When we Texans aren't contemplating whether Jesus rode dinosaurs, we are actually covertly rebuilding the Democratic party.
In 2008, we came within one vote of taking back the Texas house, and we have a really good candidate for Governor.
There are actual Democrats actually running for office and some of them are doing pretty well.
In Texas, there's a fellow named Bill White, running on the Democratic ticket for governor, and he has a real shot at knocking off Rick Perry (R-Wingnut).
White is the only person to emerge from the whole Katrina fiasco to prove that government works. He was the mayor of Houston at the time, and unlike Brownie and W who blew it at the federal level, and Rick Perry who blew it at the state level, White worked with a cross-section of the public and private sectors in Houston and found housing, help, and hope for thousands of refuges from New Orleans into Houston.
White won reelection by 70 to 80% margins. A former Clinton appointee, he is a prolific fundraiser, and Texas Monthly has called him the savior of the Democratic party. He outraised Rick Perry in January. Trial lawyers and tort reform have been periennial wingnut whipping boys here, so lawyers are forking out big bucks for White.
Newbies to politics think that Texas is wingnut territory, but it's not. Its politics has had its progressive eras from time to time (see Ralph Yarborough, and Ann Richards, hell for that matter, by today's standards, LBJ's a liberal.) But there's always been a lot of oil money (see hates taxes, greed), and the petro dollars have bought a lot of elections since W's tenure.
The Republican primary which is a battle to see who can be the most extreme on the right wing will probably result in a run-off between Perry and Kay Bailey-Hutchinson, thanks to teabagger Debra Medina. Perry will have to spend millions on a run-off.
White will likely get through his primary without a run-off.
Early voting in the primary has begun, and although he keeps his clothes on, and he's bald, Bill White could be the next Scott Brown on the Democratic side . . .A quiet surprise that changes the paradigm.
Having a Democratic governor in Texas could make a huge difference going into 2012, not to mention, that the governor appoints the textbook committee, and all of those Moral Majority bigots wouldn't be reappointed when their terms expire.
If we can work some bandwidth in and around rants about dinosaurs around here, head on over to the Act Blue page for Bill White.
http://www.actblue.com/...