Question for Texans

[Annette]

Is Bush really that popular in Texas? Is it just the home state pride? What has Bush done for Texas?

[Rambis]

1. My neighbor says yes

"He was great in Texas we lived there" Me.... what was so great? Chirp chirp chirp. Unemployment is 5.6% Clinton ran on that number. I said yeah but that doesn't count the people that have run out of unemployment benies or folks that have just quit looking for a job period because the economy sucks. What is the jobless rate right now 9%?

[michigandem2]

4. or people who had to take a shitty job because

there were no good jobs available...some people HAD to work so they took a job where they could..even if it was $7 an hour...so the unemployment rate, although similar to 1996...is NOT at all like 1996

[ieoeja]

26. Poor Response

It's not "unemployment is...", it should be "unemployment went...". In Clinton's case, unemploment went DOWN several percentage points. In W's case, it went UP a point and a half.

[last_texas_dem]

44. I've heard that one before

One of my friends has a cousin who is a FReeper from upstate NY; once when asking why we didn't support * he said, "Look what he did for your state!" My friend and I were both like, "What?" We couldn't think of a damn thing...

Oh yeah, and I remember when I was in high school I was on the newspaper staff during the time of the '00 election. I had to write an endorsement for Al Gore, while my best friend at the time (big-time Repug) was writing one for *. I remember he called me the night before we had to submit it and was a little frantic 'cause he wanted to mention what Shrub had done for our state but couldn't think of anything. I thought that was pretty funny. I mentioned "tax-free weekend" to him (In TX, Shrub and the state leg. pushed something through a few yrs. ago where the weekend before most schools start there are no sales taxes... no big deal, really) and he actually made it into a big thing in the article. It's pretty telling when hard-core Shrub supporters can't even think of anything he's done to earn their support.

[greatauntoftriplets]

2. Traded Sammy Sosa to the Cubs?

We Chicago Cubs fans are happy numbnuts did that.

[DebinTx]

24. Actually, he let Sosa go to the White Sox

who then traded him somehow to the Cubs.

[greatauntoftriplets]

25. Thanks....

Chicago got him anyway.

:D

[DebinTx]

27. Yep.

Just more proof that the c.i.c. is an idiot and doesn't know a good thing when he sees it.

[tcfrogs]

50. Well, the trade made some sense at the time

Sosa was an undisciplined hitter, and the Rangers had a bunch of guys ahead of him at the time. They (The Rangers) got Harold Baines and some other players that they thought would contribute to winning the AL West that year.

And, W did not exactly give the okay to make the trade - it was the GM, Tom Grieve, I believe.

[umtalal]

51. Just proves to you how dumb this man is??? Loser!!

[girl gone mad]

3. He hasn't done anything for Texas..

except made it worse when he was around.

He's popular here, but I don't think people are as crazy about him as they were 4 years ago. People around here want to blow up all of the trrorists and hate taxes. Bush's bravado appeals to the macho cowboy wannabes.

[babylonsister]

19. Done nothin' for me and I live here

I have noticed very few * bumper stickers compared to 4 years ago. As has been stated before, maybe supporters are embarrassed? I'm proudly flashing my Kerry/Edwards sticker for all to see...

[jedicord]

5. Yep, he really is that popular in Texas.

Why? You seriously got me on that one. Some may be that he's "from Texas", and many are too dumb to see past that (that's why my mom-in-law, a usual Democrat voted for him in 2000, not saying she's dumb mind you).

Some of it is the oil & gas industry here, I think. Just about everybody is involved some how and they're convinced he's good for the industry (although past administrations showed Dem years being better).

I'm surrounded by them, and they're all Hatriots, I've even almost got run over by an 18-wheeler because of my Kerry sticker, lot's of middle fingers, even my friends can be mean. When I ask why they would vote for *, their answer is "He's not Kerry, who is a flip flopper and won't come up with what he stands for."

Then of course there's the fact that we get ZERO presidential advertising or rallies down here, so the only info they get about Kerry is from Rush and the "librul" media, so you almost can't blame them.

Rant rant rant rant rant

[Avalux]

8. I admit

I'm afraid to put my Kerry bumpersticker on my car. Afraid of vandalism and acts of violence because you're right, they are all Hatriots.

