In Texas, Democrats Won The GOP Primary

[DhhD]

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/columnists/steve-blow/20140528-democrats-won-the-gop-primary-vote.ece

The tea party wing of the state GOP may be celebrating its near sweep of Tuesday’s primary runoff. But it sure feels like a win for Democrats.

Not in November. Not yet. But eventually. And then Democrats will rule in Texas for a long, long time.

It’s hard to say exactly when the change will come, but Tuesday’s results may have moved it up by an election cycle.

[DhhD]

1. Super Extremist Tea Partier, Wins the Primary GOP Run-Off. Dan Patrick-Trouble For Texas.

http://lubbockonline.com/interact/blog-post/carol-morgan/2014-05-30/more-conservative-texas#.U4jlnShCxfs

The leak of his mental health problems was a low blow, but anyone who’s observed Patrick’s past behavior has few doubts about his "problematic" personality. To get the backstory, read Mimi Schwartz’ 2007 article “Here Comes Trouble”.

Patrick’s campaign was funded by donors like Tim Dunn and James Leininger, so we can expect a full frontal assault of public education. He’s made no secret about his disdain for public education and his love affair with Christian private schools.

A more conservative Texas means all state services are in dangerous peril. Texas won’t even look like Texas. Molly Ivins once remarked that Texas was like Mississippi with better roads. A more conservative Texas will ensure we won’t even get better roads.

A more conservative Texas means an assault on those who live in poverty. A more conservative Texas means fewer opportunities for social and economic mobility. A more conservative Texas guarantees that oil, gas, real estate, and insurance will be writing Texas legislation. A more conservative Texas guarantees to kick the legislative can down the road; the payday vampires and the quality of our environment will be decided by municipal governments.

[abakan]

2. Oh how I miss Ann Richards...NT

[flpoljunkie]

8. And, Molly Ivins

[Doctor_J]

3. yippee. Texas will have a teabagger government for the next cycle

I love these "more teabaggers is good for dems" memes. A lot like the "limpballs is almost dead" ones. They have really come true over the last 25 years.

[Vogon_Glory]

4. I Am Not A Fan Of The Worse, The Better Theory

I am not a proponent of a more mainstream version of VI Lenin's 'The worse, the better' political theory. Tea-government, which we are all too likely to have, is going to hurt a lot of poor and disadvantaged Texans, of which we have many, many more than oil, real estate, and cyber-tech billionaires. I do not look forward to the next two to four years if the Tea Party is left in charge.

I really don't know what to think about the future. I've been hoping for a political awakening among a lot of the still-apathetic Texas citizenry, a realization that what happens with the Lege and the Governor's Mansion DOES affect them, that voting is not just a chore, but a chance to defend THEIR interests, and that NOT voting gives the Tea-publicans a green light to do their worst to the rest of us.

I'm not thinking about immigrants or even the Dreamers. Both, I think, particularly older immigrants, realize that voting counts. Many of them hail from countries where if the government tries to pull what the Tea Party is contemplating, there'll be huge demonstrations on the streets, general strikes, and road-blocks put up by the outraged citizenry.

The ones who are most irresponsible, I think, are the native-born Texans who sit on their backsidess and blow off the political process.

HOW BAD DOES IT HAVE TO GET BEFORE THESE PEOPLE PAY ATTENTION??!!!

[pstokely]

5. it will turn blue when the national party invests there

they aren't investing in Wendy Davis

[Rstrstx]

7. Agree 1000%

Wendy and most of all Leticia need to have the best political team out there, I think Leticia especially can win by painting Dan as the dangerous nutjob that he is. But it won't come cheap.

[IronLionZion]

13. Or not

Some red state Dems have been successful by keeping distance from the national party. This had been the case with Freudenthal in Wyoming for example.

There's something to be said for having most of the support coming from within the state and from grass roots campaigning instead of big money. Some of the liberal Dems in the upper midwest would visit every county in their big states to hold listening sessions and their voters felt valued. That makes a big difference in some places.

Ann Richards was real.

[DhhD]

6. Here comes Trouble in Texas. It is Dan Patrick.

http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/here-comes-trouble
From 2007, when Dan Patrick was a radio talk show host.

[Paladin]

10. I promise you: Dan Patrick will make you nostalgic for Rick Perry. (nt)

[Corey_Baker08]

9. This Is A Strong Case For Governor Dean's 50 State Strategy

Not just in the Presidential Elections but in every election in every state where we have a chance to pick up seats, such as this one in Texas...

[Rstrstx]

11. I agree

And by "picking up seats" it doesn't just mean US congressmen, it's state and local offices as well. We have GOT to see the national Democratic party start taking races down here seriously, I think they're still viewing TX as an automatic loss when we have a golden opportunity here, especially in the Lt Governor's race.

[DhhD]

12. Leticia Van de Putte vs. Dan Patrick for Lt. Governor.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/headlines/20140528-lieutenant-governor-s-race-could-be-main-event.ece

Patrick certainly didn’t turn the volume down as he claimed an overwhelming victory over incumbent David Dewhurst in Tuesday’s runoff.

He credited his nomination to his outspoken support for free markets, gun rights and small government, and triumphantly poked those who said his hard-right agenda would leave him politically vulnerable in the fall.

“Some Democrats said they wanted me as the nominee,” Patrick said. “Well, they’ve got me.”

Van de Putte immediately characterized Patrick’s campaign as toxic and divisive, particularly with his denunciations of illegal immigration.