Do not concede Texas to Bush!

[ashling]

I continually see posts in DU about how it is ok to vote for Nader in "safe" states "like Texas." This burns me up.

First of all, and I don't necessarily mean this in a spiritual context, but energy for Kerry anywhere is good and ultimately affects energy for Kerry everywhere. If Kerry volunteers in say, Ohio or New Mesico ("battleground state") see that Dems. in Texas are fighting tooth and nail, maybe that will give them the inspiration to fight just a little harder.

Perhaps more importantly, if we ever hope to take back Austin and our Senate Delegation, we have got to fight. If Texas makes a halfway decent fight against Bush now, that will go a long way toward pulling it together at home. So consider this a homeland security issue.

The electoral college may negate Texas Dems. efforts as to whether or not Kerry gets the 245 (or whatever it is) to beat Bush, but all of those Kerry votes are worth something to Texas Dems at home.

NEVER CONCEDE A SINGLE VOTE!
TEXAS :dem:

[library_max]

1. Bush may be popular here,

but Perry is hanging by a thread. We need to throw the fraud of redistricting back in the Republicans' faces and elect more Democrats to the legislature and the congress. The best way to do this is to contest the Presidential election. Maybe we could even get some reverse coattails going and at least make Bush spend money here.

[lovedems]

4. Living in Illinois, I keep my fingers crossed for you in Texas.

I think your post is right. The Texas democrats put up one hell of a fight when they fled Texas during the redistricting fiasco. Last I saw, DeLay had a 38% approval rating and if Governor Goodhair is hanging by a thread, democrats could really pull off some surprises. Even if Bush does win Texas, if he didn't win in a landslide, that would be great energy for the Texas democrats!

[JayS]

20. They stayed at a hotel in Oklahoma. That is hardly a fight. n/t

n/t

[NoPasaran]

26. Better smile when you say that

Ever been to Ardmore?

[fudge stripe cookays]

29. It kept them from getting a quorum,

and that was the desired result. They were outnumbered and outgunned. They risked their careers and the opinions of all of their constituents.

I think they're brave as hell, and called EVERY SINGLE ONE of their offices-- senators AND reps alike to THANK them for that stay in Oklahoma.

They had to escape from the state, because in case you hadn't heard, Goodhair sent federal authorities after them.

[library_max]

32. They fined them for it, too.

And if I remember correctly, the fines stuck and they had to pay them. The Texas Legislature is not well paid, not to put too fine a point on it.

[fudge stripe cookays]

34. Yep, and many of us sent them money...

to help them out and support them.

I now have a "I'm a Killer D Fan" sign from the main rally the other day. It holds a place of honor in my office.

[ashling]

9. Exactly

:dem:

[Tight_rope]

43. I agree with you. We need to take back the House and the Senate!

[Tight_rope]

44. The Bush's came to Texas, used it up, then packed up and left!

We all know that the Bush's are not originally from Texas! Yes Duyba may have that Texas twang, but he's not a true Texan. True Texans don't sell out our land, oil, and souls for the sake of money. The Bush's came to Texas, reaped what they could from the land, stole from the people, jailed and killed many and then packed up and left! The Bush's don't give a shit about Texas, just like they don't give a shit about America. All they care about is "MONEY" lots of "MONEY!:beer:

[Sagan]

2. Amen!

Though a victory is highly unlikely, I would LOVE to see Chimpy having to worry about Texas and spending time and money campaigning here.

[juajen]

3. AMEN, friend

I know there are plenty of good democrats in Texas, I used to live in Dallas. It is vitally important to fight hard in Texas. A showing of democratic strength is more important there than ever. Fight on!

[Career Prole]

5. Very well said!

:toast:

[WolverineDG]

6. My three prayers for November

(in the exact order that I want them)
(1) That Kerry defeat Bush & become our next President! (w/edwards at his side, oh my, what a tall drink of water that would be)

(2) That Morrison defeat Tom DeLay, the most evil person in DC.

