Democrats launch plan to turn Texas blue

[itshappening]

National Democrats are taking steps to create a large-scale independent group aimed at turning traditionally conservative Texas into a prime electoral battleground, crafting a new initiative to identify and mobilize progressive voters in the rapidly-changing state, strategists familiar with the plans told POLITICO.

The organization, dubbed “Battleground Texas,” plans to engage the state’s rapidly growing Latino population, as well as African-American voters and other Democratic-leaning constituencies that have been underrepresented at the ballot box in recent cycles. Two sources said the contemplated budget would run into the tens of millions of dollars over several years - a project Democrats hope has enough heft to help turn what has long been an electoral pipe dream into reality.

At the center of the effort is Jeremy Bird, formerly the national field director for President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign, who was in Austin last week to confer with local Democrats about the project.

In a statement to POLITICO, Bird said the group would be “a grassroots organization that will make Texas a battleground state by treating it like one.”

“With its diversity and size, Texas should always be a battleground state where local elections are vigorously contested and anyone who wants to be our commander in chief has to compete and show they reflect Texas values. Yet for far too long, the state’s political leaders, both in Austin and in Washington, D.C., have failed to stand for Texans,” said Bird, who recently founded a consulting firm, 270 Strategies. “Over the next several years, Battleground Texas will focus on expanding the electorate by registering more voters – and as importantly, by mobilizing Texans who are already registered voters but who have not been engaged in the Democratic process.”

(Also on POLITICO: Texas GOP touts its Hispanic model)

Said Bird: “Candidates who represent Texans should have to fight hard for the honor – and Battleground Texas will help make sure they do.

One Democrat close to the planning process said the group intended to bring in “top campaign talent to Texas” for a long-term organizing push. Strategists filed papers with the Texas Ethics Commission to create Battleground Texas earlier this month with that goal in mind.

“It’s going to take a sustained effort and we’re going to have to prove ourselves over time,” the Democrat staid. “We need to have the talent in state to build something real over time and make the environment such that you can look someone in the eye and say, ‘You can run statewide and you can win,’ or you can tell a presidential candidate that you should really consider putting resources here.”

Another strategist tied to Texas called the project a “very positive effort to try to put together a pretty broad grassroots organization to try to identify and ultimately mobilize progressive voters.”

“There’s a realistic view that that will take more than one cycle,” the strategist said. “None of this stuff is ever real until you’ve got money.”

Democrats have eyed Texas longingly for years, watching as the Republicans bastion has transformed into a majority-minority state. The 2010 census found that 38 percent of Texans identified themselves as Latino or Hispanic; just under 45 percent were non-Hispanic whites.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/democrats-launch-plan-to-turn-texas-blue-86651.html#ixzz2ItX3wY6f

[american.swan]

You know Texas is a huge torn Obama's side. Best economy in the country. People moving their in droves. Job creation. Everything Obama hates.

TEXAS GOP needs a new slogan especially for the DNC. Leave Texas alone, go fix California.

[tangent4ronpaul]

Good luck with that! - LOL!

-t

[RonPaulFanInGA]

Democrats launch plan to turn Texas blue

And they'll do that by pushing gun control.

[paulbot24]

I have family that still say things like Democrat voters in their state should go back up to Yanktown where they belong and leave them alone. This reeks of more Latino vote pandering, which is getting embarrassing from both sides but come on now. Here's one for you Bird, "Don't bother with Texas."

[nobody's_hero]

Locusts.

[dbill27]

It will work, california used to be a battleground state not all that long ago. Liberty will not win trying to defend such a large area as the united states, population growth always favors liberalism.

[WilliamShrugged]

well texas is full of religious social conservatives so its not like it is a freeatopia

[compromise]

They did it in Florida, California and Virginia and they've almost done it in Arizona, North Carolina and Lousiana. Make no mistake, Texas and Georgia are next.
If Reagan ran in 2012, he would have lost in a landslide.

