Saturday came news that Texas Republican Party chairman Tom Mechler had unexpectedly resigned. Both the party and Mr. Mechler cited “personal reasons” as the reason for leaving the post he had held since 2015, but a more in-depth article in the Austin American-Statesman suggested that he was motivated by more than a desire to spend more time with his family.
Mechler cited the toll the relentless pace of the post had taken on his family, amid a rocky time for his oil and gas business, as his reason for stepping down. But it was clear from his [resignation] letter that infighting in the Texas GOP had also contributed to his decision.
It would appear that the state GOP is torn between a somewhat rational faction that sees the likely effects of Texas changing demographics, and the usual gang of fanatical Teabaggers. The most visible manifestation of that divide has been the legislative battles between Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and House Speaker Joe Straus. And, as a famous Republican once said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand."
“A party that is fractured by anger and backbiting is a party that will not succeed,” Mechler said in his letter. “It is no secret that our party is divided into factions. It is also no secret that those factions frequently throw rocks at each other. As I prepare to leave this role, my hope is that every faction of this party will treat each other with kindness and respect.”
Kindness and respect,of course, are not exactly the Tea Party’s forte, and it seems doubtful that the party that elected Dan Patrick to the most powerful governmental post in the state* will listen to reason.
But Mechler left with a warning to his party, a warning about something that many of us in Texas have seen coming for a long time.
“As the demographics continue to change, our state will soon have a majority-minority voting age population. If we do not continue to make efforts to engage in the diverse communities across Texas, our state will turn blue,” Mechler wrote in his letter of resignation. “This is no longer just a possibility, it is an inevitable reality if we fail to act.”
The party that Mechler leaves behind is currently dominated by misogynistic, LGBTQ-hating xenophobes. I don’t know what “efforts to engage the diverse communities across Texas” he is referring to, but there seems to be little evidence that they are working, if they exist at all.
There are still those on the left, including some here on DKos, who assert that Texas is a lost cause and not worth “wasting” time on. But it would appear that former chairman Mechler and a few in his party see the writing on the wall. Add to that the fact that governor Greg Abbott has been citing the Democratic threat in fundraising letters, and it’s clear that the Texas GOP is scared to death of us. With a serious voter registration and GOTV effort, we can make their fears a reality.
Blue Texas is coming, and maybe sooner than you think.
*In Texas, the lieutenant governor wields more power than the governor.