Texas

Shell_Seas

(3,452 posts) Fri Oct 4, 2024, 12:40 PM Oct 4

Election Anxiety? Relax. Here's Why 2024 Could Be Our Year

A breakdown of Texas’s political shift and why Democrats have reason to hope.

https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/election-anxiety-relax-heres-why

There are 32 days until the 2024 election. Like in most elections, I woke up with election anxiety this morning. So, of course, I took it to Twitter.

As it turns out, I’m not alone. Dozens of people are stressed out about the upcoming election. Being a Democrat in Texas, it’s easy to understand being nervous during election season.

We thought we would win in 2018. It didn’t happen.

We thought we would win in 2020. It didn’t happen.

We thought we would win in 2022. It didn’t happen.

But what happened was that every single time, we moved the needle. The needle has not been rescinded. It hasn’t gone back. In fact, except for the 2012 election, Democrats have made gains in every presidential election this century. Even though midterms and presidential years are two different animals, we also have moved the needle in midterm years.

Texas will turn blue. It’s only a matter of time.

6 replies

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Election Anxiety? Relax. Here's Why 2024 Could Be Our Year (Original Post) Shell_Seas Oct 4 OP

Thanks for posting this. I share your hope and cautious optimism. EarnestPutz Oct 4 #1

Texas turning blue, means Republicans will be turning blue... Omnipresent Oct 4 #2

We've lost ground in statewide races since the close Beto/Cruz Senate race in 2018. TwilightZone Oct 4 #3

If Dems don't win this year awesomerwb1 Oct 4 #4

Agreed. If Trump wins the presidency, it's over for Dems. Frank D. Lincoln Oct 4 #6

My fingers are crossed for a blue Texas. OLDMDDEM Oct 4 #5

EarnestPutz

(2,583 posts)

1. Thanks for posting this. I share your hope and cautious optimism.

Reply to Shell_Seas (Original post)

Fri Oct 4, 2024, 12:52 PM

Oct 4

Omnipresent

(6,342 posts)

2. Texas turning blue, means Republicans will be turning blue...

Reply to Shell_Seas (Original post)

Fri Oct 4, 2024, 12:55 PM

Oct 4

TwilightZone

(28,833 posts)

3. We've lost ground in statewide races since the close Beto/Cruz Senate race in 2018.

Reply to Shell_Seas (Original post)

Fri Oct 4, 2024, 12:56 PM

Oct 4

I understand that the author is talking about the presidential level, but she also includes 2018 and 2022, which weren't presidential years. The outlook looks pretty rosy if one does some heavy cherry-picking.

Allred has a much better chance of beating Cruz than Harris has in beating Trump. The main problem here in Texas for Democrats is that turnout is poor, particularly in areas that we desperately need if we're going to win a statewide race. There also seems to still be an inherent edge for the GOP in the size of their voting base, but it's difficult to know for sure because TX doesn't have registration by party.

Texas will more than likely turn blue, but it may take longer than many assume. We're doing everything we can to make it happen.

An increase from 51% to 55% may not sound like much, but it's actually a massive increase in a state that does all it can to discourage voting. Mail-in voting is strictly limited and unavailable to most voters, and polling locations can be few and far between. All by GOP design, of course. Even in blue areas, Abbott, Paxton, et al, file lawsuits limiting local control of elections and polling places.