Burnt Orange Report
News, Politics, and Fun From Deep in the Heart of Texas
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Burnt Orange ReportNews, Politics, and Fun From Deep in the Heart of Texas |
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January 02, 2004Ralph Hall Switches PartiesBy Andrew DobbsTexas Rep. Ralph Hall switched parties Friday night, filing for re-election as a Republican after nearly a quarter-century as one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress. "I've always said that if being a Democrat hurt my district I would switch or I would resign," Hall said in an interview with The Associated Press. He said GOP leaders had recently refused to place money for his district in a spending bill and "the only reason I was given was I was a Democrat." Hall was among the most conservative Democrats in congress, I know that the Young Conservatives of Texas at one point had a picture of him addressing their organization, his American Conservative Union lifetime rating is 83%- about average for a Republican. He's even said in the past that he'd vote for a Republican speaker if he were the tie-breaking vote (actually he said "the more conservative candidate"- something that Nancy Pelosi is unlikely to claim versus any congressional Republican). Really Hall is just about 15 years behind the times- he should have switched parties years ago but he's just now getting around to it. I'm really not that mad about this, I figured he'd retire after about 50 years of public service and the seat would easily go GOP. Instead he's running again for the GOP. No harm, no foul. Still, his reasoning is bullshit. He should just say "I'm a crotchety old conservative, the GOP is full of crotchety old conservatives, I figured I'd fit in better with them." Interestingly enough this brings us to a 16-16 split in the Texas Congressional delegation, a little more representative of the general statewide voting patterns. Posted by Andrew Dobbs at January 2, 2004 09:48 PM | TrackBackComments
Andrew D, Yeah, that's pretty much my reaction. Hall, like Miller, always votes with us, so it doesn't change much on the floor anyway, and your side never counted on him in close votes. I'd say pretty much the same thing you did if liberal Republican Rep. Morella had gone Dem after the Maryland redistricting, instead of fighting on and going down in flames. Sherk Posted by: Sherk at January 2, 2004 11:35 PMKind of reminds me of the couple who has been "common law" married for years - live together, the whole nine yards, and after 10-15 years like that decide to get married in order to "make it official." I have a feeling he knew that if he ran as a Democrat, he might have had a Democratic opponent, who would handily defeat him in a D primary. Did any other Rethuglican file for the R primary? Posted by: WhoMe? at January 2, 2004 11:44 PMActually, WhoMe?, he's held political office in Rockwall for about 50 years of one sort or another- he's been a judge, state senator, congressman, etc.- so he really wouldn't get beat. Furthermore, I'm from right around there, there are no Democrats. Posted by: Andrew D at January 3, 2004 12:18 AMIT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME! Posted by: mike at January 3, 2004 12:26 AM16-16. My goodness, redistricting is now totally unnecessary! Praise je... Oh, nevermind. You know, it might have made more sense of Ralph Hall had switched a couple years ago, because then the Republicans never would have been able to argue their "its unfair the Democrats have a majority" whine. Which was irrelevant, anyway, since Hall's voting record was pretty, umm, Republican anyway. Either way. Ralph Hall's now officially the most liberal Republican in the Texas delegation. And he's not a bad person, so as Byron said, no harm, no foul. Posted by: Jim D at January 3, 2004 03:37 AMAndrew, My point is that so many Ds are fed up with him, that while he would handly win a general election, he could actually have been upset in a Dem primary. I know several East Texans who have talked about for a long time. In any event, that is all now moot. Posted by: WhoMe? at January 3, 2004 11:56 AMAlthough i don't question Hall's excuse for switching parties, i'm wondering if their were any deals to keep a GOP heavyweight in this district from challenging him in the repug primary. I doubt Sandlin would have challenged him, isnt'this district even more repug than the 1st CD. OH WELL, but it is odd that he stayed a Democrat this long, well after most conservative dems "bolted" (the media loves this word). P.S. I like Hall alot better than publicity whore Zell Miller. Posted by: Tek_XX at January 3, 2004 09:06 PMDid anyone notice that perennial candidate Gene Kelly, who has always filed as a Democrat in the hopes of confusing people to elect him, has filed in the Republican Primary against US Rep. Lamar Smith? I have dreams of an upset (but just dreams) Posted by: WhoMe? at January 3, 2004 11:10 PMFor a minute, I did a double-take on Andrew D's comment. No Democrats in Rockwall, where that giant ass Alcoa plant is? Then I remembered it's Rockdale. In any event, this puts the final nail in the Reconstruction Era of Texas government. Posted by: Norbizness at January 4, 2004 12:36 PMPost a comment
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