[last_texas_dem]

45. I think safety depends on the area of the state

I've heard some stories from Texans about vandalism to their cars and harassment towards them because of displaying anti-* and pro-Democratic bumper stickers, and I don't doubt it but figure it may depend on the area. I live in SE Texas, a slightly more Democratic but still overall pro-* area of the state, and have a half-dozen or so positive reactions to my pro-Democratic/anti-Shrub bumper stickers (I had a "Hail to the Thief!" sticker for a couple of years, and now have a Kerry and Texas Democrat" sticker) and only one negative reaction, a rather tame "thumbs down." I also had a Gore yardsign in '00 and now have a Kerry yardsign and haven't gotten them stolen, uprooted, vandalized, or anything else. I don't know if the Repugs here are just a more civil breed or what; I think we have our share of FReepers and redneck types so it's a little confusing...

[A_Possum]

6. It's state pride and the christian thing

My mother (5th gen Texan who should know better) was all ga-ga about the Inaugural ball where they wore cowboy boots. She knows he's not a real Texan but she won't admit it. And now, to admit that this guy who plays a Texan on TV is such a total disastrous screw-up would be embarrassing to the state.

[DemBones DemBones]

36. I remember being with friends in January 2001

when the topic of the cowboy inauguration came up. Someone wondered what the women were going to wear and one friend drawled, "I'll bet there's not a sequin left in Texas."

:evilgrin:

Take away their sequins and their hairspray and a certain type of Texas woman wouldn't know what to do.

[Avalux]

7. He completely screwed up

our public school system. That's what he did for Texas (thanks a lot!)
Unfortunately, I have been seeing a lot of "W/04" bumperstickers lately. Two kinds of voters here - rural rancher cowboy type that will vote for shrub (they think he's a good ol' boy) and good Texas Christians. No way any of them would vote for Kerry.

[Rambis]

10. Has he ever been caught on tape without the fake drawl?*

x

[Avalux]

15. If you watch old tapes

it's barely there and he's somewhat articulate. Accent and word bumbling are an act IMHO. :puke:

[Doohickie]

34. Well this Texas Christian

is voting for Kerry.

[LynnTheDem]

9. Not in this area

Ft Hood-Killeen-Temple-Austin area he isn't, that we've seen.

[CityDem]

11. Yes - He is popular

I don't live there, but I visit from time to time. If you have ever spent much time in Texas, you would understand why he is popular there.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

13. Really? You must not visit Arlington.

http://www.tompaine.com/feature2.cfm/ID/2675

[Annette]

29. Texas

"If you have ever spent much time in Texas, you would understand why he is popular there."

I am assuming you mean a lot of people in Texas have his same kick your a$$ mentality? Does this bumper sticker say it all

"Bush/Cheney 04 Millionaires and hicks unite"

(I am not calling all Texans hicks just telling you the bumper sticker I saw)

[Bridget Burke]

12. I can't speak for the whole state.

I work with an intelligent, educated, diverse group of people. There's not a lot of political discussion, but I've never heard a positive remark about Bush; I have heard negative ones. The people from other countries do not begin conversations on US politics but they'll gladly join in Bush-bashing that's already begun.

In my neighborhood, just north of town (Houston), there are more Kerry signs/stickers than otherwise.

Edited to add: I DO live here & have for most of my life. It would be useful if other posters would specify where they live in Texas--or if they just visited--or just watched Dallas a lot.

[LynnTheDem]

14. I've GFs in Houston

And they can't stand bush. Could be I just have the excellent taste of picking only Dems for friends :D and most the people in this area are (very angry) military folk, but there aren't many 'lying idiot/lying idiot '04' stickers around here.

Edited: We live in Bell County.

[jedicord]

17. I live north of Houston myself...

probably MUCH more north than you (near The Woodlands, but on the other side of the tracks). Trust me, tons of W04 stickers, few and extremely far between Kerry stickers.

[AspenRose]

57. Montgomery County is DEFINITELY pro-*

I used to live in The Woodlands. And I went to A&M.

I was raised in San Antonio, which leans more Democratic, thank goodness.

Question: How does Galveston County look?

[Texas_Dem]

16. Yes he is popular. I blame it on the public school system.

that he lied about improving here.

[Rambis]

21. My sister in Law works for NCS Pearson

they had to throw out all the Texas data because they caught some janitor changing kids test scores? I guess all raises are tied to how the schools did so he was "helping" out. All the teachers are doing all over the country is teaching the test so they can keep off the watch list. Every school in Cedar Rapids Iowa was failing and on report this past year. I wonder where the kids (40,000 roughly) are going to go to school with their vouchers?

[Trailrider1951]

18. Well, I live in Houston

and I've been seeing as many Kerry bumperstickers as Shrub/Dick ones. But Houston has a very diverse population, and we usually go Democratic in the Federal elections. It's the outlying suburbs that go for the repubs. And what has Dumbya done for us lately? Not a damn thing!

