Liberal optimism in Austin

[Judi Lynn]

Liberal optimism in Austin
Jeremy Edwards (Daily Texan Columnist)
July 08, 2003

Austin has been described as an island of liberalism in a sea of conservatism, and liberal voters here can sometimes feel like Robinson Crusoe.
For example: in 2000, the Green Party's Ralph Nader, running to the left of Al Gore, got 10 percent of the vote here in Travis County - more than double what he got nationwide. Add that to Al Gore's 41 percent, and you get a majority of liberal voters - in Travis County.

But George Bush won the state by 1.3 million votes. Even if Gore had gotten all 137,394 of Nader's votes statewide, it wouldn't have helped him close the gap.

And, as a whole, Texas has voted Republican in the last six presidential elections. This leaves progressive voters in Austin with a conundrum: What do I do with my vote?

Many liberal Texans have a perception that their votes don't count in a presidential race - they'll just be washed away in a statewide flood of conservatism. That's one reason why so many liberal Austinites voted for Nader. They felt that Bush was going to win Texas no matter what, so they might as well do their bit for the Green Party.

But this time around, as candidates gear up for the 2004 race, there's a different feel in the air. For many progressive Texans, the defeatist attitude is gone. They don't want Bush re-elected, and they're willing to do a lot to make sure that he isn't. (snip/...)

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/07/08/3f0a6615457ac

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