A personal plea

[Lithos]

Please vote and caucus. Volunteer, help get out the vote for your candidate, help get people to the polls and to caucus afterwards.

Yes, it sounds like I'm preaching to the choir, but please make sure you vote this election and help drive the Democratic message. Each person who votes now in the Democratic primary is that much more likely to vote in the General election in November and to vote Democrat again for not only President, but also other races as well.

This is not about one candidate or the other, but the Democratic Party in Texas. This election has generated more positive buzz for the Democratic Party than I've seen in many years. The fact that Texas is finally getting national attention and people are actually seeing and experiencing the message of a resurgent and Progressive Democratic Party a very good thing. All the hard work over the past few years is paying off. Let's not lose the energy and momentum. Let's return Texas to its rightful owners, the people of Texas!

:grouphug:

Lithos

[tbyg52]

1. Hear, hear!

:patriot:
:thumbsup:

[theredpen]

2. K&R

[sonias]

3. Our moderator speaks

Hey Lithos we all thought you were and AI program like grovelbot. Just kidding.

Good reminder!

:grouphug: right back at ya!


Sonia

[Gelliebeans]

4. I agree

well said :woohoo:

[cloudbase]

5. Don't think it's over once you've cast your vote.

You've got to show up for the precinct convention, too. Apparently there is now an organized effort for the Republicans to cross over and vote in the Democratic primary. If they decide to show up at the conventions, things can get really messed up. Of course, their effort looks to be a bit short sighted, since McCain does better against Hillary in the general election than he does against Obama.


http://republicansforobama.org/?q=node/3 59
Attention All Texas Republicans and Independents!!


On March 4th, Texas Republicans and Independents will have an opportunity to end Hillary Clinton's (and Bill's) presidential ambitions once and for all!


Since Texas has on open primary, Republicans and Independents should sign in at their polling place and request a Democratic ballot. They should then vote for Barack Obama. Even James Carville admits that if Hillary loses Texas, "she's done!" Republicans can help make this a reality!!! Just think, no more Clintons in the White House!


Voting Democratic this one time will have NO effect on your ability to vote in the next Republican primary or obviously on your vote in November. Since John McCain has the Republican nomination locked up, voting for McCain or Huckabee at this point will have no effect on the outcome on the Republican side.


After you vote during early voting or on March 4th, you ARE NOT done! Report back to your regular polling place at 7PM on March 4th to sign the Barack Obama list for caucus delegates. In a little known Texas voting quirk, 67 delegates to the Democratic convention will be seated because of these caucuses. This is a full one-third of the total number of Texas delegates. For Hillary to lose, she has to lose the primary votes AND the caucus votes.


I urge you to vote against Hillary Clinton by voting for Barack Obama. Please forward this e-mail to all your Texas Republican and Independent friends so that we can help ensure the Clinton's defeat on March 4th!!!

[sonias]

6. We don't control what the republicans do

I really wonder how many people will in fact do this. After all there are contested local races that they have to skip in order to do this. Most hardcore republicans of the kind that this message might appeal to, would probably not be able to stomach voting in the Democratic primary.

But their hatred of the Clintons is certainly something to consider. Right wing republicans will vote for McCain in the fall if he is their candidate. We know this already. But I honestly think that those that feel uncomfortable with McCain in their primary will still cast a vote in their primary for Huckabee. Huckabee is going to do pretty well in Texas.

A republican that votes in the republican primary can not caucus in the Democratic primary. They can't have it both ways.

Yes it is true that if they vote in the Democratic primary, they would be eligible to vote in the Democratic caucus process but then they would have to associate with us Democrats that evening. We'll see what kind of backbone they really have then.


sonia

[NoPasaran]

7. I doubt that there's really some huge number of republicans crossing over to skew our primary

No doubt there are some, but I've heard it claimed both that they are voting for Hillary AND that they are voting for Obama, so I figure they're mostly cancelling each other out. The real news is the huge number of people who've never voted in a primary, or never voted at all, coming out and voting this time. This primary is the best thing that's happened for Texas Democrats in decades. And I'm sure that some now voting are former republicans who are sick and tired of the mess their party has made of this country and its dedication to continue down that path of failure. McCain probably should have focus-grouped that Hundred Years War camapign theme of his, becasue it's not playing well to people who have children.

[sonias]

8. That's the spirit

That's what I think too. Being a Democrat in Texas has been a dirty word to some. They may really be Democrats at heart, but they had to call themselves republican to "get along". Or they never bothered to participate since they hated their "supposed" party. Now it's cool to be the Democrats.

Royal Masset, a republican consultant has a good piece in The Texas Observer on the Republican Party in Texas.

