Riding your bike to the revolution

-- Critical Mass, the monthly flashmob on bicycles, is happening again this evening.  If you're not a fan of anarchy in action, then steer your car away from it.  Don't be like Ken Hoffman or even my friend Neil and whine about it.

It's just another component of the disruptor society we live in now.  Adapt.

-- There's some polling out that suggests that politicians are missing the boat on the issue that is at the forefront of Americans' minds...

If only the politicians would listen to the polls. Yes, you read that right. What is happening in Washington symbolizes a dangerous disconnect between the priorities of the voters and those of their elected leaders.

An ABC News/Washington Post poll this week found that 75 percent of all Americans consider the economy to be in “not so good” or “poor” condition. The 2 percent in the poll who pronounce the economy to be in “excellent” shape presumably work on Wall Street.

The voters get it. “I have done a lot of focus groups in the last few years,” says Republican strategist David Winston, who advises the House and Senate GOP leadership. “And there’s one number that people know — and that’s the unemployment rate. And they’re sophisticated about it. They know that the unemployment rate understates things because of people leaving the workforce.”

Every poll tells the same story about what animates voters. A mid-September CBS News/New York Times poll, conducted before the government shutdown, found that 34 percent of Americans call the economy and jobs “the most important problem facing this country today.” In contrast, only 8 percent highlighted health care and a paltry 6 percent singled out the budget deficit and the national debt.

...but apparently not Texans' minds, and certainly not in the minds of Houstonians. 

Political analysts said economic development is an important policy discussion, but a less useful political one. A recent poll showed 12 percent of voters chose jobs and the economy as the city's most important problem, behind crime, roads and traffic; two years ago, 43 percent chose jobs and the economy.

I would suggest, obviously, that this is because the Houston and Texas economy are booming.  This irony seems to be another part of the Lone Star disconnect previously mentioned.

-- Speaking of revolution...

The British left weekly New Statesman has taken a chance on an up-and-coming rogue editor, but the actor-comedian and newly welcomed progressive-minded firebrand Russell Brand seems so far to be a brilliant and elegant choice.

Tapped to guest-edit the magazine's 'Revolution' issue this week, Brand is making waves both for his feature-length essay on the topic but also with a televised interview that aired Wednesday night on the BBC with veteran Newsnight anchor Jeremy Paxman. In the ten-minute interview, the 38-year-old Brand points at the futility of voting in a corrupt democratic system determined to serve the interests of the ruling class and not only predicts, but guarantees, that the "disenfranchised, disillusioned underclass" created by the current economic and political system—both in the UK and worldwide—will rise up in popular revolution against the failings of the current corporate-controlled paradigm.

Paxman questioned why a comedian such as Brand, especially one who doesn't vote, should be trusted to offer his views on the political system.

"I don't get my authority from this preexisting paradigm which is quite narrow and only serves a few people," Russell responded, himself questioning why voting or not voting in a corrupt lopsided system should provide moral or intellectual authority. "I look elsewhere for alternatives that might be of service to humanity."

In response to Paxman asking if he saw any reason for hope, Brand jumped at the question "Yeah, totally. There's going to be a revolution. It's totally going to happen," he said. "I ain't got a flicker of doubt. This is the end—it's time to wake up."

Russell Brand is my kind of leftist.  However he rejects participating in the political system by not voting -- the premise being that voting lends an air of authenticity to a system too corrupt to change with just votes -- which I do not agree with.

Early voting results locally seem to suggest that a tide may be turning in this regard... yet another contradiction here in Deep-In-The-Hearta.

I think I need to pump up the tires on my bicycle.  You know, just in case.

EV turnout in Harris County doubles

Here are the totals from Wednesday (October 23). For a listing of all early voting locations countywide and their hours of operation, click here.

[...]

So far, 27,628 people have voted in person or by mail. That compares to 11,280 through three days in 2011, 15,192 through three days in 2009, and 8,278 through three days in 2007.

Charles has covered this already, and these are significant increases in early voting numbers for a municipal election.  Both EVIP and mailed ballots are about two times what they were two years ago, and similarly above recent municipal cycles.

For an election season fairly devoid of significant developments (at least for me), this is impressive.  Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart thinks it's due to the extra attention the photo ID requirement received from the media.

"I also believe this campaign to notify people to bring their photo ID to the polls has actually raised the public awareness that there's an election."