A problem with progressives in America is when they turn a state to crap, like they did in New York and Massachusetts, they just move to another, wealthier, more conservative state and ruin that too. So many of them came from the Northeast to California, then once California was wrecked they went to Florida, now they're flooding in to Texas and Georgia, voting for more government and also rabidly proselytizing the natives to liberalism.

[compromise]

well texas is full of religious social conservatives

You mean like Ron Paul?

[shane77m]

I really like the idea of dividing the country up between the liberty lovers and the statists. Hopefully the liberty lovers will get more of the Southern states. I don't like the cold plus Alabama has some great beaches. The way it looks I don't think the liberty people would too much space.

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

You know Texas is a huge torn Obama's side. Best economy in the country. People moving their in droves. Job creation. Everything Obama hates.

TEXAS GOP needs a new slogan especially for the DNC. Leave Texas alone, go fix California.

Texas! We are too happy not to work, too smart to give up our guns, and too stupid to be Social Communists.

[WilliamShrugged]

You mean like Ron Paul?

Yes because that's clearly what im playing at... just in case you haven't noticed Ron Paul was a congressman for a part of Texas. Not the Governor.

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

I really like the idea of dividing the country up between the liberty lovers and the statists. Hopefully the liberty lovers will get more of the Southern states. I don't like the cold plus Alabama has some great beaches. The way it looks I don't think the liberty people would too much space.

After allowing everyone to move, we should do what India did when they divided the nation up into Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. We need to build a border separating the northeast region plus Pennsylvania and Virginia from the rest of us. I still want to be a United States Citizen.

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

They did it in Florida, California and Virginia and they've almost done it in Arizona, North Carolina and Lousiana. Make no mistake, Texas and Georgia are next.
If Reagan ran in 2012, he would have lost in a landslide.

A problem with progressives in America is when they turn a state to crap, like they did in New York and Massachusetts, they just move to another, wealthier, more conservative state and ruin that too. So many of them came from the Northeast to California, then once California was wrecked they went to Florida, now they're flooding in to Texas and Georgia, voting for more government and also rabidly proselytizing the natives to liberalism.

The reason the whites up north continue allying themselves with African Americans in the south is to keep their wealth and power from going to the south. But there is only so much unemployment to go around. Ultimately, when a white northern person moves to Texas, they lose the financial reason to be a liberal. You know, the root of all evil is the love of money. That kind of thing . . .

[BAllen]

You mean like Ron Paul?

Ouch!!

[cjm]

They did it in Florida, California and Virginia...

I disagree about Virginia. Virginia isn't the solidly conservative state that it once was (if it ever was), but it's not comparable to California by any means. There is one corner of Virginia called "NoVA" (Northern Virginia) which is densely populated and economically dominated by Washington DC. This region has enough people to offset the rest of the state in statewide elections, but not by much. Obama won Virginia with 51.15% of the vote but Romney won 7 of the 11 congressional districts. Virginia is considering awarding presidential electors on a per-district basis in the future. If this system were in place for the 2012 election, the GOP would have received 7 electoral votes and Dems 6 (4 districts + 2 at large for the 51.15% statewide total).

My point here is that Virginia hasn't been turned, it's a battleground state. We currently have a GOP governor and we have a pretty good candidate for governor (http://www.cuccinelli.com/) this year. The Senate is split 20-20 with a GOP Lt. Governor casting tie-breaking votes. The GOP has the majority in the House of Delegates. Anything coming out of the state house would be considered conservative if compared to the other 49 state houses. Please don't let a presidential election map convince you that Virginia is interchangeable with CA or NY. If the GOP ever fields a good presidential candidate, Virginia will be red again.



After allowing everyone to move, we should do what India did when they divided the nation up into Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. We need to build a border separating the northeast region plus Pennsylvania and Virginia from the rest of us. I still want to be a United States Citizen.

I'm ok with just being a Virginia Citizen. Feel free to keep the federal government.

