Originally at TexasKaos.com
| There will be numerous sightings of Barack Obama in Texas including tonight in Houston and tomorrow in AUstin. Whether you have made up your mind about which candidate you're going to support or you're still open, I think this is a great thing for our state.
For too long Democratic candidates running for President have ignored Texas because they consider it a lock for Republicans. How foolish. Given that John Kerry, who came infrequently and never at crunch time, still received 40% of the votes in George Bush's supposed home state in 2004, I think it would be a serious mistake for ANY candidate to ignore Texas. |
Given our large and growing Hispanic population (which still is Democratic but should be engaged more IMHO - XP could write an excellent diary for that), given the growing urban population, and the growing restlessness in rural districts at the way the GOP has taken them for granted - and of course the many MANY Republican scandals & problems, it would be a seriously pessimist Democrat who wouldn't campaign in Texas.
You listening, Hillary? Barack? Edwards? Wes? um, Biden (snicker, snicker).
Any Democratic Presidential candidate who continues to ignore Texas and the South is a pessimistic Democrat who does not believe he or she has the ability to speak to Texans and Southerners and engage them in debate.
In which case, why would any American ANYWHERE want to elect that Democratic candidate?
Oh, yes. I'm definitely challenging all the candidates to come on down to Texas. I'm not the only one tired of chicken Democrats. Now am I asking you to be impractical and ignore other states? Of course not. There is a method to our madness.
It makes sense especially now for Democrats to campaign in Texas - and all Southern states. It will be a tough fight, but it also show Texans and Americans everywhere your character and strength and your confidence.
First off, yes, in Presidential politics you do have to capture as many states as you can for the necessary electoral votes. So of course it makes sense during crunch time for a Democratic candidate to lock up Michigan or New York in favor of Texas or Alabama. But who's saying you can't campaign in New York?
We're just asking - nay, demanding that you include us as a stop for your victory train while you're on your way to DC. And if you campaign earlier in tougher states like Texas, you may be able to lock up Michigan and Colorado and borderline states sooner or more comfortably by forcing Republicans to spend resources and time defending their turf.
Make Republicans play defense! They have plenty of things to feel defensive over!
So I understand it's going to be a strategic move, not an immediate payoff, to run in Texas - for the candidate. However for Texas, your very presence will motivate and activate local Democrats and Texans and that will be healthy for the Party (and country) in the long and short-term. I don't think I've seen Democrats and progressives this active in a long time and we will reap the awards in 2008 IMHO.
In direct terms, I'm mostly thinking Congressional and Statewide victories, but who will benefit from the election of more Democrats at state and Congressional levels? Perhaps the Democratic President of the United States who will not have to fight as many obstructionist GOPers?
So, Hillary, Obama, Wes, John, & all of y'all, it makes sense for a self-serving view alone to help Take Texas Back!
When did it become acceptable for Californians to hate Texans? When did it become ok for Georgians to hate their fellow Americans in New York? When did it become patriotic to ridicule and attack a state, Massachusetts, where our nation first learned to fight tyranny?
Did 9/11 teach us nothing? Bostonians, New Yorkers, Texans and even Muslim Americans bleed and hurt the same damn way.
Isn't time we had a President who united the nation and healed our wounds - instead of being responsible for thousands of injuries and deaths, and surviving politically only by antagonizing one group of American to hate another. Isn't it time we had a President who listened to ALL Americans, who believed we were all Americans, and who came down to meet ordinary Americans in EVERY state and did not pick and choose on the basis political beliefs or bumper stickers who could kiss their royal hand?
I am TIRED of scolding a child. I am no telemarketer interrupting your dinner and demanding to speak to the head of the household. And yes, the head can be a man or a woman.
But at the very least the head of the White House-hold MUST be an ADULT!! And they must behave as and accept the responsibilities of an adult!!
