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Texas -- a failed state


Brisketexan

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https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/challengers-sign-contract-with-texas-to-push-the-legislature-more-conservative/

Challengers sign ‘contract with Texas’ to push the legislature more conservative
 

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Conservative candidates running to unseat Republicans in the Texas House joined with some of the most conservative representatives in signing the “Contract with Texas,” a commitment to procedural changes like eliminating Democratic committee chairs that they say will make the House more efficient in passing conservative priorities.

“Texans are fundamentally annoyed, frustrated, disappointed with the obstruction, the dysfunction within the Texas House,” GOP nominee for House District 65 Mitch Little said. “Our desire in creating the Contract with Texas is to create a framework where a future speaker is going to have a chance to succeed in ways that are going to inspire Republican voters and empower people in the legislature to do the things that they send us down there to do.”

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The contract calls for candidates for House Speaker to solicit support from only Republicans, to strip Democrats from committee chair positions, and give all Republican priorities a vote before considering any Democratic bills.

The contract is signed by representatives Brian Harrison, J.M. Lozano, Nate Schatzline, Tony Tinderholy, and Steve Toth, as well as 18 other conservative candidates. “What we’re trying to do here with this contract is to put the voters back in charge, be responsive to the will of the voters that have elected Republicans,” State Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, said. “We are trying to reform the House. And my goal is to make it Republican once again.”

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Republican Speaker Dade Phelan has heralded the two sessions over which he has presided as the most conservative in Texas history. A strengthening wing of his party pushing to oust him disagrees, pointing to specific conservative legislation that failed to pass.

Harrison and Little point to House Bill 20, a sweeping border security measure that would have created a state border patrol unit. They also point to measures to ban local governments from hiring lobbyists and ban some foreign citizens from buying property.

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Hanging over every candidate’s head is “school choice,” or Gov. Greg Abbott’s priority to establish state-funded subsidies for private school tuition.“I think that voters in Texas will have an opportunity to see those priorities come to fruition under someone else’s leadership,” Little said.

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“The people behind that movement, those representatives, in my opinion, they couldn’t lead a silent prayer,” House Democratic Caucus Chair Trey Martinez-Fischer, D-San Antonio, said. “This is just desperate, hyper-partisan tactics… Going back to the days of Sam Houston, there have always been participants from both parties or from multiple parties at the leadership table. That is the process of the Texas House. It’s a deliberative body. And if those representatives don’t like it, I’m sure they can find a vacancy in Congress.”

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Martinez-Fischer said Democrats may refuse to lend their support to bills that require two-thirds support if their leadership roles are minimized. Constitutional amendments, for example, require 100 votes. Republicans have 86. “It’s going to be pretty hard to get things done,” he said. “Be careful what you wish for.”

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Speaker Dade Phelan faces a competitive primary runoff against David Covey in his Southeast Texas district. That race is on May 29. If he survives re-election, he already faces at least one Republican challenging him for the speakership – Cypress representative Tom Oliverson.

 

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18 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

That loneStarLeft account is trash. I’ve watched both of your posts in this thread from her, and the clips have him saying nothing like that. The way they phrase their tweets of their personal opinions and mockery as what that knob is saying is the kind of shit that the right does to spread disinformation. You should unfollow that clown and stop posting that shit here. 

I don't watch the videos people post of insane right wingers from supposed "networks" like "Texas Values Report" or whatever nonsense places Mike Lindell and his ilk show up on the internet for these very reasons.  It's either too insane to believe or someone is embellishing.  

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Posted (edited)
11 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

Challengers sign ‘contract with Texas’ to push the legislature more conservative

Thanks for the link atomheartbevo!

It's no longer remotely accurate to say "more conservative." The push is to move Texas to more fascism and theocracy.

Why in the hell does almost no one in the media call MAGA-GQP what it actually is? Fascist and theocratic, according to any dictionary not tossed out of a Texas school library.

Just another example of failing educational systems, moral cowardice, supposedly being "objective," all the while bending the knee to Christianity for fear of angering MAGA/GQP/Christian readers and viewers and losing ratings/clicks/profits. 

 

Edited by BevoAbyss
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2 minutes ago, wildcat09 said:

They'll be dragging atom to the gallows and he still won't believe they're going to actually kill him.  

While he yells "This can't be happening, Catholics outnumber protestants in Texas!"

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58 minutes ago, BevoAbyss said:

Why in the hell does almost no one in the media call MAGA-GQP what it actually is? Fascist and theocratic, according to any dictionary not tossed out of a Texas school library.

