Burnt Orange Report

Kirk:

Thanks for this post. Dallas County is indeed on the road to becoming Democratic. Our candidate field is like none I have seen before--and I have been here a long time. These folks have solid credentials, and I am very proud of the people we have attracted to our judicial ticket.

Again, thanks for the update.

Kirk,

Thanks for the post, and Ken, thanks for the comment.

Dallas County, is in fact already Democratic, its just that many people do not realize it yet because most of our County Wide races are up in 2006 and not 2004 when we won a majority of the contested races.

Thanks to all the Dallas Democrats who are making this a reality and my regrets for not being able to attend the Fish Fry (I had a business trip in South Texas I could not rearrange).

Carl Ginsberg
Candidate 193rd Judicial District Court
Dallas County

I believe that Al Gore won Dallas County in 2000, if I am not mistaken.

Actually, Bush won Dallas County in 2000 with 322,345 votes to Gore's 275,308 votes. Bush barely won Dallas County in 2004 with 346,246 votes to Kerry's 336,641 votes.

However, in both 2000 and 2004, Bush lost to the Democratic challenger in the city of Dallas proper. I don't have that data in front of me for exact numbers, however.

Ah, ok. I heard wrong. Thanks for the heads-up, Kirk. :)

It's nice to see that the Democratic challenger was so close.

Good post, Kirk. It's an exciting time to be a Democrat in Dallas County. Thanks to Tom Blackwell, here are the 2000 and 2004 presidential results for the City of Dallas:

2000:
Gore/Lieberman - 167,777
Bush/Cheney - 136,350.

2004:
John F. Kerry 200,854
George W. Bush 146,952

Of course, Dallas County with the heavily GOP Park Cities and the GOP leaning inner-suburbs helped give Bush a 10,000 vote margin in Dallas County in 2004, but that margin was significantly reduced from 2000.

Everything is set for a great year for Democrats next year in Dallas County. I'm looking forward to helping make it happen...

Thanks McPike for your most apropos post - it's always so curious to me the multitude of folks on BOR who think Dallas County is terminally Republican - many even think Tarrant is more Democratic!

I am skeptical of reading too much into Prop. 2 results, however. I don't think it is clear what those results are actually measuring. In the case of 108 it's probably measuring the large number of gays and young professionals who live there.

Even though Demo peformance in 108 is better than 107, 108 is much more highly polarized and not likely to change partisan wise until Hispanic electoral participation improves - probably well after 2011 redistricting.

I would also add that the gay community probably maxed out its votes in 108 - if there were gay voters who didn't cast ballots in the prop 2 election, what on earth would it possibly take to get them to vote in Novmeber 2006?

Interesting tidbit on prop 2 in my precint. I'm now living in Dallas County precinct 1202 in Uptown. It's a mix of young professionals, young couples, gays, 20 and 30-somethings, and some more established residents. The DPI of the precint in 2002 and 2004 was 43. The vote on prop 2 was 3-1 against with a strong turnout. It's also in HD 108.

As for 108's vote against prop 2. Several interesting things happened. Oak Lawn and Uptown turned out heavily against it. Also, Oak Lawn outvoted Highland Park, which normally doesn't happen. The rest of the district - notably the Park Cities voted for Prop 2, but not by a huge margin. Most of the Highland Park precincts were only 60-40 for prop 2 in precincts that most Republicans can count on 80+% support from. Other north Dallas HD's showed similar results. Prop 2 narrowly carried HD's 102, 107 and 114. North Dallas voters lean Republican but are socially moderate in general.

Finally - it's great to see candidates comment on here. Carl Ginsberg and Gary Fitzsimmons are good friends, and they will make a fine Judge and District Clerk respectively.

Dallas is indeed in play. Great news. The only thing that would derail Democratic trends would be to put the Martin Frost crowd in charge.

Thanks for your comments Byron L. - Michael Barone commented in his introduction to the 2005 Almanac of American Politics that Democrats have yet to figure out how to effectively use social issues as a wedge among Republican voters given the considerable fault line that exists in their party. He points out that when Dems try using abortion rights, it usually proves counter productive.

Using the christian right as a wedge - that is the candidate's association with it, may be more successful. Dan Branch (108) is a Pat Robertson Republican - he may very well be fatally out of touch with his urban Repubican base.

Didn't the "Martin Frost crowd" help in turning Dallas County blue and also in electing Sheriff Valdez? Give credit where credit is due. Dallas County didn't just magically swing to the Democrats, there was actual grassroots organizing and GOTV involved.