[ronpaulfollower999]

I really like the idea of dividing the country up between the liberty lovers and the statists. Hopefully the liberty lovers will get more of the Southern states. I don't like the cold plus Alabama has some great beaches. The way it looks I don't think the liberty people would too much space.

Agree. I say we split from the union why we still have a chance. :p

[compromise]

Yes because that's clearly what im playing at....

It is what you're playing at. Ron clearly isn't an atheist social liberal.

[Athan]

New slogan: "Texas, fight the statists!"

[Tax the Fed]

Now would this be before or after Texas secedes from the United States ?

[HOLLYWOOD]

The STATIST propagandist for CBS' FACE THE NATION, Bob Schieffer hosted this:

Castro: As GOP splinters, "purple" Texas ahead (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3460_162-57564899/as-gop-splinters-purple-texas-on-the-horizon-castro-predicts/)
San Antonio Mayor and his twin brother in Congress on the changing face of Texas politics
Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, and Mayor Julian Castro of San Antonio on the changing face of Texas politics.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50139342n


San Antonio Mayor Predicts: Texas Is Going ‘Purple’ Soon
Jan. 20, 2013
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/01/20/san-antonio-mayor-predicts-texas-is-going-purple-soon/

[angelatc]

First, import a bunch of third worlders that depend on federal government handouts for their survival.....

[pochy1776]

Here are some awesoe slogans

PROTECT THE LAND, SOCK THE STATISTS

BLUE? TEXAS BLOOD IS RED!!!!

YOU KNOW WHO ELSE SPLIT PEOPLE ON THEIR RACE? HITLER

[Brett85]

Actually, more conservatives are moving away from states like New York and California and moving to Texas.

[Brett85]

Romney won Texas by 16% in 2012, compared to McCain winning it by 12% in 2008. It doesn't hardly seem like Texas is moving in the Democrats' direction to me.

[Anti Federalist]

LOL, you're fucked now Texans.

[Pericles]

LOL, you're fucked now Texans.

We know that the intention is to import more Undocumented workers Democrats. The border could get wild (even more so than now).

[James Madison]

Romney won Texas by 16% in 2012, compared to McCain winning it by 12% in 2008. It doesn't hardly seem like Texas is moving in the Democrats' direction to me.

Texas won't turn blue any time soon, but give it a couple decades. As the boomers die off expect changes within a few election cycles.

[liveandletlive]

“I'll have those n#### voting Democratic for the next 200 years."

LBJ, racist Democrat

Obama and the Dems have done somethin similar with the Hispanic vote, it seems. And California will now be a majority latino state, outnumbering whites for the first time. Texas could follow, so dont be too sure about it being a red state forever.

i dont like lumping people into groups, but reality is a kick in the face

[Humanae Libertas]

They did it in Florida, California and Virginia and they've almost done it in Arizona, North Carolina and Lousiana. Make no mistake, Texas and Georgia are next.


California's GOP shot itself in the foot back in 1994 with the push for Prop 187 - an anti-illegal alien proposition backed by the voters. Which was totally reasonable, but once it was challenged in court and was stuck down as being unconstitutional, it let the Democrats control the narrative against them and convincing Mexican descent voters into think that GOP hates Mexicans. That is what really killed the GOP in California. That's why California is no longer a battle state and has a 2/3 majority with Statist Democrats in both chambers; in fact out of all the blue states, it becoming more and more blue with every election cycle.

[Keith and stuff]

Texas won't turn blue any time soon, but give it a couple decades. As the boomers die off expect changes within a few election cycles.

We don't know what the GOP or Democratic Party will stand for in a couple decades. Parties change in what they beleive. Maybe the Democratic Party will be the less bad Party in 25 years?

[fr33]

I'll be an ooold man if it happens in my lifetime. I doubt it will happen that soon.

[american.swan]

We need to fight to make Texas more red. Educate educate educate.... We need Texas GOP Hispanic outreach programs with pamphlets showing why Texas style of government works and the DNC is for wimps.