(3) That Kerry wins Texas.

Based on the comments I heard as I was walking back to the MetroRail & on the train itself, that is not as much of a long shot as one might think. Those of us w/Repub friends & family members have heard chatter already & while these folks might not pull the lever for Kerry, they damn sure aren't going to pull it for Bush either. Based on what I heard from a couple of Dallas folks I had dinner with Friday Night at Josephine's (great place, btw), we might get a surprise out of that county. :)

So everyone, you've got your marching orders. Get people registered & then go shake the trees starting with early voting!! If you do become a registrar, remember to follow up with the folks to see if they got their card, then remind them to vote & then TELL THEM WHERE TO VOTE, since newbies don't know where to go. (all tips thanks to democracy for texas workshop)

DON'T CONCEDE TEXAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dg/kelly

[NoPasaran]

7. I am so glad to hear this sentiment!

The first step toward winning is acting like we can win.

Some folks outside of the state are ready to write Texas off. Well, I can't because I live here! I will never concede control over my life and my state to a gang of bigoted religious crackpots. Our party is as united and full of fight as it has ever been. Our path back to power will take time and great determination, but let it begin now!

Every vote matters!

[sonias]

8. Never give up and never surrender

Great point ashling! The only way we make Texas relevant to the rest of the country and the national party leadership is to take back our state. All politics are local, you have to start with your cities, your state rep districts, your state senate districts and so on. It won't happen overnight but there is momentum building over the re-redistricting fiasco, insurance and tort reform fiasco and the school finance fiasco. We have to keep educating people and making them believe that we can win.

During the Dem. convention we made a lot of contacts and we need to keep up our networking, and keep planning, and keep working hard. SD25 plans on taking out our repuke state senator for example, and that is completely possible. We have to work for candidates that aren't in our districts but that need help. Kelly White and Mark Strama in Travis can win their races absolutely, with some hard work. Now lets get out there and "stand our ground"

Sonia

[ashling]

11. By the suns of warban . . .

well ok, how about "By our own grit and determination!"?
(your Galaxy Quest reference was too good to pass up.

TAKE BACK TEXAS!
:dem:

[sonias]

12. Hey I'll take any help we can get

Even from Thermians. "By Grabthar's hammer, we shall be avenged!"

Damn would I wouldn't give to have a little time travel or friendly extra terrestrial help. We could go back in time and fix things. I'd make sure DeLay and shrub were never born.

Since we don't have access to a time machine we will fix the historical documents the hard way.

:evilgrin:

Sonia

[ashling]

14. Termites are welcome too,

but not fire ants - I HATE FIRE ANTS!

[Gothmog]

10. I will be happy if we get rid of Tom Delay

If we can keep Delay from gaining too many of the seats he tried to steal in his redistricting scam, I will be happy. This means supporting Martin Frost in Dallas and working to defeat Delay in Sugarland.

Morrison may have a chance against Delay. It is likely that the Houston paper will support Morrison (it has opposed Delay in the last two or three elections) and Delay's negatives are high enough that Morrison may have a chance.

As for Bush, I will be happy if Senator Kerry carries Harris County and Travis County.

[sonias]

13. No doubt Kerry is winning Travis

And the time is ripe for DeLay to be derailed. With these ethics violations hanging over him and a new Texas Democratic party coming after his ass for the redistricting nightmare. Delay is going down. He's the number one target in Texas.

Sonia

[JayS]

21. What is new in the Texas Democratic Party? I have not...

...checked back to see if the 2004 platform is posted yet but do want to see what is in it. Will it be just empty rhetoric or something with substance?

