ann Richards is a great democrat as is Paul Begala and Lloyd Benson. The 46 Percent of us who voted for Gore are completely embarassed that Bush is president. He is such a doofus.

As foro the cowboy boot thing. I think that goes more toward local "fashion trends." I admit that I own one pair of cowgirl boots but I only wear them on rainy days b/c they happened to be treated with waterproofing stuff. The people I know that wear their western outfits all of the time is that general crowd of people who drive beat up old pick up trucks, have no job, and don bumper stickers that say "Don't blame me, I voted for Dole" They can't get a job b/c doofus screwed up the economy and there aren't that many jobs to go around. I have noticed that these people in Texas who vote Republican really have not business voting so. The Democrats need to do a better job in this state campaigning. We are discounted because doofus is from here. But don't blame us please!!! Most of us are nice in the great state of texas!! ;)

[AlCzervik]

6. I moved to Spring Texas

in 96 from Massachusetts, talk about a square peg i a round hole. I used to see the guys wearing theie skin tight wranglers, huge belt buckles and hats on Friday nites when we would go out for dinner. the only time i ever saw actual ranchers was when we were leaving Texas to move to California, we decided we'd drive...ala Griswald family. Right about El Paso is where the ranches showed up. I think the whole cowboy dress-up deal is just that...dress up for most of them.

[DAGDA56]

9. So there's a Texas tradition of dressing up in public...

...even when it's not Halloween?...that explains alot.

[Ernesto]

20. Hey I'm a stone Kuleeforneeya dude

When in the late '70's, I visited relatives in the Denver area. I was totally amazed @ the "westerner" dress up mentality. If Denver is out west, then where is California? Near Asia?

[cjbuchanan]

8. Stop right there mister...

As a Texan I can only say that a lot of us want to seen W back home to Connecticut where he came from.

Please don't forget that we are also the state of Ann Richards, Lloyd Doggett, LBJ, Jim Hightower and Molly Ivans.

Every state has it's own list of fools (look who's Governor of California or senator from Pennsylvania), it's just that, for some reason, the media loves the whole Texas cowboy thing. I, and most of the folks I know, do not walk around pretending to be cowboys. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of urban (or suburban) cowboys, but that can be said about any place in this country.

All and all, the "Dallas" idea of Texas is just a stereotype that gets played over and over. Yes I say howdy and I know how to ride a horse, but I don't walk around with a huge belt-buckle talking about clearing brush.

As far as the GOP running us down, about 45% of us know that. Just give us a few more years and we will be above 50%. Remember, the whole reason they forced through re-districting was because we are a Democratic majority congressional congregation (something no other Southern state can say)

Anyway, I've got to go, there's some cattle that need roping and I've got to make sure my oil wells are pumping full throttle.

[DAGDA56]

11. You've made the best point, so far...

...if there wasn't a growing Democratic majority in Texas, Bugman Delay and his friends wouldn't have worked so hard to redistrict...just wanted to mention that before you rode off into the sunset...

[AspenRose]

29. Don't forget the Dixie Chicks!

They're about as anti-Bush* as you can get!

Anyone remember back in the 90s when someone pointed out Bush41's "Texas" address was at the Shamrock Hotel in Houston?

[Snellius]

31. Hold your horses, dude. What's that about California?

Let me remind you that Arnold was from Austria and Ronald was from Illinois. Now, if you're looking for a real Westerner, there's Clint Eastwood, born and bred in the Golden State.

[Reciprocity]

32. Hey Snellius, I love your name!

Now can you make a potion to turn Bush into a real bush?

[cjbuchanan]

35. Okay, how about Richard Nixon

He was born in the California sun.

But please don't take this as a bash. All I am saying is that each state has produced both good and bad.

[corporatewhore]

12. Jim Hightower= real cowboy W= Yankee cowboy poser

[librechik]

13. sshhh don't wake them.They're such angels when they're asleep

n/t

[UTUSN]

25. LOL LOL LOL n/t

[Deja Q]

14. I was at the Dallas/Ft Worth(less) airport once...

There was a constant odor of cowboy boots throught the whole place and I toured most of it.