[last_texas_dem]

52. It would definitely be cool...

...to see Harris County go for Kerry this year, even if just as a sort-of symbolic victory. I saw a poll that had Shrub and Kerry neck and neck in Houston.

A lot of Texas's major cities are pretty Democratic, but surrounded by strongly Repug suburbs. For example, Travis County only went for * in '00 because the *Nader* vote was strong. I have a feeling they will go for Kerry by a few thousand votes this year. On a recent trip there the Kerry stickers greatly outnumbered the * stickers, but going into north Austin narrowed Kerry's "margin of victory"! And of course, the city of Austin is an entirely different story than its suburbs...

[BillZBubb]

20. In the Houston 'Burbs and outer areas, Bush* is mucho popular.

It's home state stupidity. He was an awful governor, but Democratic Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock did all the work to get things done. With Bullock and the Clinton economy, Shrub could claim big success as governor. The idiots bought it.

The fact that he had several hundred executions during his tenure probably accounts for a lot of his lasting appeal.

[liveoaktx]

22. The dems in my town, of which there are more than Repubs, think

Bush is an a-hole (I live in a rural area outside DFW). The Repubs, however, are a large fundie block and they think Bush is great and put up Pray for Him signs all over the place.

[Doohickie]

33. Dac.... what town are you in?

I'm in Fort Worth... on the Crowley side (south).

[DebinTx]

23. I live in Texas

in Montgomery County and do not understand why these folks back Bush other than Bush claims Texas as his home.
What's he done for us?
The state is almost bankrupt.
He and DeLaid redistricted the state, I'm now in a district that includes Austin - a 2+ hour drive away. Done so late that no dem. candidate even began to run.
The schools here have to share their money - the Robin Hood plan - on the backs of property owners with escalating property taxes.
Houston now is the most polluted city in the country. Again, the price to fix it has been put on the backs of car owners (higher rates for inspections, etc.)
Just a few examples of his ineptness.
Kerry HAS to win. The thought of Bush as a lame duck president is a truly scary thought.

[Beausoleil]

28. I think lots of people are holding their noses

and voting for Bush. I'm in San Antonio (admittedly more Dem, IMHO) and I do not see more BC04 stickers than Kerry or anti-Bush ones. I even travel between San Antonio and Dallas pretty frequently and don't see that many Bush stickers, especially going through Austin, of course, but even going through Waco(!).
I work at an AF base here and see Kerry stickers on base more often than Bush ones!
I don't think Bush will lose here, but people are uneasy about him.

[RareLubbockDem]

30. Unfortunately, in Lubbock

he's popular. I'm finding that most people here can't even tell me WHY they support him. I ask them, give them a chance to convince me, and they can't even talk about it. Don't even want to usually. Those that do spout off the brownshirt talking points (JFK's a flip flopper, the world is safer without Saddam, blah blah blah...)

As for me, I'm not at all proud to say he's a Texan. In fact, I don't really think he IS a Texan. Being here briefly doesn't make you a Texan any more than buying a ranch makes you a rancher or putting on a flight suit makes you a war hero.

[KittyWampus]

31. Interesting Question

:kick:

[Doohickie]

32. In my experience,

Thoughtful, rational, mainstream people here in Texas favor Bush over Kerry. These people are often traditional, Christian (predominantly Baptist but not necessarily rabid fundie) family people who are still hurting about Clinton's sexcapades. They see Bush as a genuine and honorable man. They think of me as a fringe-element yankee because of the Kerry sticker on my car and the Kerry signs in my yard.

I would say Bush is solidly in charge of his home state. He is viewed as a patron in Washington that is protecting Texas industrial (and therefore job) interests. For some reason, people here don't seem concerned with the environment, despite the fact that Texas is now the most polluted state. They don't seem to connect the biggest contributor to his gubernatorial campaign, Enron, with him in any way. They don't seem to understand how he could have in any way caused the funding crisis of our public schools.



I understand many of them still believe in the Easter Bunny.




On the other hand, when I was rescuing a yard sign that some Repug tore up, several neighbors tooted their horns in a friendly gesture as they passed by.

Dems are definitely a minority in Texas and Bush will no doubt carry the state. But there is a growing number of Dems that are getting sick and tired of the caricature that is representing this fine state in Washington.

[montieg]

35. West-central Texas native

between Abilene and San Angelo. I work in a school system and am County Dem chair, so I may be myopic. But I know most educators are fed up with his bs that started here and went big-time to D.C. Lots of other folks, tho, I think, are ashamed to admit they were hoodwinked, suckered, scammed...you pick your verb. They got that typical Texas pride, and fail to remember * is from Connecticut--NOT TEXAS and won't cut their losses.