[sonias]

22. What's new in the Texas Democratic Party

#1) New State Party Leader - Charles Soechting just got elected to a full term. He was serving out a partial term since Oct., after the resignation of Molly Beth. (She never won a statewide race under her leadership) Soechting is a new kind of Texas Democrat, one with a spine who is not afraid to show it. He took sides in the Democratic primaries against two of our own supposed Democrats who had been betraying us for years. Ron Wilson is the most egregious example of one, and that sucker is out of the house now. Good riddance! Bastard voted against us on redistricting. Vilma Luna is our next target.

#2) New blood in the party. From what I saw at the Democratic convention there was a regime change of the SDEC (State Democratic Executive Committee) membership. I know it happened in our Senate District. New leadership with progressive values and take control style. Also the attendance at the convention was primarily new delegates. I heard all kinds of percentages from 60-80, but either way it is the majority. People coming into the party to participate for the first time and the attendance was huge. Largest convention, largest participation. Texas Democrats are mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore.


#3) Commitment from leadership both from Soechting and SDEC that we will run candidates against repukes in every election. They will recruit candidates to run against every leech in office now. You have that commitment from the front line people too.

#4) Re-tooling of our fund raising. We're keeping our money in Texas until we take back this state. Getting out the word to Texans that any money they send to the DNC right now is wasted for purposes in Texas. We get nothing back from them since they have written us off. So it's better that we keep our money locally to help our own get elected statewide.

Those are some of the things I know are new there are plenty others, but I think they show an energized, motivated, excited and fighting Democratic Party that is gonna kick ass!

The final platform for 2004 is at this link:
http://www.txdemocrats.org/about/platform/index.php



:dem:

Sonia

[GOPisEvil]

23. Approx 75% of convention delegates were new.

New blood is a good thing.

[JayS]

24. Thanks to both you and Sonias. This is good to know! Maybe...

...the Party will become like it used to be. I am looking forward to some new blood. After trying to get some of our current Democratic politicians to listen to some issues that need addressing, I became disappointed in a Texas sized way.

[WolverineDG]

33. if the rocks won't move

find a way around 'em.

that's what we're doing in my SD...a REAL democratic underground...heh heh heh

:evilgrin:

dg/kelly

[ashling]

27. I am glad to hear about your #3

#3) Commitment from leadership both from Soechting and SDEC that we will run candidates against repukes in every election. They will recruit candidates to run against every leech in office now. You have that commitment from the front line people too.

I am currently living out of country (Washington state):) but will be moving home soon, When I read in Texas Monthly that we were not running anybody against Craddick, and some other incumbents, or in the new Austin-Houston District I went ballistic. When I posted on the subject, I got one response (I don't remember who) that seemed to imply that some districts were just so heavily Rethuglican that there was no point.

THERE IS ALWAYS A POINT!

We don't have any business letting them take ANY district unopposed. One of the duties of the county party organizations is to run candidates. So let's get off our asses and run somebody in every district, for every office. TAKE BACK TEXAS!

From some of the stuff I have seen on DU about our fair state, one would think we should just give it up and walk away. They point at the Rethuglican platform and say well that's the way those so and sos are in Texas. AND IT'S NOT THAT WAY!

It's not that way for the state, nor for any district in the state. There are good democrats all over this state.

[texastoast]

40. Help

#3) Commitment from leadership both from Soechting and SDEC that we will run candidates against repukes in every election. They will recruit candidates to run against every leech in office now. You have that commitment from the front line people too.

Help, oh please help, in Montgomery County. No Dems on the ballot for anything major. Demographics have changed and the area has grown a LOT in the last four years.

[ashling]

41. sorry to hear that

I used to be a precinct chair from the Woodlands, haven't lived there in 15 years or so. I'm sorry I don't believe I know anybody there now.

Have you contacted the chair of the county party?

[johncoby2]

15. Don't DeLay! Indict Today!

DeLay is going down, like......

