On Election 2013: An Open Letter to Texas Conservatives

For a righteous man may fall seven times
And rise again,
But the wicked shall fall by calamity.
Proverbs 24:16

My fellow Texans,

I woke up this morning in a state of fatalistic resignation.  I almost did a post linking to the movie Jeremiah.    Then I read this piece in today's American Spectator:

Arnold Schwarzenegger won re-election handily in 2006, defeating his hapless opponent Phil Angelides by a 56% to 38.9% margin. Yet this sizable win was a meaningless victory for the GOP. Similarly, Chris Christie’s thumping victory on Tuesday night over an equally forgettable candidate contains almost no national meaning, save that Chris Christie is good for Chris Christie. Like Schwarzenegger, Christie cruised to re-election not as a real Republican but as a preening non-partisan moderate. Like Schwarzenegger, Christie’s popularity hasn’t translated into any support for Republicans in his own legislature.

Which raises the question: How could Christie turn blue states red nationwide if he can’t turn his own legislature red?

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Like Schwarzenegger, Christie is a useful idiot for the Democrats—a needy, politically correct, ruling-class Republican who is trending liberal on everything from “climate change” to gay marriage to size-of-government issues. Christie loves the liberal limelight—a trait that will only intensify over time. The Democrats know a Trojan Horse when they see one.

Of course, establishment Republicans—the same geniuses who parachuted Schwarzenegger into office to the long-term detriment of their party—will ooh and ahh over Christie’s victory and argue that Tuesday’s results, in which the moderate in New Jersey won and the conservative in Virginia lost, illustrate the wisdom of ideological flexibility and the value of distance from the Tea Party. Never mind that Cuccinelli, who ran a lame and scared campaign, had made a point of avoiding Ted Cruz, even though it was Cruz’s brave stance against Obamacare and the consequences of its buffoonish rollout that ended up making the race much closer than anyone expected.

“In the clearest sign yet of the potent effect of the government shutdown on the Virginia governor’s race, Republican Ken Cuccinelli avoided being photographed with Ted Cruz at a gala they headlined here Saturday night—even leaving before the Texas senator rose to speak,” reported Politico in early October. Republicans who behave in this craven fashion don’t deserve to win. Cuccinelli didn’t lose because he hewed to the Tea Party line; he lost because he didn’t. Had he played up his conservatism instead of running away from it while lashing McAuliffe as a pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage socialist, he might have galvanized conservatives and won the race.

Even the media found it a little difficult to sustain the this-is-a-defeat-for-the-Tea-Party narrative after the Virginia results came in, as they showed a race that the Republicans could easily have won, had the Libertarian not run, had Cuccinelli actually tried, had stingy Republican fat cats donated money to ad campaigns, had Republicans bothered to expose McAuliffe’s radicalism, etc.

Bingo.

I don't need to run through last night's parade of horribles.  In addition to Virginia, Joe Straus' Water Slush fund passed easily.  The city of Austin "Housing" bond passed.  A bunch of other local government debt passed.  So what, pray tell, has changed since yesterday?!?

Nothing.

We've known since (no later than) March that the Republican leadership in the legislature, which put Prop. 6 on the ballot in the first place, is more interested in personal enrichment than sound policy.  We've known for at least a year that low turnout in local elections threatens our economy.  We need better Republicans and higher citizen participation.

Here's the good news: Steve Munisteri believes in open, contested primaries.

With the constitutional amendments elections over, today is the first genuine day of primary season.  While statewide races will get more ink, we must clean out the Republican caucuses in both houses of the legislature.  We need better Republican legislators to drive sound policy.

Concerning turnout, remember the following three words: Identify.  Register.  Persuade.

• Identify -- Every one of us knows people in day to day life who thinks like we do but doesn't vote.  You need to figure out who those people are in your circle of influence.  Start with your Sunday school class and your workplace.

• Register -- Once you identify the people you already know, you need to get them registered to vote.  In order for this to happen, you need to become a deputy voter registrar.  In Travis county, there is a deputy voter registrar training EVERY SATURDAY at the Unitarian "church."  [Author's Note: If some Unitarians get saved out of this process, so much the better.]

• Persuade -- This is the tricky, but really fun, part.  Having identified and registered the appropriate people, you now need to get them to show up.  Regular phone banks and social events (like Liberty on the Rocks here in Austin) are key.