[Czolgosz]

37. He ain't popular down here in Corpus Christi.

And that nice Molly Ivins lady is from Texas and she doesn't seem to like him much. She has written whole books on how successfully but dishonestly Shrub's been marketed here in the Lone Star state.

[AuntPatsy]

38. No, no bumper stickers or yard signs that I have seen besides

Kerry Edwards and I do look....I think he has become an embarressment for all Texans and the only way you will see the truth of this statement is come election day...

Mark my words, Bush has lost Texas and his many many complete failures will soon be blamed on his real home state, Mass, you know the state, where those dang Liberal Kennedy's come from, they will put up with one more, Kerry for only four years though, so beware, they will not stand by Bush for much longer, hardheaded yep, prideful, definately, fedup, it takes us a bit, but we do come trough when it counts.....

We are Texans after all....and he is anything but....

[Nana]

39. I'm a teacher in El Paso..

..he is NOT popular here..El Paso usually goes Democratic...our area suffers economically, jobs are minimum wage and hard to get. We feel his mismanagement more intensely, perhaps. He is absolutely detested among most teachers I speak to...in fact, I haven't spoken to one Bush supporter. I did speak to one undecided teacher. Kerry is the candidate of choice here! Most teachers know only too well how his "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB..teachers call it "nickelby") is a disgrace. I don't have a math book for each kid, for example and the one I have is from 1998. Our afterschool programs have been slashed. We detest TAKS standardized testing where a child's whole success is measured in one test...which any educator knows is a ridiculous theory. A child's success should be based on an array of factors and indicators and not whether he was having a good day on May 5th.

Our school did get a grant this year but that was due to Senator Shapleigh's hard work...and had nothing to do with Bush.

Have to add, we have Fort Bliss here...hard hit by the Iraq war if you remember. Lots of military...and still pro-Kerry!

[Doohickie]

40. I mentioned this thread to my wife

And she said she heard on WRR in Dallas today that not only Houston, but DALLAS is supporting Kerry in recent polls. And Fort Worth is evenly split (though still slightly *).

I asked her if she was sure she heard that right and she said yes. I'm not sure I believe it myself; did anyone else hear this?

[crispini]

46. I didn't hear it but

I believe it. Dallas county is majority Democrat (surprise!) if we all GOT THE FRIG OUT TO THE POLLS!

[Imalittleteapot]

41. Hate to say it

The allegiance to Bush is ignorance. Also - that Texas is best and biggest thingy, belief in Rayguns trickle down (trickle up?), giddy up, bigotry, Baptists, fear that their guns are going to be taken away, believing that tax cuts will make them wealthier and thinking that anyone in a suit is honest.
Like I said, ignorance.

[TexasLady]

42. Bell County

just a half hour from the Crawford ranch. Everytime I drive through that town I cringe. Every time I drive through Mcgregor I feel ill. I have seen ONE LONE SIGN for K/E in a yard there. Brave soul he or she is.

I also cringe when I have to drive on the Georgey Peorgey Parkway going past Mcgregor to Waco..

Half my family is for the doofus, half against..and Id like to thank ME for that! Most just didnt care much.

Its soo hard to believe that there are safe places in this country where being a lib is OK. cause i live in HELL.

[last_texas_dem]

43. Yes, partly, and not much

At least that's my take on the situation.

Texas has a strong "libertarian" (in quotes for a reason) streak that Shrub appeals to, even though he isn't truly much of a libertarian in terms of the policies he promotes. (Anti-gay, anti-abortion, pro-invasion of Iraq, etc. aren't libertarian...) He is good at projecting that "cowboy" image (which appeals to the good number of fake cowboys that live in Texas; there's a lot of big talkers here who if they had to walk the walk would be as scared of horses as Shrub is) and, his "I got mine. Screw you." agenda appeals to these people. He also appeals to the religious right because of his "born again" story and his rigid social conservatism (his "moderate" pose for the 2000 election was a total lie; he hasn't just gotten right-wing since he became President).