"Thanks for your comments Byron L. - Michael Barone commented in his introduction to the 2005 Almanac of American Politics that Democrats have yet to figure out how to effectively use social issues as a wedge among Republican voters given the considerable fault line that exists in their party. He points out that when Dems try using abortion rights, it usually proves counter productive."

History has shown the countrary. Democrats always do better when they focus their campaigns on abortion rights, and gun control. When will the party ever figure this out?

"Using the christian right as a wedge - that is the candidate's association with it, may be more successful. Dan Branch (108) is a Pat Robertson Republican - he may very well be fatally out of touch with his urban Repubican base."

Democrats need to be honest with the people over the irresponsible actions of the Republican Party. Democrats should just say up front "America we're going to raise your taxes, and cut your Social Security!" The Republicans had a big party for 8 years and blew the budget surplus. So, now we have no choice, but to raise taxes.

My my - wise guy and Miss Manly really are twittering aren't they?

It's so nice to see a couple of hysterical right-wing wackos facing poltical oblivion in 2006.

Just watch out when these two pull the corks out of their asses. There's gonna be shit flying everywhere. It's been there a long time.

My precinct, 1117, was 10 votes shy of collectively voting NO on Prop 2. This is the area between, Royal, Walnut Hill, Webb Chapel, and Marsh. It is heavily gay & young professional.

"My precinct, 1117, was 10 votes shy of collectively voting NO on Prop 2. This is the area between, Royal, Walnut Hill, Webb Chapel, and Marsh. It is heavily gay & young professional."

And you STILL couldn't pull it off? What does that say about your GOTV efforts?

Im a newly appointed precinct chair in Denton County (Dallas city proper). So I hope we can get numbers like that in the great white north that is Denton County. The party in Denton County is in dire straights (from my p.o.v) if anyone wants to help out in any way shape or form. Email me johntarheel76@yahoo.com

Beat it, FReeper - we don't need your kind trying to tell the Democrats how they can and cannot campaign. Looks like you're just sitting in your own sewer and adding to it. Too bad. Remind us to drop the manhole cover on your lair next November...

Keep it up, FReeper - the more you talk, the better we look, especially as we observe you from our vantage point UP HERE.

Now run along and play and let the grownups discuss the issues for once...

"History has shown the countrary. Democrats always do better when they focus their campaigns on abortion rights, and gun control. When will the party ever figure this out?"

Actually, gun control hurts Texas Democrats far more than abortion rights ever could. Texas is home to a ton of gun owners who didn't look kindly upon the "assault weapon" ban of 1994 - which, of course, is courtesy of know-it-all Democrats from New England and California who thought they could dictate terms to Texas Democrats and get away with it.

Only thing is, Texas Democrats can be a stubborn and ornery bunch of sumbitches if someone from outside of Texas provokes us into it. I'm just sayin'...

"Actually, gun control hurts Texas Democrats far more than abortion rights ever could. Texas is home to a ton of gun owners who didn't look kindly upon the "assault weapon" ban of 1994 - which, of course, is courtesy of know-it-all Democrats from New England and California who thought they could dictate terms to Texas Democrats and get away with it.

Only thing is, Texas Democrats can be a stubborn and ornery bunch of sumbitches if someone from outside of Texas provokes us into it. I'm just sayin'..."

Then how do you account for the sorry state of the Democratic Party today as opposed to 1992? It's because the Democratic Party has abandoned its roots! If anything the Democratic Party needs to take the hard stands, and return to the basics of the progressive movement!

If we want to regain power, then we can't be afraid to be progressive Democrats! The Party leadership should be pushing Abortion Rights, Gun Control, Universal Healthcare, and Open Borders! Otherwise, we're going to lose again in 2006!

"If we want to regain power, then we can't be afraid to be progressive Democrats! The Party leadership should be pushing Abortion Rights, Gun Control, Universal Healthcare, and Open Borders! Otherwise, we're going to lose again in 2006!"

The dirty little secret about modern gun control is that it's neither a progressive issue nor a conservative issue - it's a CONTROL issue, one that seeks to further the "child-proofing" of America by using emotional arguments to outlaw some guns just because a few moms think they look scary.

Hollis Manly hates her ovaries.

Just leave that evil awful cooter of yours in Jesus W. Bush's hands and all will be well.

Well don't get mad at me, Hollis is a girl's name.

Don't get your panties in a wad, Hollis. Where's your sense of manly-ness?