I know that this might be rude, but I feel that the best thing about blogs is the nature of dialogue they allow. There are 4 authors on this page, all with different political viewpoints and while I usually end up those online tests with a solid "Liberal" rating, I am probably the most conservative writer here. Normally I would just put this in the comments section, but I feel that its important enough to put separately as a sort of "counter-point" to Byron's post. I've since moved it here to Kos, and as a result, I don't know how to put up links on their system- normal HTML doesn't seem to work. As a result, there are no links, though all of my sources are from the Dallas Observer archives accessible from their site at
http://www.dallasobserver.com.
Domingo Garcia is a corrupt, race-baiting self-promoter that has no business in the State House or any other position of public trust. Anchia, while he might have voted for the GOP in 2000 has voted for the Democrats since then and while his record on the school board (such a hotbed of partisan tension) might be on the conservative side he at least has not violated the faith of the people of Dallas and used his public office for personal gain.
Garcia has already served, as Byron noted, in the State House. Before that he was Mayor Pro Tem of Dallas and has twice- in 1995 and again in 2001- sought the office of Mayor of Dallas. In his second race it is clear from the statements of one of his cheif supporters in a Spanish-language news interview that Garcia, who finished third in the race and thus missed the runoff, was selling his endorsement to the highest bidder. Tom Dunning, who lost the runoff to current Mayor Laura Miller, was the recipient of Garcia's endorsement. After the race, he was investigated by the Dallas County DA for vote fraud- buying the support of influential South Dallas residents, buying votes and fraudulently rigging absentee ballots. Jim Schutze, the guy who knows more about Dallas politics than the pope knows prayers, suggests that Garcia wasn't actually selling his endorsement but said that to make his supporters (who he obviously holds in very low regard) buddy up to a candidate (Dunning) who he had accused of being a racist for a couple of months prior to that. So either Garcia is a) a crook or b) a hypocrite with no interest in the well-being of Hispanic people in Dallas other than himself. Take your pick.
Garcia's wife is also a politician- Dr. Elba Garcia serves on the Dallas City Council. In 2001 there is ample evidence that she stole her election to the council and that Domingo was the chief architect of the effort. Also, Aurelio Castillo, fomrer Dallas County Constable and Domingo Garcia's protege went on to a life of abuse of power and corruption that landed him in disgrace. While it doesn't necessarily mean that Garcia's a bad guy it does suggest that the company he keeps is a pretty shady one. Castillo should watch out though, Garcia has a back-stabbing nature. His first election to the House in 1996 was a bloody one where he trashed and unseated his longtime friend and the godfather of his children Roberto Alonzo. All of this after committing to Alonzo that he would not run against him. He suggested that Alonzo was less masculine than he because Alonzo had "Indian blood," among other things.
When he gets into office Garcia has shown a willingness to abuse his power as well. Among the most visible instance was his flagrant violation of Texas' Open Meetings Laws while serving on the City Council. He is also part of the race-based power structure in Dallas that seeks to divide the city by color and then put the interests of yourself and then your particular race over the needs of the entire city. Dallas was founded by reactionaries and Klansmen and has a sordid racial history. Today, Dallas is still divided with self-appointed "community leaders" cashing in and selling out their neighborhoods and using racism as a political tool. This backwardsness has meant that Dallas has a stumbling economy, a crumbling infrastructure and the nation's highest crime rate. Garcia is a major beneficiary of this antiquated and dispicable system and that alone ought to dissuade you from supporting him.
If none of this- the vote fraud, the backstabbing, the abuse of power, the affiliation with unsavory characters, the race-baiting, and so on- makes you uneasy, your decision is still an easy one. Domingo Garcia does not live in the 103rd. He is ineligible to run for this office. The last time I checked, the way a representative democracy works is that a candidate who is a resident of a certain district offers to represent those people in whatever position s/he wishes to, the voters then decide if they want them to. To ignore the boundaries of districts and to just assume that you can run for whatever seat you wish, regardless of your legal qualifications is a sign of someone who has no regard for the law or the democratic process. Not only is he unqualified, he's unable to run so Byron's endorsement seems a little bit silly. Rafael Anchia, love him or hate him, is the only Democrat in the race and he has my support.
Finally, let's look at the bigger picture here. Domingo Garcia is an overly-ambitious, rather unsuccessful local politico. He has lost far more elections than he has won, he's 45 and unknown outside of Dallas and he's not even that widely appreciated here, having been soundly defeated in every citywide election he's ever run in. Rafael Anchia is a young, ambitious, successful, moderate Hispanic Democrat. He has been touted as potentially Dallas' first Hispanic mayor and has a bright future ahead of him. In 2003 I supported a good man, Brewster McCracken, for Austin City Council though I probably had more in common politically with his main opponent, Margot Clarke. I supported him because I knew that he would be going places- that Austin City Council was only the start of a great political career for him. Margot Clarke is a nice woman and a great progressive, but she is going no where. I am interested in making Texas a Democratic state again and defeating someone appealing like Anchia to help out someone perhaps a bit more ideologically in tune with me that is going no where fast is a waste of a vote.
Byron's endorsement made me uneasy. Having spoken to him about Garcia before, I know that he knows that Garcia has an unsavory past. Yet he endorses him simply because he has a liberal voting record and Anchia a more conservative one. This is ignorant and shameful. In politics, at least the politics I believe in, there are certain things that you are bound to serve and a hierarchy of obligations. First is to your country and your constituents, next to your word, then to your friends, then your party and finally to yourself. Domingo Garcia has promoted a racist, corrupt city government, has insulted the intelligence of his constituents, has lied repeatedly, has betrayed his friends, has shown little ability to do much for the people of Dallas or the people of Texas. Simply because he's a solid Democrat is no reason to support him. I'm very happy that he will not be in this race and that we are giving an honorable man, Rafael Anchia, a chance to serve the community that Domingo Garcia has manipulated to serve himself for nearly 20 years. There are few things as sacred in a republic as the ballot box- the knowledge that the votes that are cast are honest votes and will all be counted. Garcia has decided that that sacred place is his personal toilet which he fills with bullshit and manipulates to get himself in power. Shame on him and shame on those who would put politics above principle and prop up a corrupt and failed husk of a man like Domingo Garcia.