The Democrats

The Lone Star State Stays Red

Don't get carried away by the demographics: Texas isn't flipping blue.

By Evan Smith | NEWSWEEK
Published Jan 17, 2009
From the magazine issue dated Jan 26, 2009

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  • Posted By: I'm all in @ 06/17/2009 10:19:14 AM

    Texas will turn blue in 3 or 4 election cycles but not now. The Obama machine is in the process of relocating and creating major campaign centers to include the Hispanic areas of Texas. In the past all of these headquarters were located in inner city areas because that's where the African American votes were. Now that Hispanics areas are essential to the Democrats, more access will be created. When that is completed the State will begin to turn light pink then light blue. While the 2012 election will not show a shift to blue in texas, the vote count will be narrower for the GOP than in 2008. Texas is also the only red State that pays more federal income taxes than it recieves back. All of the remaining 22 Red states recieve more than they pay, in contrast to 7 of the 27 Blues states that pay less. This is a sure sign that states that are not dependent on charity are likely to be Democratic. The influx of young educated persons along with prosperous minorities will one day turn many of the red states blue. Of course the states that don't eliminate racial bigotry and violence will remain red.

  • Posted By: Ed from Texas @ 01/25/2009 3:34:09 AM

    It is not demographics, it is the Scoreboard of the Economy. If the U.S. and Texas Economies improve over the next 2 to 4 years, this should accrue to the benefit of Obama nationally and to Texas Democrats.

  • Posted By: dbee @ 01/24/2009 11:32:35 AM

    Texas Republicans said that an African Ameriican male would never be president.

  • Posted By: panhandle @ 01/21/2009 9:02:37 AM

    I live in one of the most conservative counties in Texas. This county, for example, voted 91% in favor of the gay marriage ban amendment. That said, our county is among the oldest demographically in Texas. In the near term, yes Texas will stay Republican. But if Obama's tenure is successful, I wouldn't bet against a change in eight years, even here.

  • Posted By: Carraway0 @ 01/20/2009 10:48:16 PM

    Evan Smith has his facts wrong (shoddy stats are something we Texans have grown accustomed to from our friends at Texas Monthly). If McCain won white college *students* 3-1, that would certainly be shocking, given Obama's success nationally among college students. What Mr. Smith *meant* to say was that 74% of white college *graduates* supported McCain...which is not particularly alarming since 72% of white non-graduates supported McCain.

    Disregard this article. Disregard my comment while you're at it. Check the facts for yourself:
    http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/polls/#val=TXP00p2

  • Posted By: bolky @ 01/19/2009 6:53:07 PM

    Boy, the NachoLibre dude at the top of the posts is one RACIST moron!

  • Posted By: NachoLibre @ 01/19/2009 5:21:33 PM

    I will tell you why. There are alot more West and East Texas Racist.....I mean Rednecks than there are anybody else. Of course McCain won 75% of the college vote. Who are the majority in colleges? I went to a Texas A&M football this year with my wife and children. I wore my Obama tshirt and exactly 11 times I heard threats against me and Barack himself. People at that school hate minorities PERIOD. They are the same white trash farmers and low life families that breed this mentality. 75% of these kids do not vote on issues, they do what 'MA and 'PA tell them to do....PERIOD

  • Posted By: NachoLibre @ 01/19/2009 5:16:12 PM

    Of course white college students voted overwhelmingly for McCain. You can call it conservatism, I call it racism. I went to a Texas A&M football game with my Obama shirt on, and exactly 11 groups of students made some obscene gestures and language that was uphauling. One even made a threat to Obama. Same white trash rednecks that we find in west and east Texas that have no understanding of political issues. JUST DOING what 'MA and 'PA tell them to do.....PLAIN AND SIMPLE

  • Posted By: rololoy @ 01/19/2009 1:48:05 AM

    As much hating there is for Texas being RED, aot of you fail to realize that it is ONE of nine states that is not have a deficit. Don't say the voice of Hannity andthe others is putting it down. Say whatever you want but don't hate...

  • Posted By: LudwigVanBeet @ 01/19/2009 1:24:27 AM

    Eeeeeehawwww whoopie deedoo, as long as I have my Baccie , we can git er done, and Banaids to help protect my Knuckles.

  • Posted By: RO in Reno @ 01/18/2009 7:45:50 PM

    We could give Texas back to Mexico (after the 20th); if nothing else it would reduce the cost of shipping illegal's back since it's closer.
    And it would reduce the price of gas since all the oil industry would be working for Mexican wages; now there's a Republican idea if I've ever had one.

  • Posted By: jeffrey1234 @ 01/18/2009 12:36:16 PM

    Too bad for Texas; blue is an excellent color!

