Texas Democratic Party - what would make it successful statewide?

[Frank Erwin 203]

Even though Beto ultimately lost, he came so close, as illustrated above, because he was charismatic running against an unlikeable turd.  The more the democratic party can recruit charismatic candidates (I don't know how deep that bench is beyond Beto) to run against unlikeable turds (the TX republican party has a bench that would make Nick Saban hard in that regard) you will find closer races and even outright victories in the future.

[bad_teammate 13185]

If he turns his act up to 100% and doesn't waffle or try to moderate/triangulate, I think O'Rourke takes the governorship from Abbott and becomes the God of Texas Democratic politics for the next generation.

For as unsuited as I think Beto is in terms of national politics, the Texas Dems shouldn't be BEGGING this man to run again because we have no real talent and no real ideas that the mainstream Dems will accept.

plz save us daddy francis

 

[wildcat09 29338]

14 hours ago, BillyBadAss said:

B_T, you have me curious. Beto had about as much momentum as I could imagine in 2018. He was pretty damn progressive, he mostly came across as genuine, he was charismatic, women loved him. He campaigned very hard statewide.  Hell, willie nelson publicly supported him.  He got more press than any statewide candidate that I can remember.  He was running against Ted fucking Cruz with Trump in the WH.

You think he wasn't progressive enough to motivate more potential D voters?  

I appreciate your view points, but i just can't buy it.

Who are these potential D voters who weren't motivated to turn out in 2018 just waiting to be wooed? 
 

This isn't really how politics works. Yes, you see his strengths. But he was starting literally from scratch, in a state no Democrat had seriously competed in (statewide) for decades. That doesn't change just because a wunderkind candidate appears. States don't swing from red to blue or blue to red in the span of one election based on one campaign.

[TexasEd 8066]

3 hours ago, bad_teammate said:

2018 - Cruz v O'Rourke: Cruz +2.6
2020 - Cornyn v Hegar: Cornyn +9.6 (Trump +5.6)

You're just regurgitating tired political punditry. The same platitudes that have guided failed Democratic politics for 3 decades.

It doesn't make sense logically and it doesn't have any evidence to back it up. Just an article of faith.

I'd argue that these two were as much about the quality of the R candidate as they were about the quality of the D candidate and throw mid-term in for the kicker.  Cornyn is not the fuckstick trump is and outperformed him accordingly.  If Cruz had been 2020 against Beto I think he would have had closer to Trump's numbers on coattails.

Beto vs Corny would have been a bigger loss for Beto.

[TexasEd 8066]

3 hours ago, bad_teammate said:

2018 - Cruz v O'Rourke: Cruz +2.6
2020 - Cornyn v Hegar: Cornyn +9.6 (Trump +5.6)

You're just regurgitating tired political punditry. The same platitudes that have guided failed Democratic politics for 3 decades.

It doesn't make sense logically and it doesn't have any evidence to back it up. Just an article of faith.

I'd argue that these two were as much about the quality of the R candidate as they were about the quality of the D candidate and throw mid-term in for the kicker.  Cornyn is not the fuckstick trump is and outperformed him accordingly.  If Cruz had been 2020 against Beto I think he would have had closer to Trump's numbers on coattails.

Beto vs Corny would have been a bigger loss for Beto.

[bad_teammate 13185]

It's just been stated over and over as a given that Cornyn is more popular than Cruz or more liked, but looking at the stats that doesn't seem to be true.

Ted Cruz approval October 2018 - 47%
John Cornyn approval October 2018 - 39%

We hate Cruz, but Cruz was the #2 choice for Republicans for the nomination in 2016 behind Donald Trump.

[pyrohornIII 4814]

It seems to me that Cornyn did a better job keeping his mouth shut than Cruz did.  Up until 2020.  Then Trump kept goading him to speak up in defense of Trump and his policies.  At that point Cornyn really started showing his true inner idiot/supremist.  I think it shows how weak a candidate Hegar was that she could not capitalize on that, plus also the red swell of MAGAs helped him in 2020.  

