How much longer until Texas is a blue state?

[Gato Moteado]

When I lived there, I never thought it would happen. But since leaving it seems like the demographics are changing faster than I had expected.

I seriously think Texas might be a blue state within five years. What do you all think?

Imagine a blue Texas....we'd never lose a national election again. Hang in there Texas DUers....I think your day is coming. Keep the faith.

[SoCalDem]

1. until the thirty-leventh of never ..n/t

[w8liftinglady]

2. I am hoping the Hispanic community will get out en force for the Democratic party

When that happens,we will turn blue again.

and... when we can convince these minimum-wage workers that R's would love to own slaves again.

[sorrybushisfromtexas]

3. Blue Texas....

As a 61 year old, life long resident of Texas, life long liberal, progressive Democrat, I don't believe I will see it happen.

[Gato Moteado]

10. hey......in an old southern state, an african american candidate for president......

.....only lost by 11% there. and that margin was about half of what kerry lost by only four years earlier.

i am starting to believe TX will be blue within 5 years.

[martymar64]

53. Not 'til our Latino state legislators quit defecting to the R's.

Our State Lege now has a veto-proof Rethug majority and a Rethug Governor.

Who made this possible? Look down to the Rio Grande Valley for the answer.

[AlinPA]

4. From what I've seen of their elections, never.

[Kennah]

5. When blue states adopt the color green, and red states adopt the color blue

[cynatnite]

6. It'll happen when Sarah Palin gives Ed Schultz a wet one. n/t

[11 Bravo]

7. As soon as that pig flies out of your ass.

[Gato Moteado]

17. i don't eat pork......and anyways, who would've thought that.....

obama could ever win indiana?

look, i'm no cheerleader for TX. i lived there for 11 years and i hated the provincial, and often backwards, nature of the people there. but i think we're gonna see Tejas turn blue. keep up the good work TX DUers.....it's gonna pay off soon. have patience.

[WinkyDink]

8. Until Mexico wins it back?

[Gato Moteado]

9. They actually are.

The Hispanic population is growing there and as the young Hispanic citizens reach voting age, things will change dramatically there.

[Xenotime]

30. Maybe the next time Texas talks about seceding...

it will because the want to be with Mexico.

[blogslut]

11. It's coming

Rick Perry took stimulus funds to pay down our debt, thus hiding just how much shit we're in financially. The boneheads in the legislature have done nothing but pass wedge-issue bullshit for this session. Texas are feeling the hurt and come next election, they're going to know exactly who is responsible.

[cynatnite]

12. Sure, until they remember that Obama is a muslim who wants to take everyone's guns...

Then they'll vote red quick enough.

[w8liftinglady]

13. I don't know.. people are getting tired of getting shit on here

and the Hispanic community is coming to life in my area.
The poor folks I see in Henderson County and Ellis County DO want change.
We just need to become more active in our communities and get out the vote.
I'm working on that.

[Gato Moteado]

15. i don't think that stuff resonates with anyone other than the people.....

....that already hated obama. people that voted for obama didnt believe all that crap when McCorpse, Palin and the MSM were calling Obama a muslim and a socialist. Even with the constant fox noise machine echoing through TX, obama only lost by 11% to an old white guy.

but i'm looking past the 2012 election anyway. i think by the 2016 election, TX will be blue.

[demosincebirth]

37. I hope you are right, but I doubt it. Maybe when hell freezez over.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. It was once a blue state

Just a note. So it becoming one again...

[Gato Moteado]

16. it was once democratic, true enough, but.......

....the old democratic party of the south is nothing like the democratic party today. the dems and repukes pretty much switched platforms on issues like civil rights sometime between the turn of the century and the 60s. it just took a lot of southern states a decade or two to figure that out.

i think the change that's coming has to do with the demographic shift that is inevitable.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. I am aware. I was just pointing to history

A "law" of history is that things change.

[Gato Moteado]

39. gotcha!

:toast:

[demosincebirth]

38. They didn't have blue back then.

[Saokymo]

18. We used to be blue.

I'm pretty sure the phrase, "yellow-dog Democrat" was coined here -- "I'd rather vote for a yellow dog than a Republican." Then Bushie Jr. strolled into town and played up to all the stereotypes. After he ousted Ann Richards as governor things went downhill fast.

But you are right -- things are changing again, and much faster than certain parties would like to admit.

[lonestarnot]

19. OMG.

Don't tell me they are all moving to AZ?

[Fire1]

20. When hell freezes over. n/t

[Sonoman]

21. Shrub lost Travis and won Harris and Dallas by two points.

That is a vast majority of the Texas population.

When the hicks get tired of getting fucked, it will be like flipping a switch.

Sonoman

[Stevepol]

23. I personally think TX is already a blue state.

In order for that reality to expressed at the ballot box, however, the vote would have to be on paper and hand-counted. Tha voting machine vendors own TX just as they own GA, MS, AL and many other states.

Of course there's no way to know if my belief is true. There's also no way to know if it's untrue. There's just no way to know period -- as long as the vote is counted in total secrecy without verification as it is presently.

[Saokymo]

28. As a Texan, I'd say you're right.

I still can't believe Perry won again after the piss-poor job he's done. A lot of my coworkers -- even the rural, redneck and outright racist ones -- expressed their dislike of the creep before the last election. But like you say, there's no way to tell if it was rigged or not unless we get away from those damned voting boxes and go back to the paper ballot method.

[w8liftinglady]

41. a big problem in cities like arlington- no public transportation

arlington has a HUGE Public college population and a Huge Hispanic population...AND a big union population.If they had an active Dem party there,I think they could go blue.
No public trans makes it tough for a lot of likely blue voters to get to the polls.

