We can't win the state without campaigning to win the state

[David Van Os]

Wouldn't it have been nice for Texas to be part of the awesome national election and blue tsunami?

Wait, some will say Texas was indeed part of it. The usual defenders of the Texas Democratic Party status quo will trot out their claim of a smashing success in picking up a 4 seats in the state house of representatives and one seat in the state senate while losing virtually everything else in state government.

Please. That old line is really tiresome.

Wait, we couldn't help it, some will say. Again the usual defenders of the status quo will trot out the old line that Texas is just too difficult for Democrats. That old line is especially tiresome. How can you ever win a fight by not fighting? How can anybody ever expect Texas Democrats to win the state and bring more democratic government to the state's people if they don't campaign to win the state?

I'm sorry, but a campaign to pick up 5 seats in the lower chamber of the state legislature is not a campaign to win the state.

So long as we Texas Democrats continue to listen to the self-inflated consultants and other "pundits" who insist on running targeted campaigns instead of sweep campaigns, we cannot expect a sweep-campaign outcome!

Certainly, the Obama campaign gobbled up the potential volunteer base for a statewide sweep campaign by exhorting Texans to campaign in other states, both physically and over phone banks. But I don't blame the Obama campaign. At least they had something for the vast Texas Democratic volunteer base to do. How can we blame the Obama campaign for making use of this huge volunteer base when the Texas Democratic party did not intend to make use of it?

Can anybody identify a single specific action or statement from the State Party demonstrating that it seriously wanted Obama to put Texas in play?

Indeed, if for no other reason than to give us a real chance to win the Senate seat from Cornyn? As it was, the abandonment was practically equivalent to kneecapping our aspirations to take Cornyn out through the candidacy of a very good man, Rick Noriega.

How many of you reading this were delegates to the Texas State Democratic convention in Austin in June? Were you listening when I announced in my campaign speech for state party chair that if elected chair my first order of business would be to go to Chicago and press the Obama campaign to put Texas in play for the national election? If so, did you vote for Boyd Richie anyway when he assured you that if you re-elected him the party would campaign to carry the state for Obama?

I meant it. He didn't.

Fight 'em on the ice.

David Van Os
San Antonio, Texas

[boot@9]

1. I

agree. Out here in WestTexas we need to somehow organize the Hispanic population. In most counties that population is near or over 50%. Unforunately many are not registered or if so do not vote in significant numbers. Meanwhile the Anglo population as a whole votes in much greater numbers. The result 75% of the vote goes to Republicans. Very discouraging to say the least. Is there a organization that can be hired to do community organization?

[WolverineDG]

3. hey boot, pm me

i learned a few tricks on election day that will actually work if you start out far enough ahead of time.

dg

[PDittie]

2. So the political advisors who specialize in direct mail

got remunerated handsomely for that piece they sent all over the state, and our statewide Democrats still fell short.

And on November 15, at the SDEC meeting in Austin, Boyd Richie -- with words written for him by Matt Angle -- will tell us what a great job they we have done.

Geez, I think I've seen this movie before ...

[WestHoustonDem]

4. Hey David - You know I voted and campaigned for you in SD7!

:yourock:

[Lisa0825]

5. Thank you David!

You are right once again!

[struggle4progress]

6. As a former Texan who has watched with delight as Big D turned blue, and as a North Carolinian

who was quite unhappy when the national party ran essentially no NC campaign in 2000 or 2004, I wholeheartedly agree with what you are saying

But smile, because here's news you can use: The Democrats just carried the son of a nonwhite immigrant into the White House

[Yanez Houston Jordan]

7. I agree, but there WAS a statewide sweep campaign. The Texas Democratic Party sent millions of mail

pieces urging straight Democratic party ticket voting and the party also sent a separate mail piece to over a million Texas homes urging a straight party ticket vote on the Texas Supreme Court races, and this mail campaign was followed up with a multi-million dollar statewide television ad campaign. I was pleased to see this effort; weren't you also pleased by this statewide effort?

I'm not disagreeing with your sentiment (which I share); I'm just questioning the factuality of the implication that there wasn't a statewide campaign.

I'm not someone who puts any stock in pundits or Monday morning quarterbacks or any of those who push their opinion-for-sale agenda, but -- honestly -- I don't think the Texas Democratic Party has enough money to be knee-deep in the "punditocracy." I don't see evidence that we have been able to afford such parasites.

Again, I'm not disagreeing with your sentiment (which I share); I'm just questioning the factuality of the implication that the Texas Democratic Party is run by high-priced "pundits."

I think the Texas Democratic Party did the best job the party has done in years with its limited resources (limited when the cost of the task and the wealth of our adversary are considered), and the Harris and Dallas and Travis County Democratic Parties did an excellent get-out-the-vote drive that led to a nearly unanimous sweep for Democrats in those counties. Do I wish the party (state and local) had done a better job? HELL YEAH! But I think they put forth one hell of an effort.