That's as good a reason as any.  I cast my ballot Tuesday at one of the city's heaviest boxes, the Fiesta on Kirby, and there was no waiting.  Pundits will try to divine some meaning from this data, but I'm comfortable watching the trend play out a bit more before hazarding a guess.  I will say that it does not look like a red wave election at this early point.

In the meantime, do your civic duty (and make sure you have your ID on you when you do).

Update (10/25): Day 4 totals are highest yet...

The top four early-voting locations have been consistent (though swapping positions) through four days: Metropolitan Multi-Service Center on West Gray (478 in-person voters), followed by Trini Mendenhall Sosa Community Center in the Spring Branch area (325), Bayland Park Community Center in southwest Houston (321), and the Fiesta Mart at Kirby and the South Loop (301).

So far, 34,415 people have voted in person or by mail. That compares to 14,641 through four days in 2011, 18,578 through four days in 2009, and 11,206 through four days in 2007.

No Joel Burns in the race to replace Wendy Davis

Fort Worth council member Joel Burns said today he won’t try to replace Wendy Davis in the Texas Senate.

“The mere prospect of serving in the Texas Senate is an incredible honor. And I am humbled that so many of you have entertained the prospect with me,” Burns said in a letter to supporters. “But in evaluating what I want to do next, I have come to the realization that I have the job I want — to serve the people of Fort Worth and Council District 9.”

Burns had been considered a top contender to replace Davis on the Democratic ticket. The open seat has already attracted several GOP contenders.

This is unfortunate, because the odds were long enough for Dems to hold the seat with the man who replaced Wendy Davis on Fort Worth city council choosing to follow her again. The Texas Senate's Republicans would hold* be one vote shy of a two-thirds majority in that chamber if they can capture SD-10.

Now Democrats must find a strong candidate or risk losing the seat. The Fort Worth-based district leans Republican.

“Some decisions are being made and we will have a strong candidate in the Senate District 10 race,” said Democratic strategist Matt Angle, who in 2008 helped recruit Davis for the seat.

I'm sure Angle will keep us informed as soon as he fleshes things out.  He's the kingmaker -- and queenmaker -- for the Texas Democratic Party at this point.

*Update: Texpate corrects my math in the comments.

Cornyn Tweets a little bigotry, draws a Latina challenger

Big John does the wrong thing on the wrong day.

Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn is defending a social media post about President Obama's health care program that's drawing calls of racism and insensitivity:

"POTUS sez you can get O-care questions answered in 150 different languages - is English one of them?" 

Cornyn's press office defends this post as a legitimate policy question, but two Texas political experts say it is not.

"There are a lot of smart, useful questions that could be asked about the health care program. This is not one of them," said Cal Jillson, an SMU political science professor. "This is snide and demeaning. There's no reason for it."

No policy reason, maybe, but Jillson said there is a political reason.

"He's talking to the tea party,” Jillson said.

Never a good day to Tweet that out, but particularly not a good day to do so on the day you get a primary challenge from a Houston immigration attorney named Linda Vega.

During a Tuesday announcement five months ahead of the March primaries, Vega said she will push for limited government and the fight against excessive government spending.

“Washington, D.C., needs a red-state model on education and economic growth, that of low taxes and pro-business,” she said.

And she said there are "politicians from our own state who feel so entitled to their political position that one week they tell you they are for something, but the following week they are against the same thing they previously supported."

It sounds to me as if she slots in to his left, and not his right.

Her practice is focused on immigration and labor law, according to a biography on her campaign website. Vega is also a founding member of Latinos Ready to Vote, a conservative political advocacy group that promotes voter registration and participation among Latinos.

Vega describes herself as supportive of immigration reform but warns against a system that penalizes businesses.

"In Texas, we believe that the power comes from the individual, from hard work and the private sector," Vega said. "Small businesses are often the first start to the road of prosperity for many immigrants who come here in search of the American dream."

In her announcement, Vega said she admires Gov. Rick Perry. She has also previously lent her support to Attorney General Greg Abbott in his bid for governor, calling his outreach to the Latino community “positive conservatism.”

Frankly she would have made bigger news if she followed Judge Carlo Key's lead.  I'm not sure if Vega alone has what it takes to knock off Senator Box Turtle.  If a right-winger joins the fray then I think he stands a good chance of being pushed into a runoff.