Let me tell you, there are few things that fascists hate more than being called a fascist. 

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4 minutes ago, Captainant said:

Let me tell you, there are few things that fascists hate more than being called a fascist. 

In my experience, it doesn't even phase them, because they don't believe it. It doesn't even ring true in their hearts and they feel shame. They just dismiss you because they think you're unhinged and crazy. Propoganda wrapped in jingoism has worked. 

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1 minute ago, SydneyCarton said:

In my experience, it doesn't even phase them, because they don't believe it. It doesn't even ring true in their hearts and they feel shame. They just dismiss you because they think you're unhinged and crazy. Propoganda wrapped in jingoism has worked. 

THIS.  Anytime you call a spade a spade, their reaction is that YOU'RE the hysterical one.  I've just stopped engaging.  They can all shuffle off this mortal coil.

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11 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

In my experience, it doesn't even phase them, because they don't believe it. It doesn't even ring true in their hearts and they feel shame. They just dismiss you because they think you're unhinged and crazy. Propoganda wrapped in jingoism has worked. 

You know what fascists understand?  They understand one thing.  And only one thing.

mussolini_esso_station_2.jpg?w=1084

 

Cruelty, pain, suffering, and death is the only language they speak and understand.  They speak it loudly and fluently.  But that means that they also hear it, crystal-fucking-clear.

Y'all keep thinking that there's a way out of this that doesn't involve a massive body count and unspeakable suffering.  There isn't.  This is the path, this is what fascism brings.  Every.  Fucking.  Time.

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1 minute ago, Brisketexan said:

You know what fascists understand?  They understand one thing.  And only one thing.

mussolini_esso_station_2.jpg?w=1084

 

Cruelty, pain, suffering, and death is the only language they speak and understand.  They speak it loudly and fluently.  But that means that they also hear it, crystal-fucking-clear.

Y'all keep thinking that there's a way out of this that doesn't involve a massive body count and unspeakable suffering.  There isn't.  This is the path, this is what fascism brings.  Every.  Fucking.  Time.

I would hardly say "every time." Plenty of autocrats live and survive just fine. 

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2 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

image.png.49c330f9f68acaf0dd35b7d61613eac7.png

That guy sucks!

Was thinking of Pinochet... what medals exactly would a Chilean soldier/general wear from their "action" from the 1950s to the 1970s or so?  Not much other than a few little skirmishes.  Just curious.  Are they more like merit badges?  

image.png.400b5801670a0f298e02cc6522b622f6.png

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Posted (edited)
5 hours ago, Captainant said:

Let me tell you, there are few things that fascists hate more than being called a fascist. 

Agree. They hate it, and try to deny it ... but then eventually embrace it.

5 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

In my experience, it doesn't even phase them,

Generally agree. It might not phase 95% of them, but it might work on a few.

Two points on using fascism/theocracy:

1. More importantly, I think if MAGA-GQP is accurately labeled what they are (fascists and theocrats), then perhaps the apathetic middle-of-the road voter will be alarmed/concerned enough to vote D to fend off fascism and Biblical rule ... with all the violence and cruelty that will surely follow. It's worth a try.

2. Philosophically, it seems that if our society cannot identify the problem (fascism and theocracy), then we are doomed.

-- It's a like a doctor telling you that you have a growing infection, proscribes antibiotics, when the real condition is you have a spreading cancer that remains unidentified and untreated. Just as the unidentified cancer will kill you, the unidentified and unchecked fascism/theocracy will destroy secular civil society.

Edited by BevoAbyss
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https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/patrick-lists-housing-affordability-fighting-antisemitism-on-campus-among-2025-priorities/
 

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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick put improving housing affordability, fighting antisemitism on college campuses and examining charitable bail organizations among 57 items on a to-do list for senators before the next legislative session begins in January.

Patrick, who oversees the Senate and wields tremendous power over bills passed into law, said the list was whittled from hundreds of ideas submitted from the state’s 31 senators, which the lieutenant governor reviewed with his staff.

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“Come January 2025, the Senate will hit the ground running at the start of the 89th Legislative Session,” Patrick said in a statement. “The priorities of the conservative majority of Texans will be accomplished, including school choice, continued property tax relief, and strengthening the power grid.”

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Patrick also signaled he shares Gov. Greg Abbott’s concerns that so-called institutional investors, meaning investors and corporations that buy single-family homes to rent them out, have too much of a presence in the state’s home-buying market, unduly outbidding buyers. Abbott last month called on the Legislature to rein in their activity in the housing market. Patrick called on lawmakers to “evaluate large-scale purchases of single-family homes by domestic entities and its impact on housing affordability for Texas families.”

