![]() |
![]() |
Burnt Orange ReportNews, Politics, and Fun From Deep in the Heart of Texas |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
October 11, 2003Fortson: "The Queen Lives"By Byron LaMastersABC News reports more details from Rep. Joe Barton (R-Ennis)'s legislative counsel, Joby Fortson's email hailing redistricting:
Disgusting... Posted by Byron LaMasters at October 11, 2003 06:24 PM | TrackBack
Comments
Byron: From the Austin American Statesman. "Democrats are confident the redistricting map that passed the House but stalled in the Senate on Friday violates the federal Voting Rights Act by reducing the number of minority-opportunity districts — where black and Hispanic voters can control the outcome — from 11 to 10. " I'm not sure how the Democrats got this. I have districts 9, 15, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 27-30 as minority districts. By my count, that is 11. Truthfully, I think that blacks in south Fort Worth get screwed, but minorities do fine overall. As much as I like my current district and hate my new one, I think the Republicans threaded the minority needle. In fact, I posted this in an earlier thread. I think that the Republicans are right about the legal challenges, and actually I am suspicious whether this map is as conservative as people think it is. First, for a disclosure, I am a TX Democrat who lives in Martin Frost’s district. I am about to be districted into Joe Barton’s district (aka a white supremacist district). I recently compared the new map (01374C) versus the current map (01151C), and honestly I do NOT believe it is as bad as I initially thought. Compare the number of minority districts: VAP %B+H: 01151C versus 01374C It looks like the number of minority districts is pretty much the same with a slight edge to the new map. However, that does not mean that the Republicans did not do the job they set out to do, which was disenfranchising democrats. Here is the comparison of the number of Republican districts: ST % REP: 01151C versus 01374C It looks like they took a lot of Republican leaning districts and made them strong Republican districts. Now for some optimism. I have the Democrats likely winning 10 districts--9, 15, 16, 18, 20, 25, and 27-30. I also think that Sandlin, Lampson, Hall, and Edwards can win districts 1, 2, 4, and 17, respectively. Each of these representatives won Republican districts in 2002 when Bush was very popular, so perhaps they could win Republican districts again. Stenholm is in trouble because now he will face Neugebauer in district 19, but perhaps he could pull off an upset. Finally, Democrats should certainly go after Bonilla in district 23. This is a lot of optimism, but the Democrats could escape with losing only one seat. If there is some part of my analysis that is wrong, could you please let me know? Thanks. I think that district 23 is the biggest problem here. While Hispanics will have a majority (55%) in the new district, I think a strong arguement could be made that Hispanics do not "control the outcome" in the district in the way that they do now with 66% of the VAP. Posted by: ByronUT at October 11, 2003 09:13 PMIt could almost be argued that Hispanics don't control the outcome now in the 23rd because there are usually enough votes in NW Bexar county to offset big gaines in the other parts. Just look at 2002. Henry Cuellar was winning until we in Bexar county finished counting our votes. Although last time Henry Bonilla probably had his closest win. Posted by: Jacob M. at October 11, 2003 10:19 PMWhile gloating is counterproductive and impolitic, the aide's e-mail is not exactly "disgusting." Unfortunately, the ABC story leaves out some important context. The email's reference to royalty reflects a quote attributed to Jackson-Lee herself by one of her own (former) staffers. Upon failing to be chauffered to a civil rights-related event, she apparently exclaimed: "You don't understand. I am a queen, and I demand to be treated like a queen." And this is hardly her sole failing. See, e.g., this, this, and this. Jackson-Lee is an embarrassment to Texas. It would be a blessing if Jackson-Lee were redistricted out of a job. Indeed, her survival says something about the incumbent protection racket that is political districting. In a competitive district, she would never survive. Posted by: The Curmudgeonly Clerk at October 11, 2003 10:19 PM The problem with using Hispanic VAP as a guide is that Hispanic registration runs substantially below Hispanic VAP, both absolutely and as compared to Anglo percentage, so a 55% Hispanic VAP becomes a (maybe)45% Hispanic registration and a 40% Hispanic vote. This has consistently been recognized in the definition of Hispanic districts (read the fine print in the decisions), so District 23, when the "totality" is considered, no longer qualifies as a Hispanic-opportunity district. Further, the newly created Austin-to-McAllen district is quite clearly built on Hispanic racial