If he ignores Vega, refuses to debate, Tweets out some more racism, then we might have something to talk about while we wait for a Democrat to decide to run.

Update: Big Jolly likes Vega's bid.  I still can't discern if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but I do enjoy the way he cracks on "Cardboard" Cornyn.

What the problems really are

Like Greg, I have some election-related things to do that will preclude both the advocacy and the acidity of the blogging here for a few days.  I'll be dumping some links in (because I'll still have time to read), but alas, you'll have to draw your own conclusions.  Mostly.

How Obamacare Will Save The Federal Government $190 Billion

The only presidents who have reduced the debt in the past 68 years all happened to be Democrats, and they worked mostly with Democratic Congresses.  If the Tea Party were really concerned about deficits, they wouldn't be voting for Republicans.

Their complaints aren't actually about debt or deficits, as we all know.  We don't have a spending problem.  America is not going broke.

We're being robbed.

If Corporate Profits Are at an All-Time High, Why Are Corporate Taxes Near a 60-Year Low?

Business profits are escaping U.S. corporate income taxes in three big ways. First, business is literally moving away from the U.S., as multinational companies have expanded abroad. Second, large companies are wise to the tricks they can use to move income through foreign subsidiaries that avoid America's high statutory rate. Third, smaller companies are finding ways to avoid corporate taxes, altogether.

Tied together, right before our eyes, is the concern Americans -- but not Congress -- have about both jobs and deficits.  And if Republicans wanted to cut "entitlements" (sic), then they could make those same corporate buddies give everybody at the bottom a raise.

Half of Fast Food Workers Need Public Aid

Minimum Wage: Lowest in 50 Years

Paying working folks a livable wage helps everyone, but it's been nine years -- and nine Congressional pay raises -- since the minimum wage was last increased.

Thankfully, people are starting to wake up to the fact that the Congress is the problem.

A kinder, gentler bunch of TeaBaggers

And just in time for 2014 (and '16).

Houston’s preeminent tea party group, King Street Patriots, and its spinoff True The Vote, had big plans for last November’s election. After making a splash in the 2010 midterm elections by dispatching teams of suburban poll-watchers into inner-city Houston neighborhoods, they planned to significantly up the ante by organizing one million poll-watchers nationwide.

As former Observer-er Abby Rapoport reported for the American Prospect in October, True The Vote’s actual poll-watcher force would fall far short of that milestone.

They've lost nothing in terms of enthusiasm, however.  Just read this about Ted Cruz's victory lap at KSP HQ last night, and then go look at the pictures.  Make no mistake: Houston and Harris County are once again Ground Zero for the success or failure of their agenda.

“Make no mistake, there was fraud.” That’s how Catherine Engelbrecht, who heads both groups, helped explain what happened at King Street’s post-election recap (back in January).

Conservative groups across the country are soul-searching and charting new courses after this election, and King Street Patriots and True The Vote are no different. As Engelbrecht stressed from the stage (in January), that course runs back through Houston.

“People think, ‘Oh, Texas is a red state.’ Texas is not a red state, Texas is a purple state,” Engelbrecht said. “If you don’t think Harris County can, in the next election cycle, flop all of Texas—they can.”

Yes, across town the liberals were busy balancing things out last night with their own events: Wendy Davis' brain spoke in Meyerland to a hundred, and there was an even larger turnout at the early vote rally hosted by the International Caucus of Mayor Annise Parker's steering committee.  Slightly different demographics at each event, you will note.

Go read the rest of the article excerpted, and don't overlook that this meeting took place a few days after Obama was inaugurated for his second term.  The KSP has been making these plans since the first of the year.

Engelbrecht conceded the plan might sound a little out-there. “You sit back and think, ‘Holy moly, they have lost their minds, talking to prostitutes and drug [dealers],’” she said, but she asked her fellow Patriots to trust her. ”We’re just gonna start helping in the community and it will turn things around.”

To handle this new plan—itself a resuscitation of the group’s dormant “Citizen Patriot Response,” or CPR, program—King Street has tapped another friend of the program, anarchist-turned-tea-partier Brandon Darby. Darby explained his plans to “take a small area of Harris County, probably close by,” and “begin to work with them, and get our communities…involved in their communities.”

