Sunday, December 07, 2008

Republicans in Retreat in Texas While TNGOP Charges Hard into the Past

Just after the November elections and seeing some dispatches from the Lone Star State, I observed that, given Texas's fading red status, 21st Century Tennessee may be more like the Texas of the 1980s, which might mean the political equivalent of the Dark Ages for the Volunteer State. I also pointed out that Texas's provisional ballots supported a Texas shading purple.

Now comes a study from a Republican research firm of Texas voter attitudes toward the parties. It finds that voters see Republicans as "arrogant, racist, corrupt, and angry," while they see Democrats as "smart, innovative, reformers, fair, thoughtful and ... the party of the future." The pro-GOP study also finds that Republicans have the almost impossible task of connecting with middle-of-the-roaders who do not give a crap about right-wing red-meat issues like the culture war or immigration.

These shifts show just how irrelevant red-meat responses to the elections (like TNGOP's) are becoming. There seems to be a broader political consensus evolving in more influential states like Texas that makes Tennessee look like a regressive compound of reactionaries.

(Side note:  Southcomm also started paying attention to Texas a few days ago).

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