An important thing to consider is the strategy of rural votes is to hold the line between DFW/Austin/Houston until you reach El Paso. The hemorrhages in the blue areas hurt more when you hit the deep red sea. I agree focusing resources on the 19 areas within 20 points is best, but doing a quick, consistent mailer for rural candidates (same mailer change candidate) would go far. 2024 weirdly showed movement. Apparently they are super angry about vouchers After voting pro-voucher candidates in during primaries.
We left Dallas for greener pastures in 2009-2010. We had been there since 1998. We were registered Democrats. I never met anyone who would openly admit to being a Democrat. It looks like not much has changed in the last decade. The problem with the Democratic party in Texas is not much different from the problem in most of the south. Your analysis is spot on. We all need to start using the math skills we were taught in grade school. It is not rocket science or quantum physics. Go where the votes are and convince the voters to actually vote. The issues matter but voters cannot register their grievances with the Party over issues by not voting or by voting for fringe candidates. If you want change, vote first, negotiate later. Rich S, Contrary Octogenarian
ever see those car-trains rumbling down the tracks...that's GM Arlington or Toyota SA autos heading to Mexico to get a bumper or axle screwed on. then back up to Texas for the headliner and back down to Mexico for headlights and back up to the Dealer in Tyler.....25% every time it crosses the Rio Grande
meanwhile ur Nisaan or Izuz rolls into from Japan or South Korea, tariff free
I think your assessment of too much focus on rural areas in Texas is dead on. However, isn't it possible to "walk and chew gum" at the same time i.e. re-focus on urban and suburban Democratic leaning areas while having a minor yet effective ground game in rural districts? I'm asking this because I see a nationwide pattern with the Democratic party in general with major resource fragmentation either geographically or ideologically. I consistently read how the party leans heavily in individual states either with a too much rural or too much urban bias with no holistic focus to capture voters effectively no matter where they reside.
I'm not saying deploying resources comprehensively as I'm suggesting is easy or simple. I do wonder however that there are too many cooks in the Democratic party kitchen yet no one seems to see the big picture on how we can mobilize voters in all areas not just in Texas but nationwide. Does anyone have any thoughts about this?
Great question! I completely agree that the Democratic Party should strive for a holistic approach that reaches voters everywhere—urban, suburban, and rural. It’s not about choosing between rural and urban but about recognizing that every vote matters and building trust and visibility in all corners of the state.
speaking of rural..........Over the last three years, the head of a small charter school network that serves fewer than 1,000 students has taken home up to $870,000 annually, a startling amount that appears to be the highest for any public school superintendent in the state and among the top in the nation.- TT
not so rural but equally outrageous.....Dallas-based Gateway Charter Academy, which serves about 600 students, paid its superintendent Robbie Moore $426,620 in 2023, nearly double his base salary of $215,100, the latest available federal tax filings show. Pay for Mollie Purcell Mozley of Faith Family Academy, another Dallas-area charter school superintendent, hit a high of $560,000 in 2021, despite a contracted salary of $306,000. She continued to receive more than $400,000 during each of the two subsequent years, according to tax filings.
I live a county of 1.1 million on the border with Mexico. The border feels rural. There’s lots of crops, farms and ranches. Maybe the word rural needs a new word in politics because it feels very rural down here.
Another point is that this area also feels left out by DNC and the TDP. Maybe it’s bc they took us for granted; we were a solid blue wall for the last 100 years, until we weren’t.
Lubbock (262,611) is not a "rural" town by any possible population or demographic metric. But (many of) the people in Lubbock consider themselves to be living in "rural Texas," no matter how many Starbucks are in town. Sane with Amarillo (199,654), Midland (147,069), Odessa (125,413) and San Angelo (101,612). The cultural descriptors in those towns are more significant than the Census Bureau ones.
