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TexasTowelie

(111,314 posts)
Tue Sep 1, 2020, 08:48 PM Sep 2020

If Texas Is a Battleground, Biden and Trump Aren't Acting Like It

At long last, the conventions are behind us. If you watched them both, my condolences. The Democrats’ virtual gathering was alternately grim and corny, in the party’s traditional style. One moment Michelle Obama warned the audience that the United States is about six months away from the Thunderdome. Then the program cut to an incredibly goofy music video of a sixties protest song sung by Billy Porter in long, flowing robes, edited like a segment from the sketch comedy Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job.

The Republican convention, meanwhile, featured a series of speakers in front of a massive classical edifice decorated with about four hundred American flags, in the traditional Republican style. With no one present, the room seemed to exist outside of time and space. On the first night, Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former Fox News star turned adviser to Donald Trump, and girlfriend of Donald Jr., shouted and gesticulated like Mussolini’s granddaughter, warning that Democrats would bring “discarded heroin needles” to America’s parks. “Don’t let them step on you,” she said, “don’t let them destroy your family, your lives, and your future!” To borrow from Molly Ivins, the speech doubtless sounded better in the original Italian. On the convention’s final night, Trump droned on for seventy minutes in the sing-songy style he often adopts when reading from a teleprompter. He was followed by a sweaty Italian tenor belting out songs from the White House balcony, including Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” which is, quite famously, about feeling horny and sad.

But we have cause for rejoicing! With the conventions behind us, the nominees are set and general election season is here. In two months, we can put this fever dream of an election behind us. For now, everyone keeps saying Texas, where early voting commences in 43 days, is a swing state. Indeed, Texas Democrats have the best shot this year they’ve had since at least 2008 to win a measure of power in Austin, and Texas Republicans are fighting like hell to stop it. There’s also a handful of high-profile congressional races drawing big money from out of state. But neither of the presidential campaigns are, as of yet, treating Texas as a true battleground. And the conventions themselves served as confirmation that they’re probably not going to.

Texas Democratic party chair Gilberto Hinojosa and former San Antonio mayor Julián Castro objected loudly to the fact that the Democratic convention featured few Texans and few Hispanic speakers to appeal to the voters who are key to flipping the state. Although it’s fair to wonder if Castro’s real objection is that he wasn’t asked to speak, both were right: Texas played a very minor role at the convention. State representative Victoria Neave of Dallas was rewarded for her early support of Biden with a small speaking slot, and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo read part of the preamble to the Constitution one night. North Dallas congressman Colin Allred got a turn to speak briefly as one of seventeen “rising stars” in the party. Beto O’Rourke popped up too, in a roundtable of former candidates discussing Biden, but you could easily have missed him.

Read more: https://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/biden-trump-texas-swing-state/

9 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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If Texas Is a Battleground, Biden and Trump Aren't Acting Like It (Original Post) TexasTowelie Sep 2020 OP
Because Unfortunately TX Will Still Go repub sfstaxprep Sep 2020 #1
That's because it doesn't matter FBaggins Sep 2020 #2
even if it is a battleground... qazplm135 Sep 2020 #3
To my way of thinking, it's still tRUMP that will be the deciding factor to motivate thinking abqtommy Sep 2020 #4
We don't need Texas calguy Sep 2020 #5
Hey..my city council woman was there! On the Monday Democratic Women's Caucus! LeftInTX Sep 2020 #6
The Trump campaign is doing a Texas bus tour later this week. Gothmog Sep 2020 #7
Getting really desperate if they are going to Granger, Texas. TexasTowelie Sep 2020 #8
Biden campaign adding staff to Texas Gothmog Sep 2020 #9

sfstaxprep

(9,998 posts)
1. Because Unfortunately TX Will Still Go repub
Tue Sep 1, 2020, 08:56 PM
Sep 2020

If it's close enough, they'll steal it somehow. And the idea the Democrats could have a huge margin win, is ridiculous.

Drumpf has ZERO chance without Texas, so if necessary, the fix will be in, to keep it in the repub column.

FBaggins

(26,697 posts)
2. That's because it doesn't matter
Tue Sep 1, 2020, 09:09 PM
Sep 2020

If it is a battleground then Biden is on his way to a landslide.

There don't seem to be many plausible scenarios where Texas makes a difference in the race... so neither party is likely to spend much time/money there.

qazplm135

(7,447 posts)
3. even if it is a battleground...
Tue Sep 1, 2020, 09:15 PM
Sep 2020

it's at the rear of the battlegrounds...money is better spent in PA, WI, MI, AZ, and FL and maybe NC...than in GA and TX.

They should spend some money and time in each state, and they've done the former already, but I probably wouldn't prioritize ahead of the other five to six states.

abqtommy

(14,118 posts)
4. To my way of thinking, it's still tRUMP that will be the deciding factor to motivate thinking
Tue Sep 1, 2020, 10:02 PM
Sep 2020

voters of ALL ethnic groups. That covers the white, the black and the brown. We've got to bring him down.

calguy

(5,223 posts)
5. We don't need Texas
Tue Sep 1, 2020, 10:05 PM
Sep 2020

All Joe needs to do is win back three or four of the states trump won last time and we win. I think we'll do much better than thst, but really, why chase a mirage of winning Texas when there are such easy other states that are ripe for the picking. We most likely win back PA, Wisc, and Michigan, and very likely to take Arizona. Those states right there give us the win.

LeftInTX

(24,560 posts)
6. Hey..my city council woman was there! On the Monday Democratic Women's Caucus!
Wed Sep 2, 2020, 03:29 AM
Sep 2020

Unfortunately, I thought much DNC was lame..Billie Eilish with green hair....

Jeesh....While the GOP accuses us of burning down cities.

By that same token, if Trump loses Texas, he’s probably lost across the country in a landslide, which ought to become obvious about the time polls close in Pennsylvania and Florida.

TexasTowelie

(111,314 posts)
8. Getting really desperate if they are going to Granger, Texas.
Wed Sep 2, 2020, 04:34 PM
Sep 2020

That isn't far from my old college stomping grounds.

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