[sleepystudent]

16. He'll definitely get Austin and Houston

Didn't they both go for Gore last time? I am pretty sure Harris Co. went for Gore. There may have been too many Nader voters in Austin last time, but that will definitely change. Kerry will also definitely get South Texas-solidly Dem. and I think if voter registration is concentrated down there, then it could be really close. I also think Dallas Co. was actually really close last time, considering it's Dallas. I think Kerry will get it this time. Is Ft. Worth Dem. or Repub.? Kerry will also get El Paso I think. I think Kerry will get the cities, but the suburbs are a write off. I actually think he could make it enough of a fight to get Bush to have to campaign in Texas and that would be great to see. Though not as great as seeing DeLay lose, which is what I would like to see the most. Ah, sweet schaudenfraude.

I was born and raised in TX, live in NYC for grad school, but am still registered to vote in TX, so that's the place I care about the most. I am really looking forward to what happens there this fall.

[fudge stripe cookays]

30. Believe it or not,

there are actually more registered Dems in Dallas County than there are Repubs!

So we're going to get out there and make sure the lazy ones get to the polls. All the while getting new voters registered.

I'm going after the young ones. Especially the girls. These teens have got to realize what's at stake in this election. I'm here to educate them.

Ashling, may I say that it was so wonderfully refreshing to read your inspiring post, urging us to glory instead of belittling us for OUR voting for Bush and his cronies. WE didn't do anything. The fuckers over at Freeperland who happen to live in Texas did it. We fought them every step fo the way, and we're going to keep fighting. HARDER.

A metaphor to me the other day: The Republicans like to think of themselves as giants in this state. Well, even giants can be taken down by tons and tons of annoyed things that are mad as hell and have a nasty bite.

WE ARE THE TEXAS FIRE ANTS! The Republicans have just kicked the nest, and I don't think they're going to like what happens next....

[ashling]

37. Great !

WE ARE THE TEXAS FIRE ANTS! The Republicans have just kicked the nest, and I don't think they're going to like what happens next....

I said in an earlier post, that I HATE firre ants . . . owever, if you look at it that way . . . :evilgrin:

I like your attitude!

GOTV

[liveoaktx]

17. We have spoken to a lot of Texans who voted for Nader last time

because they were so certain Bush could not win, that Gore would, and they wanted to throw their vote to the Green Party. Saying that just because Bush won doesn't mean that even a majority of people in Texas wanted him to win.

We intend, in our county, to win it DEMOCRAT-we figure it's a numbers game.

[Lithos]

18. Well said

While I do not have high expectations for the Presidential election, I do hope that we can raise enough ruckus and fuss to get Bush not only to spend time and money down here trying to save some of his Puke cohorts (Delay, etc.), but also to have Shrub's efforts be wasted. The more we can get him to commit down here, the better it is for Texas Dems and for the Nation as a whole.

The eyes of Texas are upon us, the eyes of Nation are upon us. Our state, our country, our rights, our future are at stake. We can't afford to concede a single vote.

[ChickMagic]

19. Chimpy didn't win by as much as people think

In Dallas County, he only won 51-49. I honestly think we can take this state back.

[Wild Bill]

25. did not win by much?

Maybe in Tennessee.

Texas 2000 popular vote results

Gore 2,433,746 38%
Nader 137,994 2%
Bush 3,799,639 59%

Spending money on Congressional races like Frost vs Sessions is worth while.

Kerry vs Bush is pouring money down the drain.

[merci_me]

28. We need to work our own backyard first.

I'm glad to see someone thinks the way I do. Every dime put in the Kerry campaign in Texas is a dime down the drain. Make Dubya spend money here? For every dime we spend in Texas he has a dollar waiting. For every minute we work, Rove hires more telemarketers out of India.

There is no way in hell Kerry can take Texas. Dukakis came out of Massachusetts, running against a Bush and named a very popular Texas senator, Lloyd Bentsen as his running mate and it didn't do squat for us. That was when we even held lots of statewide offices. Now the religious fanatics and the neocons have taken over.