 If we do that, we'll be fine.

Sincerely,
Adam Cahn
Austin
November 6, 2013

P.S. On a related note, David Barton is going to make a big announcement in the next few hours.

Election Day: RPT's last minute HD-50 Phone Bank

Michelle Samuleson's post on the Travis County Republicans Facebook Page:

From Austin YR President Mike Goldman: If you have an hour or two tomorrow on Election Day please consider swinging by the Republican Party of Texas offices for our final GOTV push to elect Dr. Mike VanDeWalle in House District 50. Office is at 1108 Lavaca, Suite 500. There is parking on 12th Street near by...

TCRP chair Rosemary Edwards adds on the same thread:

Come by anytime that your schedule permits. It is SO EASY. No dialing, all numbers pre-loaded and a recorded message if they are not at home. Simple script to qualified voters. YOU can make a difference tomorrow in making these calls at the RPT HQ.

Polls close in four hours!!!

Austin City Coucil Lying about Tax Increases?!?

The Travis County Taxpayers Union filed an ethics complaint against the Austin City Council yesterday; from their press release:

4-Nov-2013,  3:00 PM   

Austin, TX --  Brad Parsons, a TCTU volunteer analyst and concerned citizen, has filed an ethics complaint against the Austin City Council and the City Manager claiming that the city is unlawfully distributing "political advertising" in the form of its website materials, including their notorious flier, whose sole statement regarding the financial impact of this bond is "No increase in the property tax rate is anticipated as a result of this bond issuance."  

   
    This statement, while partly factual, is misleading in its implication that property taxes will not go up when the $65,000,000 is borrowed at an undisclosed interest rate.  In fact, the Housing Bond proposition, if passed, is legal justification for unlimited increases in property tax levy (amount taken from property owners) to pay back the new bond debt, plus interest. 
 
    This misleading City flyer statement clearly shows that the City is advocating for passage of the bond, violating its own statement that it is not advocating for the bond, and leading to a violation of state law regarding distribution and publication of "informational materials" which are actually "political advertising."
 
    TCTU founder and treasurer Don Zimmerman adds, "we have actually seen Facebook comments on our 'No Means No!' vote against website saying people would vote for the Bond 'because taxes won't go up, or that the Bond has nothing to do with taxes.'  Clearly, this unlawful city government propaganda is working to some extent."
 
    Another new TCTU friend, John Goldstone, a local taxpayer who has been instrumental in getting the word out that "Bonds Equal Taxes," attended all of the City's Housing Bond panel discussions, wrote 2 published letters to the editor in both the Austin American Statesman (November 2, 2013) and Austin Chronicle (October 25, 2013), as well as giving a rousing citizens communication speech on October 17, 2013 (4th speaker). 

Mr. Goldstone has raised awareness of the failure of the City to admit that there will be an actual cost of repayment of the bonds (including dissemination of the cost of the bond to the voters), which should have allowed City of Austin voters the chance to weigh the pros (adequately presented by the City in its materials) and cons (property tax cost to the rest of us).

 Read the full ethics complaint here.

How NOT to Pick Up a Chick

Our good friend Ashley, who goes by the moniker TXTrendyChick, had an interesting experience today:

I saw him walking toward me, eyes locked, and when I moved to the right, he moved to his left.  There was no way I was getting out of this one.

Dude:  ”I know this is really random but I couldn’t help but notice that you are  strikingly beautiful.”

Me:  ”Oh, why thank you.  What a kind thing to say.”

[I step to the left.  He steps in front of me, again.  Alright, Dude, what petition do you want me to sign?  Is this one "for the children" or "to fight world hunger" because either way no.]

 And this guy was a real charmer:

Dude:  ”Would you like some company?  Perhaps I can accompany you to get a cup of coffee or maybe a pretzel?”

[Oh my gosh, I'm being hit on.  At the mall.  Did he just ask me if I'd be interested in a pretzel??  Wow.]

Who was suddenly disarmed:

Dude:  ”Have you always been political?  How did you get involved in that?”

Me:  ”I was moved up a tax bracket when I was 25 because, according to the federal government, I made too much money.  I  also realized I was being taxed more because I wasn’t married or have kids, so I decided to do something about it.  Heaven forbid people get to keep what they work for…”

Dude:  ”Oh, so you’re a Republican?  Never mind.”