[american.swan]

I'd like to see Texas libertarians and conservatives put their views in action.

Set up organizations to help liberals outside of government and without tax increases.

[BAllen]

California's GOP shot itself in the foot back in 1994 with the push for Prop 187 - an anti-illegal alien proposition backed by the voters. Which was totally reasonable, but once it was challenged in court and was stuck down as being unconstitutional, it let the Democrats control the narrative against them and convincing Mexican descent voters into think that GOP hates Mexicans. That is what really killed the GOP in California. That's why California is no longer a battle state and has a 2/3 majority with Statist Democrats in both chambers; in fact out of all the blue states, it becoming more and more blue with every election cycle.

Well, the only option is to leave, and let it sink!!

[Humanae Libertas]

Well, the only option is to leave, and let it sink!!

Mostly anyone with a decent income is leaving the state. But at the same time, we are getting other state's deadbeats from all over the country. CA is attracting the lazy.

[NIU Students for Liberty]

We need to fight to make Texas more red. Educate educate educate.... We need Texas GOP Hispanic outreach programs with pamphlets showing why Texas style of government works and the DNC is for wimps.

No, we need outreach programs that educate people about why respecting individual rights is beneficial for society as a whole (something that both Republicans and Democrats seem to not comprehend). Stop playing the "Red Team vs. Blue Team" game.

[Keith and stuff]

Mostly anyone with a decent income is leaving the state. But at the same time, we are getting other state's deadbeats from all over the country. CA is attracting the lazy.

That's how it's supposed to work. If I was homeless and lazy, I'd consider moving to CA, HI, OR (or even FL if I didn't dislike the humid heat so much) and getting on welfare. Why not? It's an easier live. It's not too hot in the Summer or too cold in the Winter. You can be homeless year round and somewhat comfortable (temp wise) outside. Plus, at least in the 1st 3 states I mentioned, the welfare benefits are decent. Hopefully homeless people from all over the country continue to leave the major cities in the East and Midwest and move to CA.

[MikeStanart]

Not if I have anything to say about it. GTFO my state, statist asshats!

[itshappening]

Mostly anyone with a decent income is leaving the state. But at the same time, we are getting other state's deadbeats from all over the country. CA is attracting the lazy.

CA still has Hollywood, Silicon Valley, Orange county.

I dont know why though, wealth creators should just leave en masse.

[James Madison]

We don't know what the GOP or Democratic Party will stand for in a couple decades. Parties change in what they beleive. Maybe the Democratic Party will be the less bad Party in 25 years?

In 25 years the GOP will be indistinguishable from the current Democratic Party. The Dems, on the other hand, will be open Communists.

[FreeHampshire]

What we need is open borders and moar freedom /Libertarianism

[Dystopian]

I lived in Texas for 30 out of my 31 years. Texas is about as far from a libertarian paradise as possible. The so-called "conservatives" that run the counties and state are extremely statist.

[fr33]

I lived in Texas for 30 out of my 31 years. Texas is about as far from a libertarian paradise as possible. The so-called "conservatives" that run the counties and state are extremely statist.
Truth. But the odds of a libertarian paradise any time soon are about as good as a blue state. In Texas the Republican party has worked hard to become the party of christianity. So much so that they are phasing out Thomas Jefferson and his separation of church and state in the public schools. All of this is done by Republicans. Republicans in Texas for the most part are no less statist than the democrats. They just pick their issues; constitution be damned.

[qh4dotcom]

Romney won Texas by 16% in 2012, compared to McCain winning it by 12% in 2008. It doesn't hardly seem like Texas is moving in the Democrats' direction to me.

You forgot Romney is more liberal than McCain....McCain hasn't signed into law government run health care, McCain hasn't signed into law government an assault weapon ban.

[Tax the Fed]

In 25 years the GOP will be indistinguishable from the current Democratic Party. The Dems, on the other hand, will be open Communists.

And Texas will be none of the above.