[dirtboy]

Sincerest thanks DeRATted (and feeling morally cleansed)

Well, we're glad you've left the dark side. We really can't give you very much advice on how to vote, other than to enjoy the freedom of thinking for yourself.

However, since you are a former Dem, we probably need to perform a bit of deprogramming here:

You're only supposed to vote once.
Dead people are not supposed to vote
Pets are not supposed to vote.
Non-citizens are not supposed to vote.
Voting normally stops after the election.
There is generally something wrong when 102 percent of the eligible voters in a precinct are registered to vote.
Guns are good.
The GOP generally does not run dead people for office.
Chad is a country in Africa, not an indication of a vote.
Guns are good.
SCOTUS did NOT select Bush.
The Supreme Court of Florida was the renegade Court.
Guns are good.
Bill Clinton lied about much more than sex.
Hillary doesn't know how to tell the truth, either.
We'll be paying the price for Clintonism for a long, long time.

Oh, and did I say that guns are good?

[KSCITYBOY]

Welcome - I hope there are many more like you. I myself was not politically active until the 2000 election debacle. I now firmly believe that democratic party has been corrupted and the people that run it would sell-out the US just to maintain their power. I'll let someone else help you with voting advise. I just wanted to say welcome aboard the FR.

[austingirl]

All I can tell you is that Sanchez is crooked and that Sharp is a tax and spend liberal who ran Clinton's and Gore's Texas campaign. I don't want my taxes raised. Welcome to FR.

[D-fendr]

1) In Texas, Lt. Gov. holds more power than gov. (since reconstruction) and has a lot of say in the policital agenda: vote Rep.

2) Sanchez IS as sleazebag.

[Wait4Truth]

Good-bye, RAT. Go back to DU.

[LibWhacker]

From one former RAT (I gave up on the RATS in the early 70s) to another, I just wanted to say "hello," and welcome you to FR. Sorry I can't give you any advice on Texas politics since I live in California. However, one of the principles I follow when voting on the more obscure propositions is: If it increases my taxes (and, btw, all bond issues do, e.g.) or takes away decision-making authority from the voter and gives it to a politician, it automatically earns my 'no' vote. Love your screen name!

[VRWC_minion]

FWIW, I almost always vote GOP for national elections and about 20/80 for local races (60 GOP). On local races sometimes I'll vote for GOP'er even though I prefer the rat just to keep them honest when the rat is guaranteed to win anyways. Luckily, most rat candidates are closer to my view of smaller government but their are a few local GOP'ers who are in my opinion over the top.

[DainBramage]

Don't vote for Sanchez just because it's been a tough couple of years for Rick Perry. Its been tough in every state with economy being in the crapper. Sanchez is as crooked as he is Hispanic, completely.

I haven't seen anything wrong with his negative ads. With all that Sanchez was throwing at him I'm glad he hammered back. Not to mention that showing the people how crooked he has been in the past isn't wrong.

[RandallFlagg]

Well, first of all, welcome to Free Republic!! Glad to have you with us!

I won't begin to tell you how to vote anymore than I'd try to tell you how to think. I can only explain how I go about life at the polls. At the start of an election year, I look up all of the running candidates online (Most of them have websites) and even call or email them to get their opinions on issues. However, I'm pretty much a two-issue voter. Anyone who is against gun control has my vote, and anyone who believes that the Constitution is a sacred (Not to be changed to suit the needs of those in power) document has my vote. I can thank Rosie for the first issue due to her demand that I be dragged away from my family and thrown in prison (Without any trial) for owning a piece of metal. And I can thank Al Gore's statement, "I believe that the Constitution is a living document." I suppose that I can also thank Clinton for my views as well -being in the middle of the Persian Gulf serving on the USS PELELIU and being told I wasn't going to get paid because of a government shutdown tends to open my eyes.

All I can really suggest is to go with your heart. What do you want your nation to be?

Again, welcome aboard!

[Muleteam1]

I congratulate you on your decision to think objectively about this election. If you are separating from your family's Texas family tradition of voting solid Democratic, I can understand. However, I made my escape to clear thinking during the very dishonest LBJ years.

Muleteam1

[Slyfox]

The entire Republican slate is usually a cut above the democrats'. I usually look to see if there are any redeeming qualities in the democratic party but in over twenty years of voting, I have never seen a democrat worth voting for in the state of Texas. Even the so-called conservative democrats always have better opponent's running against them.

