In bitterly divided election in Southlake, Texas, opponents of anti-racism education win big
In an unusually bitter campaign that echoed a growing national divide over how to address issues of race, gender and sexuality in schools, candidates in the city of Southlake were split between two camps: those who supported new diversity and inclusion training requirements for Carroll students and teachers and those backed by a political action committee that was formed last year to defeat the plan.
On one side, progressives argued that curriculum and disciplinary changes were needed to make all children feel safe and welcome in Carroll, a mostly white but quickly diversifying school district. On the other, conservatives in Southlake rejected the school diversity plan as an effort to indoctrinate students with a far-left ideology that, according to some, would institutionalize discrimination against white children and those with conservative Christian values.
Candidates and voters on both sides described the election as a "fork in the road" for Southlake, a wealthy suburb 30 miles northwest of Dallas. "So goes Southlake," a local conservative commentator warned in the weeks leading up to the election, "so goes the rest of America."
In the end, the contest was not close. Candidates backed by the conservative Southlake Families PAC, which has raised more than $200,000 since last summer, won every race by about 70 percent to 30 percent, including those for two school board positions, two City Council seats and mayor. More than 9,000 voters cast ballots, three times as many as in similar contests in the past.
more at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bitterly-divided-election-southlake-texas-opponents-anti-racism-education-win-n1266102
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Democrats may well have maneuvered themselves into an untenable position. By refusing to accept that there are more people who cherish their pet hatreds and petty fears than cherish responsible government they're setting themselves up to be unelectable. The BEST thing Democratic strategists can hope to do is convince hard core traditional Republicans to not only NOT vote for the Trumpists but to actively vote for Democrats. There are simply not enough racial justice motivated people to redirect polling toward Democrats and away from the Republicans' attraction for evangelicals. Can you imagine Democrats running a "Liz Cheney" type candidate? I can and I WILL be surprised if we don't see some candidates on the Democratic ticket that resemble Republicans of 20 years ago. I don't see enough youth voter or hopeful justice enthusiasm to ensure the mid terms so who else could be pulled out of the hat to counter the post-Trump GOP except Republicans who are disillusioned because of Trump? Don't think they're going to jump on the Climate repair/LBGTQ/tax money for social programs bandwagon. It's just too big a leap for their frustratingly limited imaginations.
