| Wake up Texas Democrats. There is no real need to have our primaries before school lets out for the summer. There is no real need to have our primaries before the State convention. A case can even be made that there is no need to have our primaries before the National Convention. It is the Republicans who need to have their primary as soon as possible.
Due to Perrymandering by Republicans in the legislature that precluded Texas from being a part of Super Tuesday, Texas media outlets have lost out on untold millions in Super Pac campaign advertising. Even if the Texas Presidential Primary is held in April, it may be too late. The Republican nomination may be decided and Texas will have lost a chance to benefit from Citizens United. Do you really think GPS-Crossroads will sink money into the Texas General Election for the Republican Presidential Nominee? Hardly.
The Republicans need to hold their Presidential Primary as soon as possible; preferably before their State Convention. Democrats can wait it out. Here is a plan for the TDP to submit in lieu of an agreement on district boundaries.
County/Senate District Conventions will be held either May 12 or 19 without holding Precinct Conventions. Conventions will be open to all registered voters wishing to declare as Democrats for the election cycle. Those attending the Democratic Conventions would be precluded from voting in the Republican Primary.
The boundaries of the most recently implemented District Plan (as used in 2010) will be used. County Conventions will select a slate of delegates to attend the State Convention. If a new map is approved prior the State Convention, and a Delegate is in a new District, that delegate will be added to the slate of delegates of their new District at the same status (Delegate or Alternate). Should a conflict arise due to available slots, Delegates will be determined by those with the most consecutive cycles voting in the Democratic Primary, and if a tie still exists, then the delegate will be determined by a coin toss.
If maps are approved after the State Convention, then the slate of delegates to the National Convention will be adjusted using the same rule.
But wait, don't we need to determine our candidates for Senate, Congress, State House, Judges and other down ticket races? No. More than likely Democratic candidates will be out spent in the General Election. Why give that money more time to have an effect. Democrats should work to limit the General Election Campaign to the shortest time possible. This will go a long way to counter Super Pac spending.
Our candidates can use their Primary funds to raise doubts about the suitability of Republican incumbents and shed light on the Republican agenda. In races with several Democratic candidates, those campaigns should tag team the Republican incumbent; not attack fellow Democrats.
Politics is a contact sport and Democrats need to start playing hardball or get out of the game. |