Well, the odor had something to do with a farm at any rate... probably the reason why one would wear cowboy boots...

[Maestro]

18. I have been there

many times and never smelled that. In fact, I rarely saw "cowboys." I did see a bunch of people milling around in tennis shoes and jeans with some luggage. It was pretty much a normal airport. I didn't notice the smell at all, but maybe I am just used to it being a stupid hick from Texas.

[Skittles]

34. ditto on that

now drive a distance in any direction and you will see real cowboys. In Whitesboro one time a guy on a horse was in the spot next to me at a Sonic restaurant. :D

[Wright Patman]

15. Secession would have been good for this continent and the world

Most Texans are from somewhere else, are concentrated in three or four metro areas and adopt the faux cowboy wardrobe to fit in. This includes even Dubya.

The world would be better off if either of two things had happened 150 to 200 years ago. That is, if either Texas or the Confederacy had succeeded in attempts to establish/remain independent countries. This is where the drive for empire is coming from. The PNAC forces are using the latent imperialism which has always been just below the surface south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Neither entity (Texas, CSA) would be a superpower and thus none of this would be happening. It's not going to succeed even using the entire USA as cannon fodder, but it wouldn't even have been attempted had this country been split into two or three smaller entities somewhere along the line.

[Maestro]

16. Excuse me

Texas is one of the prettiest states. The I-10 corridor is a poor example of the state. Houston, in general, is a poor example of the beauty of Texas but even then, The northeast part of Houston on up into the piney woods of east Texas is very nice. The Hill Country and the Big Bend area is also beautiful. In my neck of the woods 35 miles south of Dallas, this is what I wake up to.



As far as politics goes, Texas has taken a turn for the worse but there are still plenty of Democrats. I read Molly Ivins and Jim Hightower often. And the Bushies aren't from Texas!!! They are East-Coast carpetbaggers. And we all don't wear boots and listen to country music although The Flatlanders are quite good. http://www.theflatlanders.com/

Also Damage Plan is quite good. www.damageplan.com You see what a variety we have down here in Texas.

[corporatewhore]

17. i love it when tourists come to austin and are shocked at how

liberal it is to say that all of texas is like the houston area is crazy i grew up in the rio grande valley and it is a totally different culture down there

[seabeyond]

19. Californian in Amarillo

this is where the gun racks, cowboy paraphernalia, and confederate flags hang. and not a man without a rotweiller.

truly pitiful. i tell the boys, California more west than Texas, and ranches too.

i do not belong.

[Reciprocity]

21. Well as a new member that's from Texas thanks for the welcome!!

BTW what state are you from?

[gulliver]

22. Missouri. Sorry for the general rant.

I may have painted with too wide a brush. (Ya think!)

I know Texas is a lovely state, and as I say, I have two good friends who live there. I'm really only talking to the ones who are taken in by the image to such an extent that they let it affect their politics.

I don't have anything against wearing cowboy boots/hats for fashion otherwise. Heck, I like country music, and I wear leather boots when I ride my motorcycle (despite being a cube monkey myself).

So here's to the part of Texas that has already "grown up" (present company). And welcome to DU.

No offense to other Texans. I really do love ya.

[Reciprocity]

26. Well Gulliver

My new friend, never insult a redhead before she finishes her first cup of coffee. My husband and I were National Park Ranger at the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in good ole MO for five summers . Missouri is a beautiful state but this part is breathtaking.


Now as for king George the Turd is concerned, in my opinion the only reason he won against Ann Richards was becouse she had a record and he did not. Now the littel bollocks has a record and its his turn to face the cold hard light of day as to his rationale for his decisions and actions.