  • Posted By: NewsWkDickG @ 01/18/2009 12:07:14 PM

    Will it be a learning experience or just a bump in the road before returning to the same path? What we have seen and lived through over the last eight plus years could actually be a revelation as to where our politics has evolved, with the current status being a crisis point. Now do we seek real change or revert back to the old? There will be pressure in both directions and both Parties have advocated a drastic need for change but the real question is simply how much change does anyone really want? It is hard to believe that the lobbyists and Special Interests people want any change and they do have substantial influence that will be used to pressure for resisting any change; ???some change for appearance sake, okay, but not any real change???. Then it is necessary to understand the role money plays in everything and to see that every policy position is not equal, not in real power and not in value to the people. To clearly see what has transpired and where we are at it is necessary to put fault aside and to just accept that politically connected people do what is allowed them [if it should actually be desired not to have them do something then it simply shouldn???t be allowed to them].

    With that fault free approach and without any need to defend let???s look at what has transpired. First, the Republican machine behind George W. Bush and Dick Cheney in 2000, 2004 and throughout the Bush term demonstrated a maturity of political savvy unequaled before. The strong, aggressive sociopathic personalities of Bush and Rove, the self-assured, well business connected Cheney and a committed, stubborn and arrogantly loyal full Republican Party pushed their weight around and even thumbed their nose at everyone. With considerable overt and covert backing from their wealthy and powerful supporters, who fully intended to benefit, they totally controlled things and manipulated public opinion by effectively appealing to and using every individual bias available. The real problem became that ???power corrupts and total power totally corrupts??? and they were absorbed in their private agenda and in satisfying their selfish interests.
    (continued below)

    • Posted By: NewsWkDickG @ 01/18/2009 12:08:33 PM

      (continuing from above)
      It took the Democrats some time to get out from under the Republican steam roller but finally, with only Special Interests and a select few being happy and everything else in the pits, the public began to see the real short fall and to close their ears to the Bush-Cheney subterfuge ??? reality began to come home. Barack Obama???s considerable appeal as being in contrast to ???Washington as usual??? and as offering basic honesty and a sincere interest in the average American, literally emphasizing the opposite to what was experienced over the last eight years, put him on the fast track through the primaries and through the election cycle. Along with Obama the Democrats benefited from the dire status of everything resulting under the Republicans and from the people???s natural frustration with the Republican???s apparent lack of concern for the average American. Obama became the President Elect and now he is looked at to be the ???savior??? while the Republicans, with all of their resources, gear up to prevent his ever gaining that status or being allowed to make their recovery harder ??? there is simply a tongue-in-check cooperative atmosphere .

      Both Parties have their excessive points - the Republicans??? being ultra-conservative and the Democrats??? being extreme-liberal ??? with each falsely accusing the other of being totally focused there. Both have individuals who are obnoxious, some who are grossly dishonest, and many who are excessive in support of their Party and in their criticizing of the other. Both have members who have succumbed to the lure of the power and benefit of money, selling outright or allowing the influencing of their office. History shows that we bounce back and forth with the two Parties exchanging positions of power. The reality of our current political environment clearly demonstrates that money plays way too much of a role, thereby encouraging its corrupting influence. None of these things benefit the majority or represent the performance our country???s founders intended. What change is needed?

      (continued below)

      • Posted By: NewsWkDickG @ 01/18/2009 12:09:40 PM

        (continued from above)

        For many years we have heard that financial reform is desperately needed and even intended, always with little or no actual progress realized. Without real financial reform to take the power out of the hands of the corrupters, there is no chance for any other meaningful change. Should the people really demand it and could there actually be substantial financial reform, then several things could occur that would provide real change and improvement. Money would not control who could run and more competition would then be the rule resulting in better candidates. The candidates would not be so dependent on the Party and Independents as well as additional parties could happen, creating the positive need for coalitions and real cooperation. The two-party system would lose way to multiple parties and power would be more directly gained from the people, with the need to answer to the people instead of the party. Financial subversion would be less prevalent and more obvious when it did occur. There would still be ample room for more improvement but financial reform is the only place to start. It is the necessary first change but how do you ever get the Republicans and Democrats to agree and, more importantly, to actually do?

  • Posted By: Winski @ 01/18/2009 9:45:53 AM

    Great!!! it will just be easier to give texas back to Mexico and be done with it. See ya !!

  • Posted By: Repubssuck @ 01/18/2009 9:19:35 AM

    Who really cares? If Texas wants to be on the outside looking in let them. If they want a voice, all they have to do is renounce the GOP party of hate. If they want to continue dancing to the tune of Sean Hannity, Dick Morris, Rush Limbaugh, Mary Matelin, Baye Buchaan and Ann Coulter, they can remain a state without a serious voice.

  • Posted By: DrewCAENG @ 01/18/2009 5:45:10 AM

    haha yes! Bob F*ck Texas

  • Posted By: thebob.bob @ 01/17/2009 5:21:46 PM

    Scr+w Texas!! At least the Texas of Tom Delay and George Bush. The damage their strutting, chest-out false patriotism has done to this country is incalculable. I don't want too hear another sh8t kicking Texas accent again for 40 years.

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