[Theodore R.]

The descendants of the LBJ Democrats in TX are coming to the polls in the April 9 party runoff to choose a senatorial candidate, ironically to fill the Senate seat once held by LBJ himself. The Johnson political descendants are divided -- into black and brown camps. The "blacks" favor Ron Kirk, liberal former mayor of Dallas and secretary of state and "like a son" to former liberal Governor Ann Willis Richards. The "browns" favor gadfly school teacher Victor Morales of the Dallas area. Almost forgotten are the "whites," sitting on the sidelines and unsure what to do. Some of them are probably longing for a new LBJ to emerge. People outside TX don't understand the admiration many traditional liberals have in this state for LBJ. Even those who opposed his Vietnam policies, like Doris Kearns Goodwin, still revere him. It's a peculiar attachment. This year the Democrats actually think they can regain the Senate seat that LBJ vacated to become vice president in 1961 -- the seat held for 41 years by two Republicans, John Tower and Phil Gramm. It could be that the overconfident Republicans are facing an unexpected defeat in the fall, as improbable as such a scenario might otherwise seem. John Cornyn, the Republican nominee, is practically a stealth candidate at this point of the campaign. I don't think he has sufficient name recognition, though he has been a low-key attorney general, to expect to win the Senate seat without a fight with the Democrats, whose morale is the greatest in TX in 20 years.

[breakem]

I think many liberals will always revere LBJ. He was their last great push. Clinton couldn't hold a candle to him. I will never forget his address to the nation when he said he wouldn't run. Shakespeare would have taken pen in hand.

[1L]

It could be that the overconfident Republicans are facing an unexpected defeat in the fall,

I would hope that you don't actually believe this since it is BS. In truth Daffy Duck could run on a statewide Republican ticket and still win. First of all, Morales is going to win the primary Tuesday since 1) he will get more of his supporters to the polls and 2) the Texas RATs who think they are the Democrat establishment in Texas (even though there isn't one) believe that Morales has a better chance against Cornyn than Kirk. Second, Morales' campaign will be limited to this summer because his wife won't let him quit his teaching job. That's how far the RAT party has fallen in Texas. Cornyn could win this race without spending half a million, since that's about all Morales will have.