Texas was solid democrat from the reconstruction days until the mid 90’s. My mom once told me that back in the day, there wasn’t even a Republican choice on any of the ballots for state elections. She may have been exaggerating.The Annoyed Man wrote:…Ronald Reagan, in many ways an outstanding republican president, was a former democrat who famously stated, "I didn't leave my party. My party left me." I changed my views and became a conservative. Ronald Reagan was always a conservative who became a republican. Despite the existence of some very liberal democrats in Texas politics, I can tell you from a former outsider's perspective that many Texas democrats are NOTHING like California or New York democrats. Nothing at all. As more and more out-of-state democrats are moving into Texas following their jobs, that is changing, but there is still a strong core of that original version of Texas democrats hanging around. Bottom line, I don't consider Rick Perry's having been a democrat in the past to be a disqualifier.
I’m not sure how John Tower got elected in 1961 but I guess you could say that was the beginning of the end for democrats in Texas. Phil Gram changed political parties in 1983 and later in 1985 became the 2nd Republican Senator from Texas since reconstruction. The fact that a prominent Texas politician was once a democrat means nothing.
I see this not as Texans changing but as the democratic party leaving Texas.
I’ve read that Perry considers the PPV vaccine a huge mistake. He fell victim to some sob stories and was given bad advice. The corridor issue may be a problem for him.
Rick Perry can win against Obama. Is he perfect? Nope. No one is perfect so stop looking for that guy. He’s solid on the 2nd, he’s solid on business/jobs and at the end of the day, that’s what people are going to vote for.
I’m very interested on the changes he will make for border security. He gets criticized for his handling of border security but what can a Governor do? He can’t really order the National guard to attack. The DPS isn’t staffed for immigration issues and besides, it’s a federal responsibility so I ask, what can a Governor do when the President is actively doing everything in his power to hurt Texas? I do know that during my CHL instructor’s course, our instructor told us that the DPS is fighting a hot border war. Since Perry is putting our troopers in harms way, I guess his criticism for not doing anything is bogus.
When Perry is POTUS, I have no doubt that he will then make some much needed changes for border security. I for one would like very much to see some of those Mexican army units crossing our border get hit by a squad or two of US marines. Heck, let’s be cost effective. We can just have a couple of Wart Hogs on station every 200 miles or so and when the border cameras spot a convoy crossing someplace???? Boo-Hoo So Sad. If our southern brethren want to play army escorting a few million $$ worth of drugs, then they better bring a big lunch.
Ok. I’m done with my incoherent rambling.
Perry 2012.