Texas on it's way to become a purple state over abortion rights?

[TRoaches]

The whole reason why the state of Texas has remained so Red since 1976 and the states legislature controlled by the republican party is because of gerrymandering.

57% of Texans voted Republican in the last presidential election, which indicates that the simple majority of Texans are Republican-leaning. This casts some doubt on your theory that the "whole reason" the state has been Republican controlled is due to gerrymandering. Perhaps the voting public has something to do with it as well?

[colourwheel]

 

57% of Texans voted Republican in the last presidential election, which indicates that the simple majority of Texans are Republican-leaning. This casts some doubt on your theory that the "whole reason" the state has been Republican controlled is due to gerrymandering. Perhaps the voting public has something to do with it as well?

 

Have you ever wondered exactly the ratio of these voters over the states population according to the census? You will find the people in the state of Texas are being under represented due to legislation to block minority voters shrinking the states electorate each year making hundreds of thousands of voters to wait in line almost a full day just to vote. Leading to a majority of people who don't have the time to actually wait all day to not vote.

Edited July 15, 2013 by colourwheel

[TRoaches]

What legislation "blocks" minority voters, and in what way?

[colourwheel]

Last summer, a federal court ruled that Texas Republican lawmakers discriminated against minority voters while redrawing voting districts in 2011. U.S. Circuit Judge Thomas Griffith wrote that the 2011 redistricting map contained numerous irregularities and that Texas lawmakers drew the new boundaries “with discriminatory purpose.” and this is just one example.

Edited July 15, 2013 by colourwheel

[HeyYou]

What makes you think one democrat is going to be able to change the course of 30 plus years of redistricting? Nothing is going to change overnight, and if the republicans, which will still be pretty much in control, don't want changes made, there won't be any changes.....

[colourwheel]

 

What makes you think one democrat is going to be able to change the course of 30 plus years of redistricting?

 

"Change overnight" is more of a figure of speech and Wendy Davis will be a beacon of hope for starters for the state to change for the better. If you look at the changing demographics in just the state of Texas alone, over 50% of the state will eventually be Latino within the next few election cycles. The state of Texas already has a marginal majority of females and the white population keeps shrinking every year. Currently Republicans still have this delusion that they can win in National and Local elections just focusing on White voters. When a political party gives up completely on any portion of demographics from women to minorities the party is doomed to fail.

 

The modern Republican party has just become to much of a fringe party for any means of moderation to appeal to anything other than a majority of white voters in my opinion. Unless The republicans can broaden the base of their party where it is more appealing to other demographics of voters the party will remain a minority party for decades to come.

Edited July 16, 2013 by colourwheel

[rizon72]

All states have problems with redistricting, even democrat states, and there are calls that they are partisan in what they draw up. Saying that its just a republican thing is being naïve.

 

Politics is like water, constantly shifting and flowing. What is now, can change quickly. Democrats need to be wary, they hold power. Only 10 years ago the GOP seemed to be on the rise, and people were talking about the demise of the democratic party. If the democratic party was healthy and solid, I might believe you colour, but there are so many fractures in both parties that it won't take much to change the landscape of politics.

[TRoaches]

It always bothers me when people talk about the political leanings of an entire ethnicity or gender as if the people of that ethnicity or gender are a politically homogenized group. There are plenty of conservative Hispanics and conservative women in Texas. Your assumption that Hispanics or women constituting a population majority would lead to any particular political party assuming power is based on an assumption that there is no diversity of political thought within the Hispanic or female populations.

 

I think a party that courts voters based on demographics of race and gender is being racist and sexist. Both parties are guilty of this to some extent, but one party devotes much more energy to the practice.

[colourwheel]

 

There are plenty of conservative Hispanics and conservative women in Texas.

 

Not according to the exit polls done after last election and definitely not enough for Republicans to only focus on getting "more" white voters to turn out for elections. Currently Republicans across the nation are relying on a strategy to get more white voters thinking the partys problem is not being extreme enough leaning to the right. The political strategy the party is using is only alienating demographic groups they desperately need to win national elections. Almost all political strategist on both side feel the Republican party is on the wrong side of history pushing the party to rely on pretty much only their base voters.

Edited July 16, 2013 by colourwheel

[TRoaches]

Currently Republicans across the nation are relying on a strategy to get more white voters thinking the partys problem is not being extreme enough leaning to the right.

I see no evidence of this being true.

 

 

Almost all political strategist on both side feel the Republican party is on the wrong side of history pushing the party to rely on pretty much only their base voters.

 

This cannot possibly be true. Why would "almost all political strategists" in the Republican party push a strategy that they feel is "on the wrong side of history"? More likely, when you say "political strategists" what you really mean is "political pundits" aka actors on cable news who pretend to be experts on the subject and have the gall to assume to speak on behalf of others.