The only way Kerry will beat Dubya here is for Dubya to do something so awful (and what's left?) that Kerry ends up winning Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and most every other state. If it's a landslide, MAYBE Kerry can take Texas, the state, not just selected counties or cities. But then, in a landslide, Texas won't mean anything, anyway. There are states that are much more likely to go Democrat this time, with the money and effort. Kerry and the DNC will put money there. Texas is on its own and we need to make up for that.

I say we need to put every dime and minute of our efforts into keeping all of our Democratic office holders and electing every Democrat on the ticket, we can conceivably manage to. That means congress, the state senate and house, everyone from school boards to the Texas Supreme Court. THAT'S the way we win Texas back!!! We do it here!!! If we go to Kerry in a national landslide, GREAT!

Of course, vote for him. Vote just one vote, for the straight ticket. But not many people do that, nor do they continue to vote down-ticket. So I say, concentrate your efforts on the Texas Democrats who are committed enough to offer themselves up in this Republican state. Support them first, with your money and your time. First we have to reclaim the state.

[ashling]

38. I agree that we need to work in our own backyard

Kerry is running in our own backyard.

I am not advocating that the Kerry campaign spend lots of time and money in Texas. I have been in politics long enough to know that time and money are always in short supply.

But I do feel that it is a defeatest attitude to just accept defeat in any race as a matter of course. This type of talk actively discourages people from voting for Kerry.

We definitely need to spend our time and money on our local and Congressional races, but Democrats can multitask!

As we used to say, "vote Democratic from the Courthouse to the Whitehouse"

Get Out The Vote, and TAKE BACK TEXAS!

[fudge stripe cookays]

31. She said and meant Dallas County, brainiac. n/t

[TexasBushwhacker]

39. Thou shalt look deeper ....

Fact: Bush got 3,796,850, GOP Senator Kay Baily Hutchison got 4,080,582. Makes me go hmmmmm.

Fact: Texas voter turn out for the 2000 Election was less than 45% of the VAP (Voting Age Population), less than 52% of registered voters. As of 2003 only 76% of the VAP are registered, and those not registered are disproportionately Hispanic and Black.

We have approximately 12 million registered voters and 4 million that are not registered. If we can get people registered and get them to the polls, anything could happen.

[montieg]

35. You damn Skippy! Never give in

to those patsys who give up without a fight! Just imagine the red-ass it would give Rove if Bush failed to get more than 67%--whooeeee! would I like to see that picture! I've been a County Demo Chairman for ten years and I have NEVER seen this much unity and dedication among Dems. And new volunteers are coming out of the woodworks, almost daily. I say get Chris Bell to begin NOW campaigning for Governor and 'give 'em Hell, Harry!'

[ashling]

36. Consider it an issue of expectations

Many people feel that Bush won the 2000 debates merely by not being as bad as he was expected to be. He played the expectations game and ended up in our white house!

If we win the expectations game in Texas at the top of the ticket, it will gain us a lot in the long run...and we're in it for the long run.

Make 'em sweat!

[Claire Beth]

42. I would LOVE it if Bush lost Texas!!!

I was just about to start a new thread and ask you Texans what the feelings are there about the upcoming election and candidates when I saw your post. I know here (Tennessee) people think Tennessee will definitely go for Bush but I know for sure *THIS STATE* is up for grabs and was just curious about Texas if there was a slim possibility that Bush could lose Texas...just a slim chance??

[fudge stripe cookays]

45. See Lithos' post #18

I think he said it best.

We may not be able to take the state back, but we have fired up the base here, and are fighting like mad to make a difference.

The DeLay/Morrison race is proof that we can do good things. And if we can pull off even a few of these David/Goliath upsets, then Bush may get nervous. We want him puring lots of unnecessary $ down here so he has less to use in the battleground states.

That's my strategy and I'm sticking to it. We may not be SOLIDLY red in November, but we'll still be pink.

Miles to go until we're blue...miles to go until we're blue.

Them's the facts, unfortunately.
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