gnuschler
05-30-2014, 09:17 AM
Empower Texans had a few noteworthy observations about the Texas primaries … and issued a call to the grassroots to step up: http://www.empowertexans.com/features/ralph-hall-makes-history-will-texans-take-notice/
Perhaps one of the biggest upsets in May’s runoff’s elections was Rep. Ralph Hall’s loss to his Republican primary challenger, and former U.S. Attorney, John Ratcliffe. Most news headlines note that Hall is the oldest sitting U.S. House member and the oldest House member in history to both serve and cast a vote (http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Texas/2014/05/27/Oldest-Ever-Congressional-Rep-Defeated-in-GOP-Runoff).
He’s also one of extraordinarily long tenure as a public official, serving 64 consecutive years.
But this race was of much greater significance to those who understand the structural political challenge Texans face at every level; entrenched incumbents protected by the party elite.
Since Texas became a state, Hall’s loss marked the first election in which a sitting Republican U.S. Representative from Texas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Hall) failed to obtain his party’s re-nomination.
Stated differently, never has a sitting House member in Texas been defeated in the Republican primary by a challenger!
…
Imagine how ineffective businesses would operate if employees knew they couldn’t be fired?
Some say that term limits are the answer. But nothing can replace the power of an educated and engaged electorate.
Aside from voters supporting a competitive primary process, the next best remedy to the insidious problem of incumbency is for voters to reengage at the state, county and local level. After all, your Mayor, County Judge or Commissioner will likely find their way to state-wide office or Washington D.C.
A greater degree of competition in both the 2012 and 2014 primaries has resulted in extraordinary victories for conservatives across the state (http://www.empowertexans.com/features/conservatives-win-big/). May’s run-offs furthered solidified the growing momentum of the movement (http://www.empowertexans.com/features/gaining-new-ground/), resulting in the Dallas Morning News front-page headline, “Tea for Texas” (http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/headlines/20140526-texas-gop-primaries-are-steeped-in-tea-party-agenda.ece).
As Michael Quinn Sullivan noted, the political establishment is on the run. Big government legislators, lobbyists and the cronies that feed them across the state are schizophrenically dismissing this year’s results and throwing frantic temper tantrums (http://www.empowertexans.com/features/crony-ignore-election-support-business-as-usual/).
Imagine how impactful a greater degree of county and local activism will be in building a grassroots army of future conservative leaders at the state and national level?
As stated in a newsletter celebrating Battleground Texas’ one-year anniversary (http://www.empowertexans.com/features/from-your-city-council-to-the-white-house/), the progressive left has already pledged to challenge every public office, from your City Council to the White House.
Will conservatives in Texas meet that challenge, or end up like California and Colorado, whose progressive minorities overwhelmed the conservative majority?
Perhaps one of the biggest upsets in May’s runoff’s elections was Rep. Ralph Hall’s loss to his Republican primary challenger, and former U.S. Attorney, John Ratcliffe. Most news headlines note that Hall is the oldest sitting U.S. House member and the oldest House member in history to both serve and cast a vote (http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Texas/2014/05/27/Oldest-Ever-Congressional-Rep-Defeated-in-GOP-Runoff).
He’s also one of extraordinarily long tenure as a public official, serving 64 consecutive years.
But this race was of much greater significance to those who understand the structural political challenge Texans face at every level; entrenched incumbents protected by the party elite.
Since Texas became a state, Hall’s loss marked the first election in which a sitting Republican U.S. Representative from Texas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Hall) failed to obtain his party’s re-nomination.
Stated differently, never has a sitting House member in Texas been defeated in the Republican primary by a challenger!
…
Imagine how ineffective businesses would operate if employees knew they couldn’t be fired?
Some say that term limits are the answer. But nothing can replace the power of an educated and engaged electorate.
Aside from voters supporting a competitive primary process, the next best remedy to the insidious problem of incumbency is for voters to reengage at the state, county and local level. After all, your Mayor, County Judge or Commissioner will likely find their way to state-wide office or Washington D.C.
A greater degree of competition in both the 2012 and 2014 primaries has resulted in extraordinary victories for conservatives across the state (http://www.empowertexans.com/features/conservatives-win-big/). May’s run-offs furthered solidified the growing momentum of the movement (http://www.empowertexans.com/features/gaining-new-ground/), resulting in the Dallas Morning News front-page headline, “Tea for Texas” (http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/headlines/20140526-texas-gop-primaries-are-steeped-in-tea-party-agenda.ece).
As Michael Quinn Sullivan noted, the political establishment is on the run. Big government legislators, lobbyists and the cronies that feed them across the state are schizophrenically dismissing this year’s results and throwing frantic temper tantrums (http://www.empowertexans.com/features/crony-ignore-election-support-business-as-usual/).
Imagine how impactful a greater degree of county and local activism will be in building a grassroots army of future conservative leaders at the state and national level?
As stated in a newsletter celebrating Battleground Texas’ one-year anniversary (http://www.empowertexans.com/features/from-your-city-council-to-the-white-house/), the progressive left has already pledged to challenge every public office, from your City Council to the White House.
Will conservatives in Texas meet that challenge, or end up like California and Colorado, whose progressive minorities overwhelmed the conservative majority?