[go fish]

23. Hush up now, y'all

and ‘git’ off your own clouds. Remember, Texas also created LBJ, and just because Bush is from Texas is no call for you to tell us what we are because of what we wear. The Southwest actually is sort of its own country doing its own thing and you pipe and slipper/matching sweater-sets just don’t get us at all. I’m not from Texas - I live next door, but don’t you mess with them. Their boots are fancier than ours, and their belt buckles may be bigger, but I’ll defend their right to wear them whether they live in country or in the city. Many of us had tough ol’ granddaddies (liberals and conservatives) who came to this part of the country before NM or TX were states. They wore boots to even their odds with the rattlers, and big hats so the sun couldn’t bake their faces – and for your information it takes a big belt buckle to keep a big man’s pants on – so just hush. It’s called culture – look into it.

[seabeyond]

24. bah ha ha ha

that is so cute,..........and cool

[AspenRose]

30. Southern New Mexico is Texas Lite, anyway

Ain't that right? ;-) :evilgrin:

Listen to former NM repub lt. gov. Walter Bradley talk and you'd SWEAR he was a Texan.

[newyawker99]

40. Hi go fish!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[UTUSN]

27. Texas NEEDS to Be Messed-with, But on Substantive Issues

Think how Poppy "messed" with Massachusetts when DUKAKIS had an actually GOOD record of achievement. Yet when Shrub pulled his "don't mess with Texas" crap, the media spent all of Campaign 2000, and to date for that matter, licking its genitals for him. They just MIGHT have uncovered his Weak-Governor-System record of lack of achievement, his sweetheart deals with Enron and the rest, his reactionary anti-"compassion" record--------but NOoooooo, the likes of wimpass Tweety were too cowed by the bully boy, the way Tweety is also impressed by military dudes.

Anyway, to get to the original post, hats are for shade from the sun, and some vain baldies like to cover up, and boots are easy-to-pull-on from a distance when you can't reach shoelaces down there anymore.

There was this one New Yorker visiting Texas, wearing Hush Puppies, who marveled at the hard footwear and the sound of real footfalls, who swore he would never wear Hush Puppies again.

But actually, in the Walmartization of the world, most people wear flip flops everywhere.

[Tims]

36. Show me a state

where at least 40% of the vote didn't go to Bush in 2000. Quit pointing fingers and get your own house in order. We are doing the best we can down here and we are making headway. People do think differently down here and that is not necessarily bad. The whole country is in trouble and it isn't Texas' fault so get off our case. I've been across this country and there is little difference between the idiots on one side or the other either in number or quality. We just have a few more nominally conservative idiots here. When I lived in Massachusets I knew just as many idiots as I had in Texas, just more of them where liberal idiots. An idiot is an idiot no matter what side of the fence he's slumped against and we all have our full share. Why don't you point to California with their Faux Holiwood persona and their election of both Ronald Regan and Arnold Schwartzneger, or Liberal Minnesota and their election of Jesse Ventura, or liberal New York and their Republican governors and mayors.

It seems that a week cannot go by without someone on this board taking a swipe at Texas as if everyone here as carbon copy of Dubya or just walked off the set of Urban Cowboy. Save your energy for defeating the real enemy and the country and Texas will both benefit.

So you have a couple of friends from Texas and that makes you an expert???? Grow up.

[Paladin]

37. Oh, Goody. Another Texas-Bashing Thread

Speaking as a fifth-generation Texan with solid liberal Democrat credentials, I feel like inviting all of you folks who are trashing my state, again, to....no, I won't say it. From my county commissioners all the way to the occupant of the White House, I am currently "represented" by brain-dead conservatives. I'm not happy about it, and I don't appreciate this ongoing shit-canning of my state, especially in a forum like DU.

And about the cowboy boot thing: as I type this I'm wearing my standard weekend footwear: Sperry Top-sider boat shoes. They're still very popular down here, believe it or not. I may have a pair of boots in one of my closets, but I'm not sure of it.

[Th1onein]

41. Hey buddy!

I'm a Texan. Georgie boy ain't.

And, by the way, hatred is hatred, despite who it is aimed at. I happen to have been born and raised in Texas and I'm a proud Democrat. And this state used to be primarily Democratic. Most Texans are good and decent people, so don't go throwing your bullshit at anyone who happens to be from here.