The above is a hint that those companies buying up homes need to donate more money to Texas Republicans.

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In another nod to affordability, Patrick directed senators to study workforce productivity. He asked the natural resources and economic development committee to work within existing resources to maintain childcare availability.

Tom Hardy Bait GIF

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Patrick outlined a number of to-dos on higher education, including reviewing the roles of faculty senates. That vaguely-worded item comes after Patrick clashed with professors during his failed effort to eliminate faculty tenure at public universities.

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Two charges also asked senators to walk on a fine line on campus free speech. One asked them to review university policies to ensure they adequately prevent antisemitism while another directs senators to ensure Texas higher education institutions do not infringe on the First Amendment rights of faculty, staff and students. Texas officials are increasingly looking to crack down on anti-Israel sentiments as students and faculty have expressed opposition to the way the country has waged its war with Hamas.

Last month, Abbott issued an executive order calling on universities to discipline acts of antisemitism on campus, while singling out pro-Palestinian student groups.

So they want to protect free speech, but want to crack down on people criticizing Israel.  How much are they paying Elon Musk for consulting on this?

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The lieutenant governor also asked the criminal justice committee to take a look at the practices of charitable bail organizations, which secure the release of defendants who cannot afford to post bond. Patrick wants senators to make recommendations to “ensure accountability” for these groups when defendants are arrested while on bond, as well as restrict their ability to post bond for violent individuals.

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The charges also direct the border security committee to study how deployments in Abbott’s long-term Operation Lone Star have affected the health and well being of Texas Guard members and non-Guard employment, who have been stationed at the border on extended missions to curtain illegal crossings. They also ask senators to monitor the success of legislation passed last year, which allowed federal law enforcement officers to assist in making arrests for state-level crimes.

I know plenty of Texas National Guard members and their families who are not thrilled with the border bullshit.  If they wanted to play border patrol, they would have joined the fucking Border Patrol.

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Patrick directed the education committee to oversee how public schools spent the massive influx of federal COVID-19 relief, including funds received under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), with an eye for districts that improved student outcomes while efficiently spending the money.

I’d like to see an audit of all of the Republican-owned companies that got COVID relief.

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That committee is also charged with reviewing the success of bills the Legislature previously passed to improve public school safety in the wake of the Uvalde elementary school shooting, as well as library procurement and content policies that have become deeply important in Republican politics.

Thoughts Prayers GIF by Alayna Joy
 

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Another charge is “banning Delta 8 and 9,” cannabis-derived products that are currently legal under state law because of their low THC content. It also directs the state affairs committee to consider bills that would stop retailers from marketing these products to children.

The fucking Okies are making it easier to get marijuana so our dipshit leaders have to make it harder.

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Posted (edited)
5 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

state’s historical site designation on the Alamo, Goliad, the San Jacinto Battlefield, etc.

By the time MAGA-GQP are through rewriting history, the historical markers and textbooks will say:

-- Christian Texans won the Battle of the Alamo and then the went on to wipeout the woke socialist army of Santa Ana at San Jacinto. 

-- No humans inhabited the lands of "Texas" until God instructed Christians and capitalists to create the Republic of Texas and make sure no people of color or socialists tried to steal any of the Lone State State.

-- Bible passages instructed where to drill the Spindletop and the Permian Basin was created by God for Texans 6,000 years ago.

-- Jesus told LBJ to make sure NASA put Mission Control in Houston so no commie pinkos could infiltrate it for the Soviets.

The task will be epic, but Abbott, Paxton, MAGA, and the Real Texans will save True Texas history! 

Edited by BevoAbyss
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20 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Pol Pot killed many millions, died in his bed, well done there. 

Had to fix this. Accurate quote:

Pol Pot killed 1.7 million Cambodians, died under house arrest at age 72, well done indeed

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7 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/patrick-lists-housing-affordability-fighting-antisemitism-on-campus-among-2025-priorities/
 

The above is a hint that those companies buying up homes need to donate more money to Texas Republicans.

Tom Hardy Bait GIF

So they want to protect free speech, but want to crack down on people criticizing Israel.  How much are they paying Elon Musk for consulting on this?

I know plenty of Texas National Guard members and their families who are not thrilled with the border bullshit.  If they wanted to play border patrol, they would have joined the fucking Border Patrol.