The Texas Observer
The Repubican Conundrum
(snip)
Although East Texas today is mostly Republican, it still has many pockets of yellow dog Democrats. This will be Huckabee’s base in Texas. He should take most of East Texas and some of rural North Texas. Southerners settled the Red River as far west as the Panhandle. Unfortunately for Huckabee, the rest of Texas is Southern in spirit only. Most Texas Republicans are Yankees, like I am, who want to fit in so much that we become Southerners and cowboys who learn to speak Texan. We live in upper middle-class developments with names like Circle C Ranch, in counties like Collin, Montgomery and Williamson. In fact, thanks to the ubiquity of cars and highways, and the ability to telecommute, Republican newcomers in search of the rural life are now swamping many rural areas.

(dnip)
I suspect McCain will heavily win the suburban Republican vote, and the state. Huckabee does not resonate with suburban Republicans who will make up about half of our primary vote. They don’t love McCain but they are familiar with him and don’t fear him. He is a known variable. The one area of uncertainty is caused by the allocation of delegates. We are called a winner–take-all state, but that’s misleading. If a candidate wins in each of our 32 congressional districts he will get all 140 of our delegates.

(snip)
If there is a major change in Texas politics in 2008 it will be caused by the Democrats. Even I have been chagrined to learn that my 13-year-old son Ernesto favors Barack Obama. The world is changing.

:bounce::bounce::bounce:

Sonia

[Lithos]

10. I see that as mostly ranting and fuming

I do not see many Republicans going to the polls and voting in the Democratic Primary, and I especially don't see them attending the caucus on the 4th. Part of the reason is that "HuckMe" is more likely to draw them as a protest vote than anything else.

Part of the reason why I personally am excited about this primary is it is almost a perfect political storm. It's the trifecta. There are two very strong candidates who have energized bases, you have for the first time in recent history a situation where Texas is taking a very prominent role in the Democratic debate, and we're about to be rid once and for all of a highly unpopular pResident and perhaps more significant - a very (morally and fiscally) bankrupt and failed political philosophy which has brought us 8 years of economic disaster and 7 years of stalemate in Iraq which has saw thousands of US casualties which was obviously based on lies.

This is the type of momentum (I hesitated to use this word given its loaded meanings) which is only good for the Texas Democratic Party.

And yes, try and get people to attend the caucus if at all possible. This type of political interaction is good as it is immediate, personal and a great way of sharing information about the Democratic Party. However, if they can't attend that, voting in the primary is still very good as it still gives good exposure to things, gets their name on the list, and it gives us more votes 4 years from now. More importantly, I cannot help emphasize that someone who votes Democratic now is extremely likely to be self-driven to show up and of course vote Democratic again come November.

[sonias]

9. Down Ballot Prognosticating II

The Texas Observer
Down Ballot Prognosticating II

We expected record turnout for the Texas Democratic primary. Early voting is starting to indicate it will be bigger than anyone imagined. There a number of explanations for what’s driving folks to the polls: the still-heated contest between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, a burning desire to emerge from the darkness after almost eight years of a dreadful presidency, and an ability by Obama to bring out young voters who typically do not participate. In most of Texas’ major cities well over half of those who have voted early either had no recent history of voting in a primary, according to a couple of consultants with whom we’ve talked.

What will these new voters mean for the general election in Texas? If Democrats can take advantage of it, it’s quite possible that the transformation from red state to blue might get a jump-start this November. Low turnout has favored incumbents. The new numbers could spell doom for some incumbents in low turnout districts.

Typically campaigns target frequent voters first, the folks who participated in past primaries. These voters don’t need as much persuasion to vote, it’s already a habit for them. It’s not as expensive to find them, since they already have a history. They are the low-hanging fruit of political campaigns. After March 4, this orchard will probably grow by two to three times. Irregardless of which candidate they choose, Democratic voters will leave a record that down-ballot general election candidates can follow. And follow it they will.

(snip)
This will be the cycle where Republicans will pay the most dearly for the greed they showed in legislative redistricting in 2001. Those tightly drawn districts in the suburbs of major Texas cities are growing more Democratic by the minute. Anglo Republicans are moving to the exurbs and African Americans and Latinos are taking their place. The challenge of finding these new residents and getting them to vote just got a lot easier.

In most of Texas’ major cities well over half of those who have voted early either had no recent history of voting in a primary, according to a couple of consultants with whom we’ve talked.
Hot damn!!
:bounce::bounce::bounce:

And I just had to include that paragraph about the republicans paying dearly for their greed. Make it so, Texas!!


Sonia