It has created a new district in Houston, which is likely to elect a black Democrat. We'll another Sheila Jackson-Lee in Houston now. The current Rat congressman, Chris Bell, is a newbie and I don't think he even lives within the new district outline. He's probably toast, although there is a chance he could survive.
Another new district which will be undoubtedly represented by a Rat hispanic from the Rio Grande Valley has been created. It stretches into Austin. However, it takes in part of Lloyd Doggett's district, another white liberal. He's definitely going to be toast.
In fact, it's obvious from the district outlines that Austin, the center of Texas liberalism, has been dissected in numerous ways. Some of it has been thrown into the conservative suburbs of Houston. Henry Bonilla, the Republican congressman from San Antonio in a shaky district, has been given a more solid district.
In rural Texas, the home of the Yellow Dog Democrats, the moderately conservative whites who have voted the Rat ticket for years, the lines have been rearranged to toss out every single white Yellow Dog congressman. Every one should be defeated by a Republican. The only exception to that might be Charlie Stenholm, who remains popular in west Texas. He'll be paired against the GOP congressman from Lubbock, although he'll be at a slight disadvantage.
The pattern was repeated in Dallas, where the senior Texas Rat, Martin Frost, was put into a completely unwinnable district for him. He'll go ballistic. We could pick up seven seats, and certainly no less than four.
This is a far more aggressive map than I expected from the legislature. I don't think most people, even at this forum, appreciate what a huge swing of votes in the House this would represent.
Assuming it's passed, and survives the challenges, we can probably be confident that the US House of Reps will remain Republican for the rest of our lives.
Incidentally, Ron Paul is 68 years old. He won't be running from this district forever. It's something to definitely think about...