Corpus Christi Caller-Times endorses Kerry (endorsed Bush in 2000)

[Czolgosz]

This is a conservative paper in the most Catholic part of Texas turning away from its 2000 endorsement to back Kerry. Hope is on the way.

[Longhorn]

1. Looks like the CC-Times has more guts than the AA-S.

I'm calling the Austin American-Statesman today to cancel my subscription after being a daily subscriber since I started college in 1973.

[Florida_Geek]

2. They used to be liberial

did it change hands.

[Longhorn]

4. Yes. New editor and changes on the editorial board over time.

Jumped on the Bush* bandwagon big time, especially since Central Texas has become more conservative. Travis County was the last bastion of liberals and even it has been diluted.

In fact, DeLay went after Travis County as much as any county in the state to try to get rid of Lloyd Doggett and completely fractured the county with redistricting, creating one district that stretches to the Mexican border! And after all that, didn't even get rid of Doggett, who should be re-elected hands down, though he had to move to run again and his new district barely touches Austin.

It will be interesting to see what the reaction to this endorsement is this time.

[alarimer]

3. this is not a very conservative area of Texas

Mainly Hispanic so you are right about the catholic part but they are overwhelmingly democratic. The Caller-Times (or the Smaller Times as I like to call it) is not all that conservative either. Pretty middle of the road. It is still a crappy paper though. Each section is only about 4 pages long and filled mainly with wire service reports. So I don't bother to subscribe because I can read the same stories anywhere else. But still I am glad they endorsed Kerry. I can't remember who they endorsed in 2000.

[Czolgosz]

5. Here in Corpus Christi, we usually elect Democrats locally, but we sadly

went for Bush by a small margin in 2000.

In terms of certain issues (for example, eliminating tort rights or a woman's reproductive rights) the electorate can be disturbingly swayed by heavy insurance-industry-paid advertising and religion-based advocacy. Corpus Christi has Democratic voters but if you look at the political contributions coming out of Corpus Christi, it's mainly Republican money because there is a wealthy Republican minority that donates money rabidly to promote its anti-consumer agenda.

As an illustration of this phenomenon, one of Corpus Christi's state legislator (now gone from office after a corruption scandal) was a "Democrat" who campaigned on a platform to protect consumer's rights, but then late in his campaign he accepted a great deal of insurance-industry-linked contributions, and then he crossed party lines to take an active role in promoting drastic changes in tort law to favor the insurance industry over Texas citizens.

As another example, this is a part of the state where even many of the Democrats do not support a woman's right to determine her own reproductive fate.

It's a good thing that the Caller-Times endorsed Kerry after endorsing Bush in 2000. The paper will be attacked by the anti-choice and anti-consumer lobbies and their constituencies

[meg]

6. Nueces County is going strongly for Kerry!

Big turnout so far. I heard a few days ago that 13% of the newly registered have voted already! 13% of the newly registered! Texas A&M Corpus Christi has reported long lines for early voting. You know that the college kids are NOT standing in long lines to vote for * if they think he has the state already.

Kerry can take Texas.

[Czolgosz]

7. I'm so glad to hear that! I've been concerned about TAMCC

because I have been at a number of Democrat party and Planned Parenthood events and I rarely see anyone from TAMCC. I'm glad to hear things are going well out on campus!

[alarimer]

8. two hour waits for early voting

Lines were so long and so slow-moving (they were not prepared for the large turnout I guess) that I am voting on election day rather than early voting.

[alarimer]

10. I didn't mean to imply that it was liberal

By no means is this area liberal. It doesn't strike me as being quite a knuckle-dragging as other parts of Texas. Of course then I start thinking about reproductive rights and the fact that the largest hospital system here is Catholic and the tort reform issue. People here are generally not well-educated. Those who are leave and go to Austin or someplace like that where they can find professional jobs. Here the only good jobs are blue-collar, with the various refineries. I have seen numerous Kerry signs and relatively few Bush signs. Bush was a popular governor. I think he has lost a lot of that popularity even in his "home" state. I know in my office he has lost all credibility. We talk about it a lot, we have about 4 Dems and 4 Republicans (but they are not knuckle-dragging Republicans).

[kentuck]

9. Is Bush losing suppport in his home state ??

Is the the second TX newspaper to switch ??