3 officeholders switch to GOP in Wise County (Texas)

Star-Telegram ^ | March 25, 2005 | Don Chance

[SwinneySwitch]

3 wise county officials too.

[Stoat]

It seems that every time I hear Texas mentioned here at FR, it's in the context of something good happening there, and the Freepers that I've spoken to about Texas always have very nice things to say about the Lone Star State. It sounds like a great place with very nice and SANE people....I simply MUST visit there one day :-)

[cripplecreek]

I liked Texas when I went down there. It wasn't home but it was cool for a visit.

[whereasandsoforth]

Come on down to Texas! I've lived here all my life and *I am* very nice and sane. I'm also an excellent driver.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

It's a fine state and I'm the only really odd FReeper here, the rest are great people.

[Uri’el-2012]

All good Reconstructed Southern democrats are becoming Republicans.

Doesn't leave much.

B'shem Y'shua
chuck

[SwinneySwitch]

It really varies Stoat, right now I'm low on the Texas GOP trying to raise taxes, but will never go demonrat!! Come on down!

[Calpernia]

Tx ping

[floridavoter2]

Is the immigrant problem huge there though, like California? Just curious.

[SwinneySwitch]

Texas GOP ping!

[Paleo Conservative]

It would have been foolish not to switch.

[SwinneySwitch]

We're #2 behind Caleefornia, but gaining!

[cripplecreek]

I was down in the Dallas area at an odd time (mid 80s). There had apparently been a building boom that cooled and everywhere I went were streets with sidewalks and concrete driveways but no houses.

Another thing that kinda wierded me out were that roads. They were arrrow straight for a hundred miles then they made a sudden sharp jog and went back to being straight again.

[Trajan88]

I've lived here 30+ years... no state income tax (yet), wide-open spaces, and the ladies are nice AND very pretty :-)

Trajan88; TAMU Class of '88; Law Hall (may it R.I.P.) Ramp 9 Mule; f.u.p.!

[Mind-numbed Robot]

As Bob Barker would say, "C'mooone down."

The South, including Texas, has been historically conservative. It became a longtime Democrat strong hold in reaction to the Republican actions during and after the Civil War. The so-called "Yellow Dog Democrats" were those who were so staunch they said, "I would rather vote for and old yeller dog than vote for a Republican."

Though the South stayed conservative, even though FDR was a hero to them for his government work programs during the depression, the Democrat Party started turning left.

It got real bad under LBJ but most Southerners hung in there due to tradition and loyalty. Plus, their elected officials, especially their Senators, Eastland, Stennis, Russel, etc., had lots of seniority and were able to forestall many liberal programs as well as bring home the bacon and give a semblance of pride and power to the South.

As those folks died off and the national Democrat Party reverted to what seemed like the Republican Party during Reconstruction, conservatives began to slowly migrate to the Republican Party. As Zell Miller and others said, "The Democrat Party left me, I didn't leave it."

Today the conservative south is so solidly Republican that many liberals switch parties just to get elected and they are what are called RHINOs, Republican in name only. Some stay Democrats but stick to their conservative values.

I know you didn't ask for this history lesson but I was trying to put the thread in perspective and, as is not uncommon, I got to rolling and couldn't get stopped.

[politicalwit]

Currently celebrating 35 years of oil royalties from Wise County.

[Marauder]

Read A National Party No More by Sen. Zell Miller (D - GA). He explains it well, and even though he considers himself too old to switch now, he rips the democRat party a new one.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[Balding_Eagle]

The jog may have been at a county line. The jog compensates for the curvature of the earth.

[SwinneySwitch]

You're never to old to be true to yourself, Zell.

either way,

"Give 'em hell, Zell!";^)