I’d like to see an audit of all of the Republican-owned companies that got COVID relief.

Thoughts Prayers GIF by Alayna Joy
 

The fucking Okies are making it easier to get marijuana so our dipshit leaders have to make it harder.


The Texas Republican Party has run out of ideas outside of the whims of the highest bidder, owning the libs, cruelty, and just plain dumb.

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Proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free. . . .
except in Texas, where you are not free to: plan your family how you want, criticize Israel, read what books you want, invest your money in funds you want, go to internet sites you want, assemble how you want on a college campus, raise a transgender kid how you want . . .

 

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2 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

San Jacinto battlefield will be a bunch of shitty identical-looking subdivisions and the Alamo will be moved to less-desirable real-estate.

Ironically built by a bunch of Mexican laborers.  

So many bizarre ones, but par for the course with this lot.  But I had to laugh at "Reviewing Historic Accomplishments in Transportation" like the dude in 'Stripes'........"Uh, there was one?"  

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3 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

San Jacinto battlefield will be a bunch of shitty identical-looking subdivisions and the Alamo will be moved to less-desirable real-estate.

They could always move the Alamo to Brackettville.

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21 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

San Jacinto battlefield will be a bunch of shitty identical-looking subdivisions

Don’t have to worry about this, that’s the fuck side of town that no one, including the people that do, wants to live in.

21 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

the Alamo will be moved to less-desirable real-estate.

More concerning.  

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35 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

The more the Texas gop moves right, the sooner we go blue. Unfortunately they will employ cruelty to people and laughingly kick the vulnerable while we wait.

I thought this too….. but here I am seemingly 20 years later and it’s just keeps getting worse / crueler.

 

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12 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

This has been proven false. Same with the “just wait till they die off” trope. 

While there are limited data points, Texas only went for Trump in ‘20 by 5.5 points.  It was ~16 for Romney over Obama.  

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4 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

While there are limited data points, Texas only went for Trump in ‘20 by 5.5 points.  It was ~16 for Romney over Obama.  

If everyone voted Texas wouldn’t be red. The problem is no one votes. 

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18 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

While there are limited data points, Texas only went for Trump in ‘20 by 5.5 points.  It was ~16 for Romney over Obama.  

 

13 minutes ago, immamac said:

If everyone voted Texas wouldn’t be red. The problem is no one votes. 

This isn’t entirely accurate. 
 

https://www.texastribune.org/2020/11/04/texas-voter-turnout-democrats/

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Yes, turnout percentage is higher.  But the state is growing much faster than it did in 1992 (the previous high before 2020).  Both in percentages, and obviously raw numbers.  What's more the growth is younger (obviously, but I mean not just kids but 18-45's moving here/beginning to vote finally), the growth is more people of color (obviously Hispanic, but also Asian).  And most glaring to me...more urban/suburban than rural.  We are now sitting at 85%+ urban/suburban in Texas (obviously you'd need to break that down college/non-college).  In 1992, that number was closer to only 65-70%.  That's the shift that is the most promising, even more than age.  But give the rural/exurb folks credit, they vote at a drastically higher clip than anyone else.   

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5 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

The more the Texas gop moves right, the sooner we go blue. Unfortunately they will employ cruelty to people and laughingly kick the vulnerable while we wait.

Naw, that’s just who we are as a state. 

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5 hours ago, Dnaguy said:

I thought this too….. but here I am seemingly 20 years later and it’s just keeps getting worse / crueler.

 

My theory is that in the past 20 years 49 other states have been sending their crueler inhabitants to Texas. So no matter what the locals do, there's always another dollop of assholes moving in, buying hats and lone star decor. Howdy you guyss.

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Posted (edited)
17 minutes ago, RDCanecutter said:

My theory is that in the past 20 years 49 other states have been sending their crueler inhabitants to Texas. So no matter what the locals do, there's always another dollop of assholes moving in, buying hats and lone star decor. Howdy you guyss.

Dad of one of the kids on my sons baseball team was this guy. Fully decked out in patriotic or Texas centric gear everytime I see him. Talking to him one day he was gushing on Texas and shitting on a bunch of other states. I figured he was a lifer Texan that grew up on a rural farm/ranch the way he acted. Turns out he just moved to Texas in '22 from Southern California where he was born and raised. Yeehaaw there fakeass cowboy.

Edited by HOOKEM4
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3 hours ago, immamac said:

If everyone voted Texas wouldn’t be red. The problem is no one votes. 