You better go read it (again, hopefully). And then read this, about how Texas is busily trying to disenfranchise the most crucial demographic Wendy Davis needs in order to be elected governor.

There are several ways for this voter ID law to royally complicate a woman's ability to cast her ballot. What if she celebrates her wedding in late October or even in the first few days of November? Yes, she could submit an absentee ballot, but who thinks of that in the days leading up to her wedding? And what about women who have a tough work and family schedule? Do those women really have the time to track down original documents? That's before we even talk about the $20 fee, which can feel like a lot of money to someone struggling to pay her bills, or a woman fresh out of school.

We're just going to say it: These additions to voter ID laws in Texas seem to specifically target women, especially young women, busy moms, and those living close to the poverty level. And these are precisely the women who may be voting for changes in Texas that likely run counter to what the men (and it was pretty much all men) who passed this voter ID law—such as supporting Wendy Davis' run for governor. So much for the idea that the support surrounding Davis' marathon filibuster might encourage the Texas legislature to do some soul searching about women's rights.

Ted Cruz, the King Street Patriots, all of the Republicans running for statewide office next year, and the rest of the worst conservatives in the USA are going to keep expanding their reality and vision of Texas... or the rest of us are going to replace it, and them.  The battle is being fought right now, house to house.  The winner is still to be determined.

But if you want an early clue as to how things might go, watch the results of the District A Houston city council race.  Helena Brown's bid for re-election could be a tea leaf with some tiny writing on it.

Update: Claude Bitner in the comment section doesn't think women with different names on their IDs should be a problem, but a Texas district judge found out otherwise today.

It's Our Dometown

The one thing about this season's election I have been able to get enthusiastic about.

If you want to see the advocacy video it's here, and you might be able to pop in on the Dome Mobile, but this five minutes' worth of cornball, history, and Springsteen ripoff is really the best.

Bexar Co. Republican judge switches to Democrats

By itself, not much of a thing.  If it is the beginning of a statewide wave...

County Court at Law Judge Carlo Key.

“The Republican brand of pettiness, bigotry and ideological character assassination can no longer be tolerated in Texas,” the release states. “As the smallest minds continue to make the loudest noise in the Republican Party, true leaders will be driven by their principles and values to become Texas Democrats.”

Joe Straus, nominal head of Texas Republicans in the county, isn't concerned and even took a shot at the way Texas elects its judges.  He could be right; he could be wrong.  It all depends on whether this sort of thing becomes a trend.

As previously indicated, either the TXGOP is going to keep creating the world they have in mind for Texas, or the rest of us will introduce them to the real one.

The Weekly EV Wrangle

The Texas Progressive Alliance is old enough to remember when everyone who ran for public office did so on a premise of making it work better.  Below, this week's roundup of the best from the Lone Star State's lefty blogs.

The TPA also reminds Texas voters that early voting begins this morning in many places around the state, and don't forget to bring your photo ID.

Off the Kuff assesses the state of Houston's elections going into early voting.

Texpatriate endorses Annise Parker for re-election as mayor of Houston.

Eye On Williamson has a temporary home at this revised link, and responds to a recent TIME article says that Texas may be the future for the US. It will only happen if we let it: Why Texas doesn't have to be our future.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme is really ashamed that all Texas Republicans voted to keep our government shutdown and to default on our debts. Don't forget that it was Pete Sessions who sealed this shutdown with a pernicious rule change. Shame indeed.

There's a disconnect between the power and influence of Ted Cruz and the Tea Party in Texas, and in the rest of the country. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs observes that this dichotomy is going to affect everything that happens between now and this time next year, and they'll either create their reality... or suffer the effects of actual reality.

Neil at All People Have Value moves forward with his blog and website. All People Have Value is part of NeilAquino.com.

Libby Shaw over at TexasKaos finds it helpful to think of Ted Cruz and his Tea Party allies as part of a John Belushi-like approach to politics. Check out: Ted Cruz and his Texas Tea Party Animal House Shutdown.

==============

And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.

Grits for Breakfast eulogizes Ruby Cole Session, whose son Timothy Cole died in a Texas prison after his wrongful rape conviction before he was posthumously pardoned.

AzulTX points out that undocumented immigrants make significant contributions to the US economy.

Socratic Gadfly records that Greg Abbott sued Obama, went home, and lost 2 out of 3.

