We have wide swatches of areas that are solid Democrat, and yes, the Republicans are now in controll of the State House (for the first time since Reconstruction, I may add) that is not a sure thing to last when the DSCC is pouring tons of money into the state to assure the election, and re-election of Democcrats.

But at the moment, that is not our biggest problem. Due to the increase in population over the last ten years, redistricting was necessary. Our legislature worked hard, long hours into the night to draw district lines that met with federal regulations only to have it wind up in a federal district court that threw out all the lines. Now it will go to the SCOTUS sometime in January.

This leaves those who have filed for the upcoming primaries out on a limb. Many candidates don’t even know if they will wind up in the same district they have filed in. Our filing deadline has come and gone, but due to the court case, the judge unexpectantly extended the filing date. The word is that filing will be re-opened when the SCOTUS determines the district boundries. This benefits Democrats who now have extra time to try to build funds to support a candidate not yet declared.

Representation is [supposed to be] based on population, but Texas is one of those states where the courts also inject race, and ethnicity, into the population equasion. Equality in population went by the wayside in the attempt to load districts racially and ethnically, yet districts like Shiela Jackson Lee’s, which is 90% black, is never touched. That is how she (who is dumber than a box of rock and as crooked at a snake while she takes campaign donations from groups backed by CAIR) maintains her seat. If the court required her Houston district to be as racially/ethnically equal as it does others that are primarily white, she would lose her next election.

Sanchez’s problems were that he could not generate any excitement in the upcoming election. His DNC funds were pulled a month ago, with the DNC saying it was a hopeless endeavor and they were not going to pour any money into his election. Part of the reason is his background, the other part is the Obama administration’s constant harrassment of the state, itself, with endless law suits (EPA, district boundries, Healthy Woman funding, etc). Even Democrats in Texas resent federal interference in what should be state decisions. And that is what most people in the rest of the nation doesn’t understand; Texas Dems, by and large, are more conservative, at least fiscally, than northeastern RINOs.

The surprise elections in 2010 were the defeat of blue dog, Chet Edwards, by a very conservative Hispanic, Bill Flores and the ousting of Ciro Rodriquez, a hard core liberal who seems to have participated in some voter fraud to defeat Henry Bonilla, by Francisco Canseco, another very conservative Hispanic Republican.
Two other state representatives jumped parties this year, joining the Republican Party.

There is a lot at stake this year for Democrats in Texas. We are gaining four seats in the U.S. Congress, and the Democrats understand that they are facing becoming a historical foot note in Texas history, at least until the tide turns. Lloyd Doggett, who only held on to his seat in his race against Dr. Donna Campbell, by taking Travis County (Austin) is facing reelection in newly drawn district lines, and word is that he is going to be challenged by not only a Hispanic Democrat, but a Hispanic Republican as well in the primary. As Doggett’s district will now include an area all the way to San Antonio, he may well lose (a boon to the state, no matter who defeats him).

Texas does NOT need a viable third party. Blue dogs can still win in Texas, as well as hard core liberals (i.e. Doggett). Independents, in Texas, are mostly fiscal conservatives, consequently the Republican gains but Democrats can still win (see Robby Cook, a blue dog who decided to retire) if they subscribe to fiscal soundness, and support 10th Amendment issues.

to anyone not born and raised in the South. People from Missouri are called “yankees” in the South. And Illinois, that produced Obama, certainly is not in the northeast quadrant of the country, yet it holds tremendous sway in national politics.

The biggest problem with most “yankees” that move to Texas is that they come here for jobs, low taxes and reasonable housing costs, yet complain because Texas doesn’t govern like the place they came from. Our attitude is “If you don’t like the way we run our state, stay where you are or go back.” We kinda view that attitude like being invited to our home for dinner but wanting to tell us what to cook. On the flip side of that, if you like our state, and continue to live here and adopt Texas attitudes, we welcome you with open arms.