In Texas, appeal to the libertarian right and the social-conservatism right and you've got yourself a majority or a near-majority of the voters, definitely a majority of the white voters. I think he also gets some support in areas like my area of Southeast Texas that aren't traditionally Republican because of the subtle racism of his policies. Shrub isn't openly racist in his policies or rhetoric, but his support for Texas's racist death penalty, opposition to hate crimes laws, etc. show to racist voters that he is "OK." This is sadly a plus for him in some parts of the state. Where I live in Texas there are a number of racist Democrats; many vote for Democrats because they are poor or lower middle-class and support them on economic issues but think nothing of openly referring to African-Americans as "niggers." The majority of blacks and Hispanics see through his occasional crass appeals for their votes; witness how Shrub's support from African-Americans dropped from double digits (as high as 27-percent I believe) in his '98 gubernatorial race to his '00 Presidential race (only 5-percent). I do think that the very low turnout for Hispanic voters in Texas, however, does keep the support level for Shrub artificially elevated a bit higher than it really is. Texas is a diverse state, and I think if more Hispanics felt like their vote would make a difference and started to vote at higher levels Texas has a chance to become competitive again in the years to come. Hispanics in Texas are majority anti-* but vote at dramatically lower rates than black and whites. I think a top priority of the Texas Democratic Party should be to register more Hispanic voters; I'm not sure why more effort hasn't been made thus far as the demographic trends in the state are definitely in our favor- but not if the Party doesn't try to appeal to the voters.

Additionally, Shrub appeals to other non-traditionally Republican voters because of the "bandwagon" effect and the "home state pride" effect. I believe he gets a hefty chunk of support from Texans just because he's "from" Texas, and some Texans support him just because they assume he's so popular with other Texans that he must be doing something right. He seems to be the near-unanimous pick of uneducated and uninformed voters (a good chunk of the electorate in any state) because of these illogical but powerful reasons.

I don't think it's much because of what he's done for the state. As governor, his record is actually pretty lackluster. His appeal to most Texans has less to do with what he's actually done, than his personality and the image he projects. Plus, a lot of Texans could care less what the state of education, poverty, health care, etc. in the state is... ideological pseudo-libertarians and religious right folks just don't place high priorities on those matters. If Texas has gotten worse with Bush in office, it hasn't been because the Republicans in state government and the state legislature weren't trying to help him make it worse, too. But Texans showed their support for that sort of "leadership" by giving the Republicans bigger majorities than ever in the '02 midterms. But I'm not totally a pessimist...

I could be wrong, but I like to think that Shrub's appeal will not translate into long-term Republican dominance in the state. For example, my home county of Orange supported Bill Clinton in '92 and '96 (and I believe had only voted Republican for President once before '00, for Nixon in '72) but then supported Shrub by more than 60-percent in 2000. I don't believe my county has really become that Republican; it's just that pretty much all voters who aren't partisan Democrats supported * for one or more of the reasons I listed above. (And the bordering counties of Jefferson and Newton went for Gore in 2000 and I figure there's a good chance they'll go for Kerry this year. Woo hoo!)

I think with Shrub out of the picture, the changing demographics, and the general ineffectiveness of Republican social and economic policies on the national, state, and local level (I think enough Texans will wake up... eventually!) Texas will become competitive again, although it won't be as soon as some have predicted and it will actually require some effort on the part of Democrats. I, for one, will admit that I haven't done what I can to turn it around... partly because I haven't had a lot of time to work on it until recently and partly because I've figured it's a lost cause with Shrub in power. But I really do think things are getting better. I could be off, but I predict that Shrub will do worse this year in Texas than he did in 2000.

Wow, don't know what got me going there...! Congratulations to anyone who made it through that rant :-)

[crispini]

47. Good post!

[last_texas_dem]

53. Thanks! nt

[crispini]

48. hey, and all ya'll Texans in this thread

drop by the state forum from time to time! we're posting lots of good news & events! :7

[Spirochete]

49. I wonder how many Texans

voted for him for president just so they wouldn't have to have him for governor anymore.

[last_texas_dem]

54. Yeah, Election '00 was damned if you don't, damned if you do...

In Texas you were destined to be stuck with the bastard at one level of government or another. FWIW, I wasn't old enough to vote, but was part of the proud 17-percent who voted for Al Gore in my school's mock election. haha

[SammyWinstonJack]

55. San Antonio here

Haven't seen many * stickers or yard signs. I would say Kerry stickers/signs #s are about equal to *. Quite different from '00. * did nothing for Texas, what he DID to Texas should be the real question.

[AspenRose]

56. My poor brother is surrounded by "W '04" stickers in

Lewisville.

Said it makes him want to retch.

On edit:
When I was at A&M, College Station was republican BUT Dem HQ was in Bryan, which leaned more democratic, had more minorities, blue collar workers, etc.

Is that still the case? Aggie Democrats, represent...

[AspenRose]

58. kick