grounds, which is illegal. As the guidelines say, "don't confuse political with racial divisions", and this is a clear example. Finally, one of the rules of an acceptable map is that BOTH SIDES have to be involved, and the Democrats were shut out of the process. The map was designed in a series of closed meetings, there was only a single D on the conference committee (who was not even in those meetings). Read the Minnesota rules, which were written before SCOTUS became interested in political gerrymandering in addition to racial, and you'll see that this map violates even the old rules, let alone the Georgia and Pennsylvania (assumed) ones. A deciding factor in the Georgia case was whether the affected (potentially aggrieved) parties agreed with the map. That is not the case here. Posted by: precinct1233 at October 11, 2003 10:33 PMBlank, I disagree with your theory that minorities fared ok. Tell that to hispanics who will never see Pete Sessions come to North Oak Cliff part of Dallas. I think Sandlin can win his new district, but that will be a DCCC/RCCC fight. They have drawn this district with former Tyler Mayor Kevin Eltife in mind. Sandlin needs to clean up in the rural counties plus heavily black North Tyler. Edwards will have a tough race. Adding Johnson, and Brazos made this district more Republican and unfriendly. As a former Aggie, needs to get some Aggie crossovers to survive. Neither Lampson nor Gene Green will win district 2. It was drawn for a Republican in Spring or Humble-Kingwood. Lampson may be able to turn out Jefferson, but it won't be enough. Posted by: pc at October 13, 2003 11:39 AMMy kingdom for the complete transcript of the email! I know it was read in full on the floor of the House, but the daily journals online are only updated through the 8th as of today. The SJL commentary, in my mind, isn't the disgusting part ... there are more parts of it that are, however. In sports parlance, this is chalkboard material if there ever was such a thing. Posted by: Greg Wythe at October 13, 2003 11:49 AMWanting Sheila Jackson-Lee drawn out is no more disgusting than the Democrats own pandering to minority groups while doing very little actual work on their behalf...or claiming that Republicans don't represent minorities (what happened to color-blindness?), and assuming that minorities are in the pockets of Democrats to be used at will...or assuming that Joe Barton's district is a "white supremist" district. Generalizations and stereotypical racism are tools most utilized by Democrats lately. Posted by: Adam at October 13, 2003 02:33 PMThe infamous Fortson email in its entirety: http://homepage.mac.com/kaaawa/iblog/C2128262602/E657251496/index.html Posted by: SRL at October 13, 2003 02:48 PMAdam what are you trying to say? Glad you live in Dallas. I can be a little more specific with you. Do you really think Pete Sessions will spend time getting to know constituents in old Oak Cliff off Jefferson Blvd, compared to Preston Rd? Posted by: pc at October 14, 2003 07:37 PM
Post a comment
|
![]() |
About Us
About/Contact
Advertising Policies
Donate
![]()
Archives
May 2005
April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003
Recent Entries
More on HD 143
I see a pattern, do you? Smokin' Die, Nazi Spam, Die! GOP Major Donor and Activist Kathy Ingle Seeks Dallas City Council District 14 Seat in Run-off Ambassador Hutchison? Ana Hernandez to Run for the Seat of Joe Moreno Cheerleaders to remain Bootylicious HJR 6 Lives Again Nebraska Gay Marriage Amendment Overturned Military Musical Chairs Update Firefox Texas Democratic Party: $6,300 Making Homes Nuclear Text Messages DeLay and Frist: Out of Control Chris Bell Liveblog Parental Consent Bill Tabled Done Take the Pew Test
Categories
2004: Dem Convention (79)
2004: Presidential Election (570) 2008: Presidential Election (8) About Burnt Orange (126) Around Campus (144) Austin City Limits (141) Axis of Idiots (29) Blogs and Blogging (136) BOR Humor (63) BOR Sports (59) Budget (16) Burnt Orange Endorsements (14) Congress (41) Crime and Punishment (2) Dallas City Limits (101) Elsewhere in Texas (14) Get into the Action! (5) GLBT (151) Houston City Limits (29) International (96) Intraparty (39) National Politics (497) Oh, you know, other stuff. (30) Politics for Dummies (11) Pop Culture (63) Redistricting (255) Social Security (30) Texas Lege (116) Texas Politics (682) That Liberal Media (2) The Economy, Stupid (15) The Stars At Night Are Big And Bright (1)
BOR Edu.
University of Texas
University Democrats
BOR News
The Daily Texan
The Statesman The Chronicle
BOR Politics
DNC
DNC Blog: Kicking Ass DSCC DSCC Blog: From the Roots DCCC DCCC Blog: The Stakeholder Texas Dems Travis County Dems U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett State Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos State Rep. Dawnna Dukes State Rep. Elliott Naishtat State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez State Rep. Mark Strama
Linked to BOR!
