Austin---Our Landslide

[NoPasaran]

From the Austin For Kerry list:

Friends,

Austin For Kerry did an incredible job! In 2000, Gore/Lieberman
polled 125,526 votes in Travis County and lost to Bush/Cheney 46-41%.
Even adding in Nader's 31 Thousand votes would only bring the
progressive total to 52%. This year Kerry/Edwards polled over 196
Thousand votes and won Travis County with 56%!

The Kerry-Edwards voters also elected Greg Hamilton, Stephen
Yelenosky, Jan Patterson and Mark Strama against tough Rethug
opposition.

We helped finance the coordinated campaign, our volunteers manned
phone banks, blockwalked, and put up signs. We did all that we could
do and WE WON in Travis County. No one could expect more from us. And
we did this all out of the slender resources of our own pockets. A4K
is a model for the kind of grassroots organization that our
Democratic Party needs to use to win its way back to power. I hope
that in some way we can keep some of this group together for future
battles.

[Paradise]

1. WOW! Quite an accomplishment!-(sincere) Thank you, NoPasaran. n/t

[sonias]

2. I'm so damn proud of what we did!

It was hard work but worth it. We saw results, we saw the people coming together, we saw a community being rebuilt and our Democratic party getting stronger. We have to keep building on this momentum.

I like the fact that we are keeping our monthly meetups going. At last night's DFT meetup, it was nice to see our friends that fought along side of us all year. We were able to be proud of our accomplishments and share a little misery for the big national picture. We're already planning on holding more training workshops and keep doing more community outreach.

We are the real party of values, and when voters can see this we will win the south.

No retreat, no surrender. The fight has just begun!

Sonia

[fudge stripe cookays]

3. Yelenosky and Patterson too?

That's good news! They seemed very cool at Mother Egan's. I turned my mom onto them since I couldn't vote for them, so I helped a little bit!

FSC

[LightTheMatch]

4. Hey...

We also elected Richard McCain as Constable, pretty unbelievable.

[NoPasaran]

5. Yes, a Democratic constable in a Rethug precinct

Two cases of Road-Keel in one night!

[sonias]

6. OK we have to explain the Road-Keel inside joke to others

Williamson county has a family political dynasty of repukes, or at least they did before this election. It all started with the nasty state rep Terry Keel Dist 47 (R) who voted for the redistricting plan of 2001 where the state districts were first redrawn. This was cut #1. Then of course there was the re-redistricting of US Congressional districts this past year. Cut # 2.

Anyway Terry's brother Patrick was appointed by Gov Goodhair as Dist Judge to 345th Judicial District (Travis). Therefore he ran as the incumbent with huge republican money behind him. Including a fund raising tour by our repuke US Senator John Cornyn. Our candidate Stephen Yelenosky (D) took him down 56% to 44%. Stephen was a great candidate. We need to keep fighting for good candidates who step up to the plate like Stephen.
http://www.stephenforjudge.com/

The other road-keel was Terry's cousin Thorton Keel who was running for Constable PCT 3 (Travis) a repuke leaning district. Our candidate Richard T. McCain (D) won 53% of the vote.

Two road-keel targets taken down. Terry had no opponent this year but hey there's always next election. Watch you back Terry, the Democratic machine is on your trail.

Sonia

[Princess Buttercup]

7. I was wondering if all those Keels were related

I was watching all the local results come in and it was like there was a Keel in every other race.

[sonias]

8. Hi Liberal Elite!

We do need to nip these repuke dynasties in the bud while we can. We can't have any more repuke family values like the bu$hes spreading.
:evilgrin:

Sonia

[Princess Buttercup]

11. Hi Sonia

Re the Repub family dynasties ... at least Texas Dems have the dubious honor of having voted against the shrubster 4 times now. You'd think eventually it'd take.

[MazeRat7]

9. From another Austin DU'er... Yes!!! great job to everyone!!!!

We may be a lone blue island in a sea of red.... at least we are close and can hook up at the DFA meet-ups and such.

Again, thanks to all of you that worked so hard. Our "victory" here is about the only shining star I can see these days.

MZr7

[bri_in_austin]

10. yay austinites!!

We done good! Screw the rest of the nation's southern states anyway!

[hobbit709]

12. Lloyd Doggett

is STILL my Congressman

[sonias]

13. hobbit709 do you mean that for real?

I consider Lloyd my Congressman no matter where he lives. Are you fortunate enough to live in SD25? If so, lucky you.

Hey he's my family's Congressman. My family that lives in the Rio Grande Valley. And they did vote for him - big time.

Yeah Hidaldo County!

Sonia

[PDittie]

14. Hats off to y'all, Travis County

for the the blue spot in the Red Sea. Your efforts did have coattails.

(Thanks also to Jefferson County, El Paso, and all those blue counties in the Valley.)