My Primary Thoughts

Also, he's ruining my rep as the corrupt, Republican-lite libertarian wannabe. I'm the pro-business hack at BOR! Everybody remember that.

I for one really wish that he had.


"The Bushite arctic freeze is thawing nationally, but in Texas we're still iced in. Fight 'em on the ice." -- DVO

We have a run off for Lt. Gov between someone who's actually had some experience in the legislature over someone, as lovely as a lady as she is, will not be able to go toe to toemail with Dewhurst in the fall.  To the run-offs.


I can help you ActBlue.

And Greg just needs to get some rest.


"The Bushite arctic freeze is thawing nationally, but in Texas we're still iced in. Fight 'em on the ice." -- DVO

How sad is that.


I can help you ActBlue.

I, for the record, was supporting Chris Bell and was probably in the minority here at BOR (at least, I think I was). But, guess what? We're all working for the common good and we can all get along.

That's the great thing about we bloggers and the Democratic Party: We can have our differences, but in the end, we're all out for the same goal...a better tomorrow, a better Texas, and a better United States.

Vince Leibowitz

Though Vince, I think you were probably in the majority on BOR.  Phillip was pretty even handed, and while I know how a couple other writers felt, I was about the only one publicly saying anything.

This post was meant to be a combination of final thoughts and one of those few more emotional pieces I get to write every few months.


I can help you ActBlue.

What we need is more passion - the informed passion of bloggers like Digby and ReddHedd and Jane Hamsher, leavened with the biting snark of Dependable Renegade - if progressives are going to make any progress.

Emote away.

Karl hits two points dead on.  One is the idea of working for the underdog no matter how hopeless if the cause is right.  The other is his expressed love of politics and understanding that politics binds one to the past and future like no other endeavor.

The last time I was so inspired was when I had breakfast with Ed Wendler in 1976 immediately after he lost the election for Travis Tax=Assessor Collector.  He was totally defeated and impoverished.  Yet he said exactly what Karl-Thomas said.  I remember him saying how he loved politics more than life itself and with people like David Butts, who worked for pennies in those days, he would be ecstatic when a contribution of $100 arrived in the mail because he could fight for a few more days. Although Ed and I were political opposites we both believed in the nobility of politics--which is just people-- and his words that morning helped keep me in the game when all was lost, which was usually the case.

The secret of success is failure Karl-Thomas.  Any idiot can win and advance by “social promotion”.  But only those who don't avoid failure bring about needed change. Confucius said, “If you want the measure of a man look at his failures.”  As Ann Richards always said, "the world can be changed by a few people.  In fact that is the only way it is ever changed."

Six years after I had breakfast with a totally defeated Ed Wendler he rose to engineer the greatest liberal takeover of Texas in our history.  (Which meant all my candidates lost.).  Our victory at San Jacinto would have been impossible without the complete defeat at the Alamo.

You and the people who believe as you do will accomplish more than you now believe possible. Keep true to your beliefs.  It is in human nature that all institutions become corrupt.  The genius of our system of Democracy is that the old and the corrupt and the status quo can always be challenged and usually defeated.

Trust me, 35 years ago Republican prospects in Texas were far worse than those of the Democrats are today.  I think we have governed well.  But the great creativity and idealism, which brought us success, have inevitably been replaced by an ossified dogmatism and inordinate love of title, power and money. 

I will probably disagree with most posting on this site until the day I die.  But where I am wrong it is essential to the future of Texas that you and your friends fight for what you believe is right.  And fight you must because there is probably nobody else who will fight for the same things.  Only one person in a hundred thousand really makes things happen in politics and writes history.  It is very important that you and your fellow posters be among that handful. 

After all, we’re Texas.

See how much has changed?  Also, we don't have phone booths anymore.

Royal, if that's you, you're a mensch.

I, for one, applaud this so-called "split in the Texas blogosphere". Quite often, the blogosphere unites to help make a difference for great candidates (like Carlos Uresti, Katy Hubener) and thats great, but I think sometimes a bit of a herd mentality creeps into support for our support of particular candidates or causes. This time, we supported different candidates, made up our own minds. That's good for democracy.

I hope that you will indeed run in the future, maybe part of a bang up statewide ticket in 2010 with Bill White and others.  From what others have said, here and offline, I'd be proud to support your future efforts. We'll get there eventually.


I can help you ActBlue.

But I do think Bell, if he wants Gammage supporters to back him now, ought to ask them to do so and be prepared to explain to them why he merits their support.

I think most Gammage folks are pretty strong Dems, but I also think simple courtesy demands Bell not take them for granted.

Remember that the "marketing" you reference was hardly one-sided.  There were a lot of fliers sent to Democrats that declared "Gammage:Damage." As you might imagine, some Gammage supporters found that pretty offensive.

I know Bell is now calling Bob a "great guy" on his blog, and a lot of people will agree with that.  But he still needs to talk to Bob's supporters about the reasons they should be confident that Gammage's specific issues won't be tossed overboard as Bell heads toward November.

Bob Gammage himself was a big part of what appealed to his supporters, but they also liked his forthright stands for raising the minimum wage, establishing a constitutional mandate for clean air and water, and for affordable health care, to name just three.

Chris Bell will run his own race, of course, and he should, but he needs to address the issues important to Gammage supporters if he wants their enthusiastic backing.

Also, KT, nicely done.

-RH