An important thing to consider is the strategy of rural votes is to hold the line between DFW/Austin/Houston until you reach El Paso. The hemorrhages in the blue areas hurt more when you hit the deep red sea. I agree focusing resources on the 19 areas within 20 points is best, but doing a quick, consistent mailer for rural candidates (same mailer change candidate) would go far. 2024 weirdly showed movement. Apparently they are super angry about vouchers After voting pro-voucher candidates in during primaries.
We left Dallas for greener pastures in 2009-2010. We had been there since 1998. We were registered Democrats. I never met anyone who would openly admit to being a Democrat. It looks like not much has changed in the last decade. The problem with the Democratic party in Texas is not much different from the problem in most of the south. Your analysis is spot on. We all need to start using the math skills we were taught in grade school. It is not rocket science or quantum physics. Go where the votes are and convince the voters to actually vote. The issues matter but voters cannot register their grievances with the Party over issues by not voting or by voting for fringe candidates. If you want change, vote first, negotiate later. Rich S, Contrary Octogenarian
We've been running the same playbook in Texas for a long time. Hopefully, a new chair will finally change this.
ever see those car-trains rumbling down the tracks...that's GM Arlington or Toyota SA autos heading to Mexico to get a bumper or axle screwed on. then back up to Texas for the headliner and back down to Mexico for headlights and back up to the Dealer in Tyler.....25% every time it crosses the Rio Grande
meanwhile ur Nisaan or Izuz rolls into from Japan or South Korea, tariff free
I planted a peach tree in preparation of tariffs, but I don’t think I’ll have peaches by the time they go into effect. 😭
I think your assessment of too much focus on rural areas in Texas is dead on. However, isn't it possible to "walk and chew gum" at the same time i.e. re-focus on urban and suburban Democratic leaning areas while having a minor yet effective ground game in rural districts? I'm asking this because I see a nationwide pattern with the Democratic party in general with major resource fragmentation either geographically or ideologically. I consistently read how the party leans heavily in individual states either with a too much rural or too much urban bias with no holistic focus to capture voters effectively no matter where they reside.
I'm not saying deploying resources comprehensively as I'm suggesting is easy or simple. I do wonder however that there are too many cooks in the Democratic party kitchen yet no one seems to see the big picture on how we can mobilize voters in all areas not just in Texas but nationwide. Does anyone have any thoughts about this?
Great question! I completely agree that the Democratic Party should strive for a holistic approach that reaches voters everywhere—urban, suburban, and rural. It’s not about choosing between rural and urban but about recognizing that every vote matters and building trust and visibility in all corners of the state.
speaking of rural..........Over the last three years, the head of a small charter school network that serves fewer than 1,000 students has taken home up to $870,000 annually, a startling amount that appears to be the highest for any public school superintendent in the state and among the top in the nation.- TT
not so rural but equally outrageous.....Dallas-based Gateway Charter Academy, which serves about 600 students, paid its superintendent Robbie Moore $426,620 in 2023, nearly double his base salary of $215,100, the latest available federal tax filings show. Pay for Mollie Purcell Mozley of Faith Family Academy, another Dallas-area charter school superintendent, hit a high of $560,000 in 2021, despite a contracted salary of $306,000. She continued to receive more than $400,000 during each of the two subsequent years, according to tax filings.
Damn. I'm in the wrong business.
TT? Texas Tribune?
yep
I live a county of 1.1 million on the border with Mexico. The border feels rural. There’s lots of crops, farms and ranches. Maybe the word rural needs a new word in politics because it feels very rural down here.
Another point is that this area also feels left out by DNC and the TDP. Maybe it’s bc they took us for granted; we were a solid blue wall for the last 100 years, until we weren’t.
I think everyone feels left out by the DNC and TDP.
Well said. Agreed.
Lubbock (262,611) is not a "rural" town by any possible population or demographic metric. But (many of) the people in Lubbock consider themselves to be living in "rural Texas," no matter how many Starbucks are in town. Sane with Amarillo (199,654), Midland (147,069), Odessa (125,413) and San Angelo (101,612). The cultural descriptors in those towns are more significant than the Census Bureau ones.
That’s different.