This means when their family is hurting or dying, they cannot go shopping for shoes or play country music star or go on vacation. This means building strong family bonds based on love and trust, so you will never have to view suspiciously and spy on. It means when it comes down to making tough decisions that will affect every member of the family, they reflect deeply on the consequences and they level with family members and tell them the truth.
And above all, being the adult head of household means you never put your loved ones in harm's way but that if they ever are in danger, they will be protected because you did your best to protect them in every way possible. You don't treat them like toy soldiers in a game of Risk.
This is not a game. This is not the Super Bowl. It is our nation. These people are our fellow Americans. And if one side loses, WE ALL LOSE.
We are all on the same damn team and we need an honest, strong and unifying captain! Not a bunch of cheerleaders jumping on the sidelines.
But I didn't mean to get too metaphorical. In fact, I'll apologize for that tangent in idealism. Let's get our heads back on the ground. Let's be practical.
We'll start where too many candidates start and unfortunately end. Money. There's alot of it here. Somebody's gonna get it. May as well be you.
But there's also alot of people here. 30 million plus. 16,000 people are going to see Obama in Austin. They could be seeing you. You wanna cede them to Obama?
Beyond the fundraising capacity a large state like Texas can give to any candidate, there are plenty of pragmatic reasons to engage this state.
For one thing, there is the whole word of mouth thing. And I'm not talking the Internets either. Yes, bloggers, emails and websites can spread a candidates actions and words across the world, but most people still just use the phone to tell each what they're thinking.
You know. That archaic idea called "talking" and "having a conversation." These cavemen, of which I profess to be one of, are the primary engine for many marketing campaigns selling commercial products, Hollywood movies, and many of the services we enjoy. Most movies today live and die on the whole "word of mouth" phenomenon.
If Hollywood considers word of mouth so important, what makes any Democratic candidate think he or she can ignore it? Do people really suppose that Texans only talk to other Texans? Americans, and Southerners especially, love to talk and we will talk about you if you engage us to everyone we know in the country. That's a powerful tool in your arsenal. Why not use it?
And of course, yes, there are us bloggers. I don't know if you guys have heard of the Internets. Your predecessor has problems with the concept but Al Gore, who never claimed to invent the Internet but was considered so important to its development by the founders and inventors of the Internet that they awarded him the prestigious Webby Award, can explain it to y'all (turns out he actually knows his stuff).
We can spread your words around the world in seconds. That's free advertising you couldn't buy unless you acted crazy like Mel Gibson did for Passion of the Christ. Or at least I thought he was faking it.
Ok, maybe that was a bad example because yes, if you make a mistake, (Biden) it will also get around the world as well. And is that what's happening here?
Are you so afraid to make a mistake in a "no-contest" state like Texas that you don't want to come down here and engage people in debate? Are Democrats going to continue to play it safe to the point that they fail to take on positions which require strong leadership?
I think if you ask John Kerry he will admit his safe-play strategy (or his consultants at least) hurt him in 2004. He's much stronger and ironically a better candidate today.
I hope all of you will demonstrate the courage, which I believe most of you have to convince Americans you are up to the job.
And giving how much Bush and the Republicans have messed things up, why would you play it safe? No need to be reckless, but why be cautious to a fault? Why be status quo?
Why, in other words, would you want to play it conservative? I'm sick of playing defense. Aren't y'all?
Hillary, Wes, Barack, Edwards and all of y'all, what are you waiting for? If you can't see the opening you have now on the political battlefield, then how the heck can you lead us on the military battlefield? | |
Coming down to Texas is a sign to Texans that this is a confident, optimistic Democrat who wants to listen to ALL Americans and is smart enough to know how to go into enemy territory and pull out some victory.
That is the kind of President Americans have desperately wanted these past seven years and the kind of person you need convince you are.
So, Hillary, git your butt down to Texas. Bring Bill. You too, Biden. And you, Edwards. Dodd, Wes, all of y'all.
Yeah, we got money, but we've got plenty of heart too and if you win our hearts, you can change this nation - as well as your public title.
I suggest you hurry. Obama's here and he's trying to pull away.