[Nevernose]

49. The legislature also gerrymandered the shit out of Texas

Remember when the entire Demoratic contingent had to flee the state to prevent a quorum on the gerrymandered redistricting?

[Sonoman]

24. What a bunch of idiotic responses to this OP.

I'll bet half of them have no exposure to Texas culture other than airports and bullshit teevee shows.

I have traveled the globe, and there is only one state in the Union (or anywhere else, for that matter) where I would rather live.

That's why I am in Sonoma and not Austin.

Sonoman

[Stargleamer]

25. Your missing a few zeroes. . .

more like 500 years from now.

[Urban Prairie]

26. Texas is a federal tax donor state

so it follows that it should become a blue state sooner or later, at least for federal elections, but state/local, of course, is a whole different story.

It would be great if I could soon post that ALL red states are federal tax recipients, instead of most, like I have done in the past when replying in a forum thread with some dittoheads bleating on about the evils of socialism.

[Paladin]

27. A Lot Sooner Than Our Resident Texas-Haters Realize..... (n/t)

[Tx4obama]

29. We are already pretty much purple

In the 2008 election Obama won the majority of our largest cities/counties: Dallas, Houston/Harris, Austin/Travis, San Antonio, El Paso, etc. (The only large city McCain won was Ft. Worth)

Here in Houston we've elected our first openly gay female mayor :)

Texas is NOT as red as most people think it is.

[Lisa0825]

31. Amen. nt

[w8liftinglady]

42. i agree. dallas has a large democratic presence.

The progressive churches in Texas (and i am including Unitarians) need to get out the vote next election

[Thunderstruck]

32. I miss Ann.

I can't see Texas going blue anytime soon after 10 years of falling for the likes of bush and limbo and perry, et al.

Certain people here have no idea how stupid and petty they look to those of us with values and brain synapses that actually fire on their own - without the help of those aforementioned accelerants.

[donheld]

45. I miss Molly

[Honeycombe8]

33. It used to be a big Democratic state. It MIGHT turn again, when.....

It might turn blue again when, and IF, the Democrats find a bold, forthright, loud mouthed, humorous, forceful Democrat to run against a Republican nominee for governor.

As far as I can remember back, since it turned red, the Democratic nominees for governor have been soft spoken, seemingly sort of wimpy. This does not appeal to a big state that is partly independent western and partly southern. If you're going to live in the west and politic in a huge state, you better be prepared to at least appear huge yourself, as if you can command such a large state. Smiling sweetly at a camera and saying you can handle the budget ain't gonna cut it.

Ann Richards was our last Democratic governor. And she was one outspoken, mouthy, witty, forceful, sassy broad. She was elected, despite having been an alcoholic AND a woman. She wore a cowboy hat occasionally, and cowgirl clothing sometimes. No one like her has come along since then.

As far as the state turning blue on a lower level, well, the urban areas predictably have large minority populations, which are traditionally Democratic. But don't let that fool you. Those urban areas can get more and more Democrats, and it doesn't matter. If it's blue, it's blue, even if there are just a few more Dems or a LOT more Dems in the area. What does matter is if the blueness spreads, and I don't see that happening. ESPECIALLY since the Republicans won big this last fall, and it's TIME TO DRAW THE REDISTRICTING LINES. The Republicans drew the lines last time. And it looks like they will finish soon what they started last time: draw the lines so that Dems stay concentrated in a few areas, and no more.

But...if a singing cowboy with a shotgun tucked behind his saddle were to come along, it's possible. Just possible.

[RagAss]

34. 30-40 Generations.

[goforit]

35. Well, if the the Perry Repugs stop rigging elections, pretty soon.

[NoPasaran]

36. A hundred years or so

Assuming our insect overlords still bother holding elections.

[Gato Moteado]

40. i think 5 years ago, you and i were each on the opposite side of this argument.....

....than we are right now. if i remember correctly, some of my texas bashing in the past has pissed you off.

on my last few trips back to texas, i was so pleasantly surprised to hear so many people with thick rural accents talking about how bad the repubs are.

but, it's the growing hispanic population that has me thinking we're going to see a blue texas very soon.

[NoPasaran]

44. I think you are right about five years ago

Folks have been telling me about the rural accented people who seem to trash the repubs, but they still seem to vote for them. And given the hispanic voter turnout rate, I think my timeline is not too pessimistic.

[DuaneBidoux]

43. As a Houstonian with an openly gay mayor: forever.

There are pockets of liberalism: Austin first followed by Houston to some degree.

Beyond that and counties along the Mexican border Texas bleeds red as red can be (Perry, a right wing freak just blew Houston's former moderate mayor Bill White away).

Forever. Well maybe not. Just a couple of centuries.

[Gato Moteado]

46. i think urban dallas might be the bluest part of the state.....

....it was for a while.

anyway, keep the faith......TX is changing. give it five years and you'll see.

[TBF]

47. It's not going to happen - the culture is too entrenched here.

Hispanics would be the only wild card - but there are too many young republicans (like Rubio) that will attract them. And it's not like the democratic party really gives much of an effort here - the Obama folks hung it up early in this state.

[charlie]

48. If we're going blue

we've got a funny way of showing it. We just handed the Repubs a nearly unassailable majority in the state capital.

My blue outpost of El Paso even replaced one of its state reps with a Republican.

[Gato Moteado]

51. well the tea bagger lies helped repukes win all over the country, not just TX......

.....and i didn't say TX was blue now, but that it seems to be heading that way. the repuke margins of victory in national elections is shrinking. the hispanic population is growing.

[kctim]

50. Depends which standards you use

If its progressive standards, never.

[verges]

52. Not as fast as Ohio turns red. nt