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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsColumn - Why Biden Shouldn't Waste Time In Texas
Biden spoke to the Texas Democratic Convention this weekend and declared, We have a real chance to turn the state blue. But heres the key for Team Biden. Dont get distracted by the big, shiny object of Texas. Dont waste valuable time and resources there. Its big. Its expensive. Its a place where Democrats dreams have been dashed for decades. (A young couple named Bill and Hillary Clinton helped run the Texas operation for George McGovern, with Bills Oxford roomie Strobe Talbott, and came up with bupkes.) Democrats in 2020 instead need to keep the focus on Arizona, North Carolina, Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Ohio, Iowa, and Maine wouldnt hurt either. And lets not forget Minnesota and, yes, even Georgia.
I covered the 2016 race for the documentary TV series The Circus on Showtimenow in our fifth season and returning shortly for the conventions. And I was with Clinton when she traveled to Arizona the last week of the race. It was clear that members of the Clinton campaign thought they had the election in the bag and that it made sense to go to Arizona and run up the score. Meanwhile, they left their flank unprotected in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvaniaand maybe Moscow too. The key, this time around, is to learn from the lesson of 2016; Democrats need to keep their eyes on the prize of 270 electoral votes.
The bottom line is that if Texas were to truly be in play in Novembera very big ifthen Biden wouldnt even need Texas because hed be winning by, oh, 400-plus electoral votes. In other words: by a landslide. So for goodness sake, dont mess with Texas.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/06/democrats-blue-texas-fever-dream-reality
sellitman
(11,607 posts)Leave all the other States as they were and grab PA & Ohio and Dump is retired.
Nothing else is needed.
Buckeye_Democrat
(14,856 posts)... getting overly-excited about flipping a red state to blue, and not paying as much attention to traditionally purple states.
Utah was an example that I recall. Ugh.
Best_man23
(4,907 posts)My priorities would be (in order): Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maine (I want Susan gone), Arizona (we have a strong chance to pick up that senate seat), North Carolina, Iowa, and Florida. I would also campaign hard in Minnesota, and make sure to guard Virginia.
If it looks like Texas is in play in Sept/October, make a trip or send one of the surrogates to drum up support and help local candidates.
liskddksil
(2,753 posts)Let's fight and win its 38 electoral votes and completely obliterate Trump and the Republican Party so that there is no doubt who is the winner before midnight on Election day.
whistler162
(11,155 posts)Hav
(5,969 posts)To go for red states or to secure the safest path to 270 first?
Hillary got trashed for trying to win states like Arizona and allegedly not doing enough to keep Michigan blue (the attacks came probably mostly from idiots who voted for Stein).
I prefer the safest route. Since 2004 I've heard about these hopes to win red states like Georgia. I wouldn't want to rely on having to win states like NC or Arizona.
onetexan
(13,056 posts)and yes, TX is flippable. Lots & lots of angry suburban moms here. Plenty of big cities w/ lots of Dems & independents. We just need to focus on the GOTV.
Hav
(5,969 posts)but it's a matter of resources and one cannot lose sight of securing states that should be easier to win. Dems have been burned enough by thinking that states like Georgia or Arizona in the past were in play only to narrowly lose crucial states that were bluer on paper and should have been prioritized more in hindsight.
sarisataka
(18,752 posts)Only went to 232...
Many will say we will never win Texas this year. I would counter with 38 EV is a lot to give up without a fight. I will bet here and now Trump will campaign in California and New York, even though the odds of winning those states are less than Biden's chances in Texas.
It is much easier for Republicans to win states, Electoral votes and down ticket, when we won't even make a token challenge for them.
Massacure
(7,525 posts)Biden shouldn't spend a lot of time in Texas, but it would certainly be worth making a couple of stops if he thinks he can get a some of the candidates in the local races over the top.
texasfiddler
(1,990 posts)It has been about 27 years since I remember a state wide Democratic Candidate being elected in Texas. North Carolina, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Ohio/Iowa should be prioritized over Texas. About a third of the hispanics I have met have been influenced by the right wing and have strong views on abortion and guns. Hillary should have focused on the rust belt in 2016 instead of trying to hit a homerun in a red state that is trending toward blue. I would focus enough effort in Texas to force Trump to spend money in the state. We need a few more Californians to move to Texas. I'm more excited about Arizona.
sarisataka
(18,752 posts)It was closed after 232.
Maybe we should set our sights higher. At the very least not ignore warning signs that the election that is "in the bag" maybe isn't quite in said bag.
uponit7771
(90,356 posts)... much at all.
BGBD
(3,282 posts)Conpete everywhere, particularly when its a state worth 38 EVs and you have a polling tie in the state. We don't need to worry about money, there is 0 chance Biden runs out of money for this campaign no matter how much times he puts on air.
It shouldn't that that hard to get some stage time there either considering he will be in Arizona and Nevada, just make a stop in TX as you pass by.
Gothmog
(145,488 posts)We have a good chance to flip control of the Texas house and Texas stands to pick up 3 or 4 house seats. After 2010 elections there were 101 republicans in the Texas House compared to 49 Democrats. After 2018, we need 9 seats to flip control of the Texas house and there are 10 GOP held seats here Beto beat Carnival Cruz that are being targeted. We need to flip the Texas house to have a say in redistricting. Texas also has 7 congressional seats targeted by the DCCC that could be flipped. I want to win the down ballot races in Texas which will require Biden doing some campaigning in Texas