Prairie Weather notes that for some, Ted Cruz --  like alcohol and drugs -- can be addictive.

BlueDaze has some recent photos from the Eagle Ford Shale.

Greg Wythe takes a deeper look at the use of text messages in local campaigns.

Egberto Willies has the sneak preview of Move to Amend's new mini-doc, "Legalize Democracy".

The Texas Green Report endorses Proposition 6, the water infrastructure fund amendment.

Offcite shows what truly open streets would look like.

Progress Texas urges a vote against Pasadena's regressive city council redistricting scheme.

jobsanger has some truth from a Republican.

Finally, all of us at the TPA wish Karl-Thomas Musselman the very best in his future endeavors as he concludes his tenure with the Burnt Orange Report after ten productive and excellent years.

The Lone Star Disconnect

First, Jim Forsyth of Reuters.

"After two months in Washington, it's great to be back in America," Cruz joked in speaking to a crowd of about 750 people in a packed downtown San Antonio hotel ballroom.

Cruz was greeted with an eight-minute standing ovation in an appearance organized by the Texas Federation of Republican Women. People in attendance, many of them wearing red to show their support for keeping Texas a conservative-leaning state, lined up to greet him.

Taking notice of the dichotomy locally are Stewart Powell and Rachel Jackson at the Chronic.

The 26 Republican members of Texas' House and Senate delegation on Capitol Hill expect to face no political price for uniformly voting against the hard-won congressional compromise that temporarily ended the stalemate without changing Obamacare.

Cruz, in particular, doesn't seem to care about the national criticism.

"Given the choice between being reviled in Washington, D.C., and appreciated in Texas -- or reviled in Texas and appreciated in Washington -- I would take the former 100 out of 100 times," Cruz said on Friday.

More from Patty Hart.

"Elected officials and candidates don't gravitate to individuals who hurt them politically," said (Republican political bullshit artist Matt) Mackowiak. "If they are all gravitating toward Cruz, it's in their political interest to do so."

If you can't get over the firewall to read the rest, just be grateful.  Back to the first Chronicle article for a little more.

"There is just a different political culture here," says James Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas. "There is a strain of independent self-reliance and self-identity that political leaders can draw upon."

Polls show far more Texans believe Texas is heading in the right direction than most Americans believe the nation is on the right track. Such differing political outlooks show no sign of easing.

"The Texas Republican delegation is united in our determination to cut federal spending and stop the rapid expansion of our national debt," says Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston. "The rest of the country has a lot to learn from Texas."

We're going to find out over the course of the next two months (the 2014 filing period) if the Democrats will pick up this gauntlet.  Here's what's not helping: the fellow who ran against Culbertson in 2008 -- and has come the closest to unseating him over the past twelve years -- is sounding out a capitulation strategy.

What do y'all Dems think about voting in the Republican primary so we can get some moderate R's in there and replace some of these crazy Tea party nuts?

I've excoriated Michael Skelly so many times for running to the right in his bid that even I'm tired of being reminded of it.  Thankfully there are some commenting on his Facebook wall who are calling him on the carpet for his Stockholm Syndrome. But this is another demonstration of the defeatism zeitgeist of Texas politics among those who call themselves "moderate".

It's also evident in the polling that reveals that Americans are finally ready for a third political party... but sadly, they think it needs to lie somewhere between the Democrats and the Republicans.

Fail.  That's not how revolutions organically occur; just look at the TeaPees.  But back to Texas being like a whole other (far too conservative) country.

There's a few things that are capable of reversing this generational trend, and Battleground Texas is working on the most important one.  Having a candidate willing to stand up and fight in the face of long odds comes in a close second.  A few subroutines, a little good luck, and some mistakes by the opposition figure into the algorithm.

But the best thing Democrats can do for themselves is smash this loser's mentality.  It's going to have to happen among the electorate first, bubble up to the leaders and potential candidates, and then show up in the polling data well before the media notices and reports on it.

Otherwise they'll just write pathetic horseshit like this, and then follow that up with this.

A political party in the minority everywhere else in the United States outside the South and a few mountain states, ignorant of reality, science, and facts, and oblivious to its own internal destruction is ripe for the plucking.  It says more about the party that keeps losing to them if they can't capitalize on these fundamental weaknesses.

Because if they can't break through -- and soon -- Texas is going to take down the nation with it.