Alexa Rating
Truth Laid Bear Ecosystem Technoranti Link Cosmos Blogstreet Blogback
Polling
American Research Group
Annenberg Election Survey Gallup Polling Report Rasmussen Reports Survey USA Zogby
Texas Stuff
A Little Pollyana
Austin Bloggers DFW Bogs DMN Blog In the Pink Texas Inside the Texas Capitol The Lasso Pol State TX Archives Quorum Report Daily Buzz George Strong Political Analysis Texas Law Blog Texas Monthly Texas Observer
TX Dem Blogs
100 Monkeys Typing
Alandwilliams.com Alt 7 Annatopia Appalachia Alumni Association Barefoot and Naked BAN News Betamax Guillotine Blue Texas Border Ass News The Daily DeLay The Daily Texican Dos Centavos Drive Democracy Easter Lemming Esoterically Get Donkey Greg's Opinion Half the Sins of Mankind Jim Hightower Houtopia Hugo Zoom Latinos for Texas Off the Kuff Ones and Zeros Panhandle Truth Squad Aaron Peña's Blog People's Republic of Seabrook Pink Dome The Red State Rhetoric & Rhythm Rio Grande Valley Politics Save Texas Reps Skeptical Notion Something's Got to Break Southpaw Stout Dem Blog The Scarlet Left Tex Prodigy ToT View From the Left Yellow Doggeral Democrat
TX GOP Blogs
Beldar Blog
Blogs of War Boots and Sabers Dallas Arena Jessica's Well Lone Star Times Publius TX Safety for Dummies The Sake of Arguement Slightly Rough
Daily Reads
&c.
ABC's The Note Atrios BOP News Daily Kos Media Matters MyDD NBC's First Read Political State Report Political Animal Political Wire Talking Points Memo CBS Washington Wrap Wonkette Matthew Yglesias
College Blogs
CDA Blog
Get More Ass (Brown) Dem Apples (Harvard) KU Dems U-Delaware Dems UNO Dems Stanford Dems
GLBT Blogs
American Blog
BlogActive Boi From Troy Margaret Cho Downtown Lad Gay Patriot Raw Story Stonewall Dems Andrew Sullivan
More Reads
Living Indefinitely
Blogroll Burnt Orange!
BOR Webrings
< ? Texas Blogs # >
<< ? austinbloggers # >> « ? MT blog # » « ? MT # » « ? Verbosity # »
Election Returns
CNN 1998 Returns
CNN 2000 Returns CNN 2002 Returns CNN 2004 Returns state elections 1992-2005 bexar county elections collin county elections dallas county elections denton county elections el paso county elections fort bend county elections galveston county elections harris county elections jefferson county elections tarrant county elections travis county elections
Texas Media
abilene
abilene reporter news alpine alpine avalanche amarillo amarillo globe news austin austin american statesman austin chronicle daily texan online keye news (cbs) kut (npr) kvue news (abc) kxan news (nbc) news 8 austin beaumont beaumont enterprise brownsville brownsville herald college station the battalion (texas a&m) corpus christi corpus christi caller times kris news (fox) kztv news (cbs) crawford crawford lone star iconoclast dallas-fort worth dallas morning news dallas observer dallas voice fort worth star-telegram kdfw news (fox) kera (npr) ktvt news (cbs) nbc5 news wfaa news (abc) del rio del rio news herald el paso el paso times kdbc news (cbs) kfox news (fox) ktsm (nbc) kvia news (abc) galveston galveston county daily news harlingen valley morning star houston houston chronicle houston press khou news (cbs) kprc news (nbc) ktrk news (abc) laredo laredo morning times lockhart lockhart post-register lubbock lubbock avalanche journal lufkin lufkin daily news marshall marshall news messenger mcallen the monitor midland - odessa midland reporter telegram odessa american san antonio san antonio express-news seguin seguin gazette-enterprise texarkana texarkana gazette tyler tyler morning telegraph victoria victoria advocate waco kxxv news (abc) kwtx news (cbs) waco tribune-herald weslaco krgv news (nbc) statewide texas cable news texas triangle
World News
ABC News All Africa News Arab News Atlanta Constitution-Journal News.com Australia BBC News Bloomberg Boston Globe CBS News Chicago Tribune Christian Science Monitor CNN Denver Post FOX News Google News The Guardian Inside China Today International Herald Tribune Japan Times LA Times Mexico Daily Miami Herald MSNBC New Orleans Times-Picayune New York Times El Pais (Spanish) Salon San Francisco Chronicle Seattle Post-Intelligencer Slate Times of India Toronto Star Wall Street Journal Washington Post
Powered by
Movable Type 3.15 |
![]() |