TXGOP flunks secession gut-check

How many delegates do you think pronounced it suck-cession?  Astoundingly, as Bud Kennedy recounts, they applied some forethought and decided it wasn't a good idea.

With the spirit of Texas President Sam Houston over the room, state party executives voted Saturday in Austin not to poll March primary voters on declaring Texas independence.

Austin Republican Mike Goldman’s voice rose as he quoted Houston’s opposition to Confederate secession and implored the party’s state committee to avert “brother fighting brother on whether they are a Texan first or an American first.”

More immediately, the vote averted a national embarrassment with implications both in March and November.

If the party had a poll on secession, that would have drawn more disenchanted independents who also support Donald Trump. (Even the Houston-area Tea Party activists behind the idea said it’d draw new voters.) That would have hindered U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s shot at claiming more Texas delegates.

So this essentially came down to a resolution failing to get on the ballot -- which supporters believed would attract new voters to their primary -- because it might hurt the prospects of their favorite son, and make the party look like a sea-to-shining sea joke.  (Clue to Texas Republicans: that ship sailed years ago.)

Then, if the referendum passed and Cruz were on the ticket, can you imagine the campaign? “Why vote for a Texas Republican? They don’t even want to stay in the Union.”

Since 1861, Texas secession has always been a farcical idea promoted by liars, self-important patriots and greedy merchandise peddlers. This year, it just happens to be a particularly self-destructive idea for Republicans, which must be why the Tea Party party-wreckers brought it up.

There was an interesting article recently that suggested the Tea Bags, while losing favor overall, still have cracking up the GOP in mind.  Psychologically, they've already quit on the party, they just haven't filed the divorce paperwork.  While I found that premise somewhat intriguing, it seems more likely to me that they -- with Trump as their tool -- will actually take over the GOP and push out the moderates, who are hesitant emotionally or physically to disconnect.  Is Lindsey Graham correct in saying that nominating Donald Trump means the end of the GOP as we know it?

Are they at risk of becoming 21st century American fascists?

Honestly I'm more focused on seeing if Hillarians are going to be successful in driving out the Sandernistas.  Democrats, after all, have repeatedly demonstrated a propensity not to vote if the candidate nominated does not enthuse them enough to do so.  This is so obviously the difference between Hillary and Bernie that I am almost surprised that so many Democrats do not get it.

If I'm right about this trend, Trump could get elected president.

Mark this post as the first time I have publicly entertained the possibility that Clinton loses in 2016.

Sunday Thoughts and Prayers Funnies

A letter to Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan from their baby, Max (Warning: language)

Cheney, busted

In keeping with the Star Wars references, this isn't the frogmarch we've been looking for.

One of the most controversial vice presidents in U.S. history will have a permanent presence in the halls of power in Washington after a marble bust of Dick Cheney was unveiled Thursday at the U.S. Capitol. (Former president George W.) Bush, Vice President Biden and other dignitaries offered effusive praise — and polite jokes as the sculpture was unveiled.

I think the Darth Vader comparisons are unfair.  The former Anakin Skywalker fought in every war that occurred during his lifetime; Cheney was more than happy to let others fight and die in his place, many times.

The real sculpture also has a difficult time convincing me it's an accurate representation.

So do the plaudits and jokes, especially Joe Biden's.

"The way you have conducted yourself is a model for anyone in high public office," Biden said. "I'm afraid I've blown his cover. I actually like Dick Cheney."

I call bullshit, Joe.

Update: More cringeworthy satire from Slate.  "Honored for ending terrorism"...

However, in retrospect it is hard to say that Cheney's decisions were anything but deeply prescient, and one thing is certain: The invasion ended Islamic terrorism and did not create a civil war that ironically allowed al-Qaida to flourish in an area where it had no prior presence, ultimately begetting an even more dangerous and inhumane splinter group called ISIS that continues to threaten American lives to this day.

[...]

Cheney was also praised for his ethical decision not to arrange for a company which had very recently paid him tens of millions of dollars and in which he had "a continuing financial interest" to become one of the largest beneficiaries of United States federal spending in Iraq. One can only imagine the repercussions if he had actually done something like that.

Competing polls show Turner, King with small leads over each other

Both are, shall we say, non-independent.

The Houston Realty Business Coalition (HRBC) released a poll of 300 active voters today measuring support of Mayoral candidates in the December runoff election.  

Blahblahblah.

In the upcoming runoff election for Mayor, if you had to choose, would you be voting for Bill King or Sylvester Turner?

 

Bill King                      48%

Sylvester Turner          43%

Undecided                     9% 

More at the link if you want it.  Conversely, Sylvester Turner's polling outfit shows him at 47-40, with 13% undecided.

The war of the polls: King touts survey showing he's ahead, Turner's camp rushes to counter #houvote pic.twitter.com/YWenctrSm8

— Rebecca Elliott (@rfelliott) December 3, 2015

Right down to the wire, folks.  Vote early until Tuesday, vote a week from Saturday if you don't.

Update: Sue Davis with the Turner campaign adds this (via email):

The King campaign is pushing a poll today with numbers that are drastically different than ours. But check the methodology before you take what King says at face value. His poll is a 300-sample, notoriously unreliable robo-call poll. It claims a 4% margin of error. However, in a sample size that small, according to our pollsters FM3, the margin of error should be 5.7%.

Additionally, 16% of people only use cell phones (like me). Robo-call polls are not allowed to call cell phones, so King’s poll missed out on a whole segment of voters.