TX Democrats' Racial Tactic May Backfire, Columnist Writes

Austin, TX, American-Statesman ^ | 08-28-03 | McNeely, Dave

[Theodore R.]

Democrats' racial tactic may backfire Thursday, August 28, 2003

The continuing complaint of Democratic senators who fled to New Mexico is that fines for their absence amount to a poll tax: a fee that once kept minorities from voting.

Underlining race might be good legal strategy for the Democrats, who allege that forced congressional redistricting injures the influence of Hispanics and African Americans and amounts to racial discrimination under the U.S. Voting Rights Act.

But unless they include discrimination against rural voters (including whites) — and what difference they think it makes in congressional votes on jobs, Social Security and health care — they risk emphasizing to white voters that the Democrats are the party of minorities with no room for whites.

It might be fine for the 11 senators who went to New Mexico, whose districts have substantial minority populations. But continuing to "play the race card," as Republican critics describe it, could turn political races in 2004 and beyond into a rerun of 2002.

That year, Tony Sanchez's challenge to former Attorney General Dan Morales to debate in Spanish backfired. Sanchez wanted to embarrass Morales, whose Spanish is a distant second language.

Morales did OK in the debate, but Sanchez buried Morales with money, and beat him 60-40. However, the debate underlined for white voters what amounted to the Mexicanization of Sanchez's Democratic governor's race.

U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm, who didn't seek re-election in 2002, was only too happy to try to turn the Democrats' multiracial Dream Team against them. At the Republican State Convention, he teed off on the Spanish-language debate and former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, an African American, as the Democratic nominee for Gramm's seat.

Ignoring the fact that Sanchez was a multimillionaire businessman and that Kirk had served longer in public office than Gramm when Gramm first ran for the Senate, Gramm attacked with a vengeance.

"Is it a dream (ticket) because their candidates are proven leaders?" Gramm drawled. "No. Is it a dream ticket because their candidates have long and successful careers of public service? No.

"Anybody who . . . witnessed the first debate for high public office in American history that was not conducted in the English language knows what is a dream about this ticket.

"The Democrats believe they can divide Texans based on race. . . . And this election is about rejecting that dream . . . forever."

Whatever one may think of Gramm's description, the percentage of white voters who backed Democrats in 2002 dropped. For instance, John Sharp, making a second try for lieutenant governor, finished several percentage points lower with white voters in post-election voting analyses than in 1998.

The cries of the 11 Democrats may energize minority voters. If so, it would be the first time in quite a while.

Gramm's attack may be echoed in 2004 and beyond but might not be necessary. Regardless of whether the re-redistricting succeeds, the idea of the Democrats as the party of minority groups may already be cemented in voters' minds.

Dave McNeely's column appears Thursdays. Contact him at (512) 445-3644 or dmcneely@statesman.com.