[Emphasis added]

 And the best part of all:

Me (shouting after him):  ”I worked for Ted Cruz!  You’re welcome!”

Election 2013: Turnout UP across Travis County

Today's Austin American-Statesman has a fascinating article on turnout for the November 2013 election.  Unfortunately, the online copy of the article is stuck behind the paywall.  We quote from a paper copy we took from Freebirds:

An increase in some early voting numbers in Central Texas might mean a bigger turnout on election day compared with other similar elections, officials said.

The 15 most-populated counties in Texas which include Travis and Williamson counties also saw an increase in early voting.

The turnout could be driven by various factors, including the race in Travis county to fill a vacant seat in State Representative District 50 and the bond elections in Williamson County [Authors note: AND the City of Austin "Housing" Bond], said county election authorities

Friday was the last day of early voting.  Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir said about 5 percent of the county's registered voters had turned in their ballots by the middle of Friday afternoon.

Travis County has 617,629 registered voters.

The county "will definitely see a 10 percent turnout and it might go as high as 12 percent," for the election, said DeBeauvior.  That estimate includes early voting as well as those who will cast their ballots Tuesday, she said.

"I think the special election in  in [HD]-50 is pulling quite a bit of voters," DeBeauvior said.

Like voters statewide, Travis County voters will help decide the fate of nine proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution.

The last time voters voted in a general election that included Texas constitutional amendments was 2011, when there was an 8.73% turnout in Travis County, DeBeauvior said.

This is good news.  The Special interest vote caps out somewhere around 5%.  Anything above that is people turning out who don't have a direct financial stake in the election.

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Election Day proper is TOMORROW.  Remember, on election day proper you must vote in the assigned polling place for your precinct.  Travis County elections has a list here.

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You can find our Voter Guide here.

Don't Look Now, but Mack Brown is 5 - 0 in the Big-12

At 12:37 pm CST today, Cahnman's Musings shook Coach Mack Brown's hand and said "Good Luck Today coach."  Unfortunately, we were too timid to tell Mack Brown that we've been praying for him for six weeks or to ask for a picture.  At least there are two more home games.

Today, Texas stomped Kansas 35-13.  No one in the stadium remembered the Mack Brown Lynch mob circa September 14.  Based on personal reporting, Cahnman's Musings belives sentiment inside DKR Memorial stadium ran 95 - 5% in favor of Mack Brown 2014.

ESPN has more:

AUSTIN, Texas -- Malcolm Brown ran for 119 yards and four touchdowns and defensive tackle Chris Whaley scored his second touchdown of the season as Texas beat Kansas 35-13 Saturday for the Longhorns' fifth win in a row.

Brown scored twice in the second quarter, and Whaley's 40-yard fumble return in the third quarter broke open what had been a surprisingly close game. Whaley, who was initially recruited as a running back, also scored on a 31-yard interception return against Oklahoma.

Brown's touchdown runs covered 2, 3, 1 and 30 yards for Texas (6-2, 5-0), which remains in a tie for first place in the Big 12. Case McCoy passed for 196 yards with two interceptions in Texas' first home game since Sept. 21. The Longhorns held Kansas to 306 total yards.

 Author's Note: We know we messed up when we failed to record our conversation with Mack Brown or any of the conversations that ran 95 % - 5 % in favor of Mack Brown 2014, but this was our perspective on Malcom Brown's First Touchdown:

Rick Perry Stands Up for Wallace Hall

Good for Perry:

Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday called the ongoing impeachment investigation into University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall “extraordinary political theater,” and said his appointee’s quest for voluminous records from the University of Texas at Austin was justified.

....

Speaking to reporters in Austin after casting an early vote in the constitutional amendment election, Perry said he fully supported Hall and his efforts to obtain records from the system’s flagship university.

“I think the idea that a regent or an appointee at any place in government is being stymied from asking questions about the operation of a particular agency is very, very bad public policy,” Perry said. “I think it is sending a horrible message to the public.”

....

“I just think that at the end, the public’s need to know and the public’s right to know, questions that Mr. Hall is asking, is totally and absolutely correct," Perry said. "And at the end of the day, we’ll find out whether there are things that are being hidden, things that individuals don’t want to have out in the public."

 Read the whole thing here.