$4,000,000 goes pretty far in some states. $4,000,000 doesn't buy much in Texas with so many huge and expensive media markets. I wish Texas could have done more, but I was thrilled with our GOTV efforts and I think that the party raised and spent money in a commendable way. I wish there was more to spend, and I wish that we could fund a registration and GOTV drive across the state like they did in Dallas, Houston, and Austin, but it is a big state where campaigning is costly.

I'm curious where you and I may disagree:

- do you disagree that a statewide sweep campaign in Texas is a multi-million dollar venture?

- if we disagree on the cost, how do you propose to run a statewide sweep campaign from Beaumont to El Paso (about 850 miles) and from Brownsville to Amarillo (about 800 miles) without millions of dollars to support that campaign?

- if we agree on the cost, where are we going to get that money?

I'm not apologizing for the party -- I want results and I want them yesterday! I just don't see what the party could have done that would have turned Texas into California or New York politically.

I want to turn Texas back to its Democratic heritage as soon as possible. I think we're headed there, but it's been a tough slog. I am willing to hear anyone's answers about how we can best accomplish this task. What do you think?

[David Van Os]

8. What a sweep campaign is and isn't

A big direct mailout is not a sweep campaign. In a sweep campaign lots of people are contacting people, in person, block by block. The big mailout is a dream machine for some vendors' bank accounts, but that is about all. A sweep campaign also requires maximum effort at the top of the ticket. It is the top of the ticket that drives turnout up, not the bottom.

A sweep campaign also emphasizes a message of economic populism, or economic democracy if you will. It is a very old common denominator in American politics with deep roots as far back as the 18th century.

Thank you for your comments. I'm sure it can be done. Let's do it.

P.S. I like your handle. We have to break through the wall of ice surrounding the 9-0 Republican Corporate Supreme Court. I'm sure it can be done.

[Larry L. Burks]

9. Your Voice?

Dear David:

I read and really like your post.


I'm a truck driver. I drive from cost to coast and boarder to boarder.

I have a radio in my truck. So does ever other truck.

So does ever other car.

There are two things that are keeping Texas from going blue.

They both have to with our " voice ".

Voice is a two way street.

( 1 ) The spoken word. That's some thing that comes out of your mouth. That goes in to your ears. An informed voter.

( 2 ) And your vote. Your right to chose. And be heard.


There is not a place in America that you can't pick up Rush on the radio.

In some places. You can pick up Rush on as many radio stations as six stations at the same time. In red states all that you can pickup is Republican talking points.
It's all that these people hear. It all that they know about.

This is the number one reason why they vote Republican. It's like having a Republican campaign add that run every hour of the day. All Year long.

Texas is no different.

But in places where they have Air America Radio. It is Blue.

Even if they have 24 hour blanketed Rush. It still goes Blue.

This should tell you some thing. And it should tell you how to fix it. Which is.

Blanket Texas with Air America Radio. Or some fact similar there of.

Texas Democrat Talk Radio. A radio talk show where they talk about the Democrats talking points.

Level the playing field. When we do this. We win first time. Every time.

I would be willing to bet. That if you when to all of the county's. That went red in Texas,

And just walked around town. And asked the people you meet.

" Have you ever listen to Rush on the radio.

They would said. " Sure. I listen to him all of the time on the radio.

But then if you ask them.

" Have you ever lest in to Air America Radio? "

They will say. " No. What the hell is Air America Radio."

This should tell you some thing. Which is. silence all opposition. When they are able to do this. They win. It's one of the oldest dirty tricks in the book.
When they silence your voice. They win.

They are blanketing Texas their talking point. And where are our talking points? There no where to be found.

Dallas got their Air America Radio back a few weeks before the elections.

Dallas went Blue.

It is such a small radio station. That you can't pick it up in Ft. Worth.

Ft. Worth when red. Need I say more.

The difference is the same as between night. And Day.

If you look on the map. It's like a they took a razor and cut a line where Air America Radio stops. And where Rush blanket radio keeps on going,

And it's this way all across America, Been there. Done that.

Does it cost a lot. No. This is why the republicans do it. The biggest bang for the buck.

You don't need to shut their radios down. We need to fire ours up.

The Most of the company in America are own by Republicans. They would not buy ads on Air America. ARR went bankrupt. Th Republicans bought it up. They shut down about 39 radio stations.

Their is nothing in the rule book that says that It has to be ARR.

In this day of high tech. The web. If there were a few people that were willing to talk in to a mic. For three hours a day. This is the same thing that they do. They record it as they talk. Eight hours during the day. Then rebroadcast it all night long.