Beto ran a good campaign with his traveling and enthusiasm.  I think he caught the TDP rather flatfooted and the 2020 cycle they were working hard to learn how to supplement candidates in this newer type grassroots campaigning, instead of old big money donor runs.    Hopefully this next cycle it will be even more streamlined and all resources can come to bear.

[horn4life 3759]

Simply a little more TIME... and eventually reducing barriers to voting put in place by the GOP to specifically reduce minority participation.

I Honestly think that Beto should take the path that Stacy Abrams took, simply become the face of how important it is to vote!  A little more voter participation and we are NOT fucking stuck with Ted (the whore) Cruz.  I think that he could do that, make a huge difference.  I can see Beto with the help of lots and lots of musicians having tons of Musical events where proving you are on the voter rolls is the cost of entry.  Or you can sign up at Gate #3 and get registered and get in over there.

I do NOT think Beto has the same draw for the African American communities.  I honestly would like to have Beto pair up with possibly a well known musician of color and be a "salt and pepper duo" focusing on getting ALL our young people registered. 

Percentage wise a little increase in minority and youth voting percentages combined with an excellent two year focus on voter registration, it could be next cycle.

 

 

[berlinerbaer 670]

To win statewide, the Dems really need to shore up South Texas and not let this happen again. GOTV, goddammit.

 

[pyrohornIII 4814]

Necro bump because it looks like TDP will get to finally choose a new chair.    There's been a lot of clamor the past 3 cycles to move beyond the Hinojosa leadership.    We shall see if they can choose better leadership this time around.  There was an attempt at the last convention to switch party races to ranked choice.  It never made it to the floor, un-surprisingly.  

[Nice Guy Eddie 13507]

6 hours ago, pyrohornIII said:

Necro bump because it looks like TDP will get to finally choose a new chair.    There's been a lot of clamor the past 3 cycles to move beyond the Hinojosa leadership.    We shall see if they can choose better leadership this time around.  There was an attempt at the last convention to switch party races to ranked choice.  It never made it to the floor, un-surprisingly.  

He resigned as of March 2025. Instead he should be told that his services are no longer needed after 5pm today. Hand his ass a few empty boxes and tell him to get packing.

[pyrohornIII 4814]

4 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

He resigned as of March 2025. Instead he should be told that his services are no longer needed after 5pm today. Hand his ass a few empty boxes and tell him to get packing.

He should be, but it won't happen because the party rules and in some cases state law dictate how this goes down.  And as inept as he has proven to be in helping Texas turn blue, his capacity to use the rules that the party lives under to his own benefit is nothing short of mastery.   He's basically lame duck now anyway, all we can really hope for is a fair election without any backroom deals, but I kind of doubt it.  

[swraith 345]

Going back to the thread title, I’m at a loss at how the TDP even begins to chart a new path forward. They made zero progress in this election cycle. 

[linux 1660]

1 minute ago, swraith said:

Going back to the thread title, I’m at a loss at how the TDP even begins to chart a new path forward. They made zero progress in this election cycle. 

The only hope is that it was a blip hispanic failure, lets face it hispanics are conservative but they are not "lets burn liberal enemies to the ground" kinda crazy, hispanic candidate would do wonders, might even win after Trump inevitably starts deporting citizens in the RGV (because lets face it they will be caught in the dragnet, faces will be eaten). What was the white vote delta? urban cities area delta?

[swraith 345]

I think TDP is going to have to do lot of hard work to figure out a new platform and message. Hoping 2024 was an anomaly sounds like “head in the sand” type approach. 

[linux 1660]

5 minutes ago, swraith said:

I think TDP is going to have to do lot of hard work to figure out a new platform and message. Hoping 2024 was an anomaly sounds like “head in the sand” type approach. 

Oh I agree, populism 100% and make drastic changes just saying that it is not despair mode, the florida democratic party however might as well close shop.