COMMENTARY: There’s No Room for Socialism in Fort Bend County

[Gothmog]

I live in Fort Bend and I am friends with Juanita Jean and her husband (aka Bubba) who is my county democratic party chair. Both Juanita Jean and Bubba are on the SDEC and so are staying neutral as to any fight between Hillary Clinton, Sanders or O'Malley. Bubba went to the Bernie Sanders event last month at the University of Houston and the reaction of the local Fort Bend paper to this says a great deal about how Sanders would play in Texas (hint the word socialist does not play well in Texas) http://www.fortbendstar.com/2015/08/05/theres-no-room-for-socialism-in-fort-bend-county/

Bankston, for his part, said he’s just towing the party line, not endorsing a candidate and would attend a rally if any of the Democratic presidential candidates came to town.

“As to Senator Sanders, I don’t worry about labels – that is the job of Fox News,” Bankston said...

The Democrats haven’t expressed the same type of disdain for America’s Most Popular Socialist.
Fort Bend has become one of the strongest economic counties in America due to a robust economy, boosted by a free market.

If the County remains Republican or features a mix of Republicans or Democrats, that momentum can continue.
But Fort Bend can’t sustain it’s success with any type of Socialism, so why even give such a candidate credence by attending his event and posting “Feel The Bern” to thousands on social media?

Again, while I like Sanders I do not think that he is electable and the concept of socialism really did not play well in my part of Texas.

[HassleCat]

1. Socialism is bad

Except the kind of socialism that subsidizes the trucking industry, beef cattle, irrigation projects. Of course, we can't call that stuff socialism because, you know, 'Murica.

[Gothmog]

2. I do not disagree with you

However, the reaction of the local paper to a party chair just attending a Sanders event says a great deal as to how this term will be viewed in Texas.

[SusanCalvin]

10. Local paper after Bev.

Please do not read too much into this. One right-wing jerk does not Fort Bend county make. Who says the author and publisher speak for everyone? Obviously not me. But I don't think reality does either.

[Gothmog]

13. Don was a little upset by this article

Yes, it is stupid but for Texas to go blue, we need to in counties like Fort Bend.

[catnhatnh]

3. Brilliant!

To bad the writer is unfamiliar with English idioms-it would seem more cogent to refer to toeing the line.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toe_the_line

So if the fellow can't be comfortable with standard language usage I would have to question his expertise in many areas.

[arcane1]

4. Sounds like a dumb-ass who doesn't know what words mean.

And with this quote: "No Democrat has been elected to a county-wide office in more than 20 years" it seems that county isn't going to choose any Dem candidate.

[SusanCalvin]

11. Might if

We didn't have lovely paperless voting machines....

[Agnosticsherbet]

5. Anti-socialist propaganda and teaching has been constant since The Communist Manifesto was published

on February 21, 1848.

So no one should be surprised that a lot of people are informed, or misinformed, by a lifetime of propaganda.

It will be a disability in many states, especially voters over 30.

The distaste for Socialism has disappeared in most of the younger voters I know (under 30).

I will say, that I don't think Democrats will carry Texas, but there are purple states where it will be an issue.

[okasha]

7. Bernie doesn't play well in Texas.

He will particularly not do well in South Texas. Hillary and Bill did voter registration here at the time the patron system was starting to break up, and people remember that because it had a direct effect on their lives.

[DhhD]

8. Texas as a Free Market State of Corporatist thinking like minimum wage and below growth; will

it be supported by South Texas?

We have Hillary Clinton the Democratic Corporatist candidate or will it be the Donald Trump Corporatist candidate? A triangulation with free-loading, slave wages conservatism.

Thanks for reading my belief.

[DhhD]

9. Adding corporatism of free trade continuing to cause a decline in living wages.

Must see video:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5a3_1411653827

https://www.popularresistance.org/65000-protest-tpp-in-mexico-see-repeat-of-nafta-mistakes/

[TexasTowelie]

12. Another conservative right-wing newspaper in Texas?

Who would have thought it was possible? Through my experiences dealing with newspaper publishers and editors I have come to the conclusion that they are not the brightest people.

[calimary]

14. The word "Socialism" has been so poisoned for so long that it WILL be a factor.

And a problem. We've been trained and schooled and propagandized over several generations to equate socialism and Communism as terribly terribly bad things. The words "socialism" and "socialist" are going to be a big problem beyond two states in New England. It will take several generations to rehabilitate the whole concept - if indeed it's even possible in this capitalist society.

Look what's been done just to the word "liberal," if you don't believe this. The word "liberal" has been turned into a dirty word for 30+ years of relentless and highly-focused propagandizing from the so-called "right." It's ONLY NOW starting to be rehabilitated. Only now. And it's been a long, hard slog toward even the most minimal improvement for that one.

It will be a handicap for the Bernie Sanders campaign. A very serious one he's not likely to overcome, considering the long-embedded and fiercely propagandized efforts to demonize the whole concept in this country. The poisoning of the whole concept of "socialism" has been thorough, relentless, and tremendous effective - over generations. As with racism - which many of us assume will die out with the old whites mainly in the South - well, look how long THAT ONE is taking to "die out"! Sometimes I wonder if it will ever completely leach all the way out of our system. Seems so damned ingrained by now that I'm not sure when we're ever going to get beyond - and GET OVER - that one.

[Gothmog]

15. Can you imagine the effect on down ballot races in Texas if Sanders was on the top of Texas?

[TexasTowelie]

16. The last time I went to Rosenberg with my brother

I didn't see the "NO SOCIALISTS ALLOWED" sign at the county limits. Shouldn't they at least give people like me a fair warning if they don't want any of our money to contribute to their tax base?

Maybe I can arrange a drive-by of the newspaper office so I can moon the author of this column.