If you only had three hours of talk. And repeated it eight times. This would work just as well.

Now a 50,000 radio station burns up a lot of electricity. A lot of big bucks.
That 1200 radio station in San Antonio is a 50,000 watt station. I can pick it up every where in America except the Seattle and New york.

But there is a way the blanket the state for much cheaper. A 2,00 watt radio station uses less electricity than your house does. About $50 a month. About the same as your refrigerator does a month.

But there is a way. The C.B. in my truck puts out 4 watt of power. People can hear me three miles in any direction.

A 200 watt radio can broad cast out ten miles in any direction. Cost about $400 bucks to buy.

Most rule towns in Texas are small. One 200 watt radio would cover the hole town.

30 such radio would blanket all of Houston. If you spaced them out to ten miles apart.

1000 such radio would blanket the hole state of Texas.

If DU ere wanted to put such a radio in their house. For free. They pay the electricity bill. This could be done. All you would need would be a computer and assess to the internet. And some one there with a program to be had for free, To broad cast.

There are Democrats out here in Texas. That are just die to get there hands on just such a mic. I would be willing to bet that they would do it for Free. Students any one. Sure.

Could Obama make some thing like this possible? Sure. Fairness's doctrine? Sure. With the stroke of a pen. It could be done.

All I'm asking Obama to do is give the American people a chose. Some thing other than to listen to. In their cars and trucks.

AS of right now. 95% of Texans' don't have a chose.

Shouldn't we have the right of " chose " to choose what we want to listen to. Sure we do. And not have to have some one else making that decision for us. Sure we do.

It is still America. And we still have the right of Chose.

This could be done with no cost to the government or the tax payer.

Just give the power and the way. We will take care of the rest.



The other part of " Voice " Your vote.

The ways that the voting laws are in Texas. Need to be fixed.

If Obama passed a Federal Law. A new " Voter's Bill of Rights ".

Not like the one passed by the Republicans Here in Texas. That prevents eligible people from voting.

But one pasted by the Democrats that prevents other people from preventing you from voting. Fair and Free Elections. No deleting voters off the registered voters list. No Deleting voter's vote. After they have voted.

There are way to make sure that ever one gets to vote. And ever voter's vote is counted.

They could make Election day on a week end. And make it a holiday. This way your boss couldn't keep you from voting by not letting you off form work.

No long lines. More voting places. More voting machines that work and are easy to use. And are fool proof.

Obama could make both of these things possible. It should be the first thing that he does when he gets into Office. A Federal Law that every state has to follow.

Larry L. Burks

[Stop Cornyn]

10. Results matter. This year Texas Supreme Court candidate Sam Houston lost by 5% with over 3.5 million

votes, and Houston was the top statewide Democrat. Both Obama and Houston broke the 3.5 million vote barrier, and no Democrat in Texas has ever even come close to that that mark before Obama and Houston both surpassed it.

Compare this year to 2006, when the top-performing statewide Democratic candidate was Texas Supreme Court candidate Bill Moody (whose son was just elected to the Texas Legislature!). Judge Moody lost by 6% (and came nowhere near the 3.5 million voter mark given that it was a non-presidential election year). The fact that Houston narrowed the margin from 2006 to 2008 is especially remarkable because the margins for Texas Democrats are usually much worse during presidential election years.

Going back to 2004, the last presidential election year, the top-performing statewide Democratic candidate was Court of Criminal Appeals candidate J.R. Molina who lost by over 15% (and he didn't break the 3 million vote threshold).

In 2002, Texas Supreme Court candidate Margaret Mirabal and Lieutenant Governor John Sharp were the only two statewide Democrats who got over 45% of the vote, and the both lost their non-presidential-election-year races by bigger margins than Sam Houston lost in the most recent presidential election year.

If you want to go all the way back to 2000, the top-performing statewide Democratic candidate was Court of Criminal Appeals candidate Bill Vance who lost by almost 13%.

.

What does all of this mean? It tells me that for the last three election cycles the top Democrat was a statewide judicial candidate, and that the margins have been shrinking from 15% to 6% to 5%, and the numbers for the past three presidential elections have been increasing even more dramatically from 2.6 million Democratic votes for our highest performing statewide candidate to 2.9 million Democratic votes for our top candidate to over 3.5 million Democratic votes for our top Democratic candidates.

Is this enough progress? No! But I am glad for our pick-ups in the Texas House, the Texas Senate, the various Courts of Appeals around Texas (especially our new chief justices in Austin and San Antonio was well as our appellate court pick-ups in Houston and El Paso not to mention out re-elected appellate Justices), and the various trial court benches in Texas (especially our masterful sweep of 22 of 26 previously Republican-held judicial benches in Harris County).

I want more progress, but I will stop to take a moment to share a compliment in recognition of the hard work which has paid some dividends.