And a big part of such poor voter turn out is the concerted effort by Republicans to make voting more difficult and time consuming. Right down to fucking up the fucking postal service in a vain attempt to invalidate mail in ballots

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Yes, turnout percentage is higher.  But the state is growing much faster than it did in 1992 (the previous high before 2020).  Both in percentages, and obviously raw numbers.  What's more the growth is younger (obviously, but I mean not just kids but 18-45's moving here/beginning to vote finally), the growth is more people of color (obviously Hispanic, but also Asian).  And most glaring to me...more urban/suburban than rural.  We are now sitting at 85%+ urban/suburban in Texas (obviously you'd need to break that down college/non-college).  In 1992, that number was closer to only 65-70%.  That's the shift that is the most promising, even more than age.  But give the rural/exurb folks credit, they vote at a drastically higher clip than anyone else.   

Perhaps, but the democrats share of hispanics is less. And transplants to Texas are more conservative than they were in the past.

The democratic party strongholds in cities are out of touch with Texans and are largely impotent, either by being new urbanists or playing on national politics. And, largely being shat on by the state, who are derelict in their duty.

Florida and Texas are out of play, once battleground states that are now playgrounds for theofascism and gqp activism.
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Posted (edited)
20 minutes ago, Eskimohorn said:

The democratic party strongholds in cities are out of touch with Texans

Um, 70% of Texans live in the big four metro areas.

The issue is strategic, not political. Rural Texas got bright red as the Democratic Party abandoned efforts to win rural county courthouses in the 90s and hasn’t gone back since and consequently lose rural areas by default while the GOP still contests elections in the urban and suburban counties, and the efforts add up.

So example- Travis County went 72% for Biden- other urban counties were blue, but less so. The bluest county in the Panhandle was Potter- where Amarillo held Trump down to 68%. The panhandle as a whole (including Potter) was over 80% for Trump. Further south on the western edge of the Big Country, Midland county was 75%.
 

In other words- it’s rural Texas that is out of touch with Texans. They are just so intensely out of touch that they are able to carry the state in coalition with disaffected city dwellers.
 

Edited by Bozo_Casanova
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I don’t see Texas flipping blue this year but we will continue the slow drip towards a blue Texas. It’s not about  population shifts or Covid deaths. The drip is from the laws passed in Austin. Take school vouchers. This will kill many small schools. And while it’s actually not a red vs blue issue, the GOP and Abbott are making it a litmus test to be elected as a Republican.

Small counties will remain (bright) red, even they should see a move to the left. Perhaps even with some voters just staying home.

at some point in the next 10 years Texas will explode as a blue state. Abbott is seeing to it.

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50 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I don’t see Texas flipping blue this year but we will continue the slow drip towards a blue Texas. It’s not about  population shifts or Covid deaths. The drip is from the laws passed in Austin. Take school vouchers. This will kill many small schools. And while it’s actually not a red vs blue issue, the GOP and Abbott are making it a litmus test to be elected as a Republican.

Small counties will remain (bright) red, even they should see a move to the left. Perhaps even with some voters just staying home.

at some point in the next 10 years Texas will explode as a blue state. Abbott is seeing to it.

No. Democrats have been saying this for decades and it WILL NOT WORK. Sure, it is hypothetically possible that one or more individual Democrat candidates could win a statewide race with a very strong campaign. That’s just hero ball, and can happen at any time. It’s not a strategy.
The political structure of Texas is unique, and the path to power via political party consolidation in Texas runs through the county courthouse and has since the late 1800’s.  When I pound the desk about Democratic political incompetence in Texas, that’s what I’m talking about. 

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39 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

No. Democrats have been saying this for decades and it WILL NOT WORK. Sure, it is hypothetically possible that one or more individual Democrat candidates could win a statewide race with a very strong campaign. That’s just hero ball, and can happen at any time. It’s not a strategy.
The political structure of Texas is unique, and the path to power via political party consolidation in Texas runs through the county courthouse and has since the late 1800’s.  When I pound the desk about Democratic political incompetence in Texas, that’s what I’m talking about. 

Abbott, Patrick the nuts in the Legislature are actively pushing legislation that works against the rural counties.  This is relatively new, and is in spite of Democrats shooting themselves in the foot. 

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3 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Abbott, Patrick the nuts in the Legislature are actively pushing legislation that works against the rural counties.  This is relatively new, and is in spite of Democrats shooting themselves in the foot. 

 

 

and woman still vote GOP in states where they do everything they can to restrict woman's rights so ... as said on here many many times, Americans are dumb

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