Wanted to post a quick note about a subject that I think warrants a lot of attention, but about which I have yet to see a post.
Former Assistant United States Attorney and Assistant Dallas County District Attorney Rafael De La Garza announces today that he has switched parties and filed for the Democratic nomination for Criminal District Attorney of Collin County. Earlier this morning, Mr. De La Garza submitted to the Collin County Republican Party a certificate of withdrawal of his previously submitted candidate filing for the Republican nomination for Collin County District Attorney. (From the press release, via the Quorum Report)
Yes, it's a story about a party switcher. But this time, it's a local official switching from the GOP to the Dems. What's most significant, of course, is that this is happening in Collin County.
Yes, THAT Collin County.
A little analysis below the fold. |
| As noted in the release (sorry, no link) is that Collin County has far more residents than those counties represented by Chuck Hopson. Beyond that, of course, is that Collin County has been a bastion of GOP support. If/when a qualified local candidate feels bold enough to switch from the GOP to the Dems in a place like Collin County, then the situation on the ground for the GOP is not good. We saw Kirk England do a similar thing in 2007 and win reelection handily as a Dem rep in Dallas County.
The races that the Dems have won since 2004 all fall into these areas, as well.
This is a trend the GOP can NOT be happy with. It is also the trend Dems have been talking about for a couple of years. Texas is going blue. And it's going to happen more quickly than people are anticipating.
Sure, the more rural counties show the WD-40s under stress. And the Dems are going to lose some of them from time to time. But the fact that any of the WD-40's are still around speaks volumes to the myth of GOP dominance in rural areas--sure, there's dominance, but it's not without its chinks.
As much as I bemoan the loss of a few WD 40's, the stronger, more important, trend is that the urban/suburban and even ex-urban GOP officials are under a considerable amount of pressure election-wise. This fact is exacerbated by the pressure the extreme right wing is putting upon the GOP to be a tea-baggin', gay hatin', immigrant baitin', puritanical testing, nay-sayin', under educatin', voucher lovin', McCarthy-ite throwback to the 1950's.
I dare say that only GOP incumbents in the urban to ex-urban areas could get elected/re-elected using the GOP party platform. And then, only because these incumbents are known to their constituents and their constituents have a good feel that the incumbents don't really want all the things in the GOP platfom.
I'll go on to say that no new (non-incumbent) GOP candidate can be elected in the urban-exurban landscape if they adhere too closely to the GOP platform planks. Rather, the GOP candidates will have to differentiate themselves from the very party platform they're allegedly running to support. I'd advise every Dem challenger to past their GOP opponents with the most extreme elements of the GOP agenda. MAKE the GOP candidates disown their own platform! Then ask the voters to decide if they have any idea what the GOP candidates really stand for.
Now, just to mention in passing, Legler, Bohac, Harper-Brown, Gattis. Then, add to that Thibaut, Turner, Miklos, Bolton, Howard, Vaught, Kent, hell, even Rose.
I like this trend. I'd like to Dem voters, potential candidates, and funders to be aware of it. I'm just as happy having the media not cover it. It's better to take them by surprise.
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