My rule for deciding which candidate is the best is to find out two things. Is the candidate truly pro-life? And, how much business knowledge does this person have? In other words, has this person ever run a business and met a payroll? And if not, does this person appreciate the smooth-running economic structure of this country? There have only been two people I've voted for who were truly pro-life and had never met a payroll. Dick Army and Phil Gramm. Both have, inarguably, conservative economic backgrounds.

The very first election I voted in where I used my formula was in a primary where Steve Barlett was running for Congress in the 3rd district. The other candidates were a pro-life man who had no business sense and a pro-choice woman who had a business background. I voted for Steve and he fortunately won the election. He went on to Congress with one of the levelest heads I think Washington DC had ever seen. The guy was so principled that when he saw his hometown of Dallas in a heap of racial infighting, he quit Congress and ran for mayor, returning our fair city to an even keel.

If a person has pro-life principles and understands how this country really runs, they usually understand the rest of the Constitution. They aren't out to turn the judicial branch into their hip-pocket play-toy.

My system has not failed me since 1980.

[deport]

Here's your choices...... take your pick and let'r rip..... Yep I'd say ol' 60 million tony is the way to go if it tickles your bones.....

---

Statewide Candidates for 2002 General Election

I = Incumbent

Governor
REP - I Rick Perry	DEM - Tony Sanchez	LIB - Jeff Daiell	GRN - Rahul Mahajan	W-I Elaine Eure Henderson W-I Earl W. (Bill) O'Neil
Lieutenant Governor
REP - David Dewhurst	DEM - John Sharp	LIB - Mark David Gessner	GRN - Nathalie Paravicini
Attorney General
REP - Greg Abbott	DEM - Kirk Watson	LIB - Jon Roland	GRN - David Keith Cobb
Comptroller of Public Accounts
REP - Carole Keeton Rylander - I	DEM - Marty Akins	LIB - Bowie Ibarra	GRN - Ruben L. Reyes
Commissioner of the General Land Office
REP - Jerry Patterson	DEM - David Bernsen	LIB - Barbara A. Hernandez	GRN - Michael B. McInerney
Commissioner of Agriculture
REP - I Susan Combs	DEM - Tom Ramsay	LIB - Vincent J. May	GRN - Jane Woodward Elioseff
Railroad Commissioner
REP - I Michael L. Williams	DEM - Sherry Boyles	LIB - Nazirite R. Flores Perez	GRN - Charles L. Mauch

[wharfrat]

From here on out you are on the right track. From now on consider yourself nothing but a Conservative! Those you have mentioned are my choices as well!

The hardest thing you will face in your new life is DE-Labeling yourself. Being a Conservative will require one basic thing from you. You must be willing to research your voting. It takes time to cast a intelligent vote so I am saying you have to know something about the lifestyle of any potential Candidate! People who are wise politically, abandon the HERD MENTALITY and ask a lot of questions and demand that issues get addressed or other wise they don't get your vote!

The policies of the socialist liberals have taken away your right to vote "for" a candidate and leaves you only to cast your vote "AGAINST" whoever! People will respect you for your independence and they will find you a tough nut to crack! Enjoy your new POWERBASE; Its fun to be right! Also never quit reminding the socialists & leftists we are a Constitutional Republic, this really ticks them off when we shoot-em down on this fact. We are not a democracy no matter how much they scream! Like I said you have to get DE-LABELED! Conservatism is a lifestyle & liberalism is as well; democrat & republican are labels you are smart enough to figure out the rest!

[Richard Kimball]

Well, if you're serious, you don't really have any options but to vote straight Republican. Libertarians aren't going to win, and even though there are some good people in the Democratic party in west Texas, the basic problem is that the party controls many of the votes of the individual politicians. This means that they can keep them in line on important votes. Dems are much better at this than Pubbies. That means that when push comes to shove, you have to go with the guy that the party has a chance to keep in line. For example, Chet Edwards has to pretend to be a conservative in Central Texas to keep his seat, and the Rats will allow him to vote conservative on some issues (example, since it was a foregone conclusion that the tax cuts were going to pass, they let Edwards vote for them so he could come back to Texas and say "hey, I voted with George Bush!") But when the vote is serious, he's right in the ultra-left hip pocket. If he didn't stick with the Rats when the important votes came up, they wouldn't have given him all the party money to run against Ramsey Farley. Turns out he's needed that money, as Farley has made a strong run. Don't know if Farley can win, but it's great that the Rats are having to spend their money on what they thought was a safe seat.

Anyway, although Perry has been far less impressive as governor than I had hoped, coming from Texas, which taught Rats in the rest of the country how to get 100% of the dead vote, I cannot vote for any Rat. Ever.