Say Good-Bye to the Texas Two-Step

It's not that often that we not only participate in the end of an era, but know it at the time. And no matter how necessary it may be, no matter why or how the era is ending, it's kind of sad, really.

I refer, of course, to the Texas Two-Step. A convoluted primary system that only this state could come up with. Yes, in Texas, you can legally vote twice (or more!) in the Democratic presidential primary.

First, you vote in the "normal" primary. Probably like any other primary state: you go to your precinct's polling place, show your voter registration card or ID, and vote either electronically or on a paper ballot. (No chads, please.) So far, so good.

But then, my friends, then the fun starts. Because you can go back that evening, after the polls close, and vote again!!! Call it a precinct convention, call it a caucus, call it total chaos (more on that later), but anyone who wants can go back and sign in for the presidential candidate of their choice. You don't even have to stay any longer than that -- sign in, go home, turn on the election results on TV.

That sign-in determines the allotment of delegates from your precinct to the county (or senatorial district, please don't ask) convention. If the sign-ins are 50% Clinton and 50% Obama, the delegates to the county (etc.) convention will be 50% Clinton and 50% Obama.
Now, if you do stay after signing in, you might be selected to be a delegate to that county (etc.) convention. As I did. Yes, yours truly can truthfully claim my moment in the sun as an Obama delegate!!!!!

But I digress. Now, if you are a delegate to the county (etc.) convention, you get to vote AGAIN! Yes, now you select delegates from your county (etc.) convention to the state convention. And here it gets REALLY complicated, with a formula based on how many votes your precinct turned in for the 2006 Democratic gubernatorial candidate! Are you still with me? Don't worry, I'm not either. And I have the advantage of possessing the official "Rules of the Texas Democratic Party," 2006-2008 Edition. Subtitle: "Moving Texas Forward." I kid you not.

Now, you may ask, is anyone checking to make sure you're still voting for the same candidate you did when you first signed in on election evening? Heck, no. This is Texas! Nobody tells us what to do! Besides, we're all too busy working out complicated mathematical formulas.

Believe it or not, this system worked fine for the past 20 years. Why? Because nobody cared. The nomination was all sewn up before anyone had to even think about campaigning in Texas. Most voters were more interested in the candidates for sheriff and county commissioner, truth be told.

The result was that, in 2004, there were about a dozen people at my county's party convention.
This year? 150 delegates, plus alternates, plus party officials, plus . . . Not a problem here, but oh, my Lord! Larger, less civilized areas, like San Antonio, Houston -- total chaos. Now, they had weeks after the chaos of the precinct caucuses to prepare, but did they pay attention? Did they think, hey, we'd better be organized to within an inch of our lives, or else we'll get run out of town?
Um, apparently not. And it wasn't pretty.

One of the things the county conventions do, is to pass resolutions to be forwarded to the state convention. On all sorts of topics -- no border fence, abolish the Electoral College, death to the TransTexas Corridor, etc.
But I will bet you anything you like, that mine was not the only county passing a resolution to go to a straight primary, delegates to be awarded proportional to the popular vote. It won't be, can't be acted upon this year. But I'll be very suprised if we do this again in 2012.

It will be much easier to organize. The national media won't make fun of us. The primary system will make sense.

We'll be just like everybody else who holds a primary.

Kind of sad, really. The words "Texas" and "just like everybody else" should never never never be in the same sentence.

Countdown

In a little over four weeks we have one of the most important mid-term elections in American history. You cannot sit this one out.
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This country was founded by people who disagreed with the policies and actions of their government. Read their words:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

These are the words of the Founding Fathers, those we all call heroes.

And now, 200+ years later . . .

Now, if you disagree with the policies and actions of our government, you are called an appeaser. You are called unpatriotic. You are told you aren't quite smart enough to understand the issues.
Your personal records can be searched without a subpoena. You can be thrown into jail without warrant, without representation, without trial, merely on an accusation offered without proof.

If you value this country, the ideals upon which it was founded, and what it was meant to be, send a clear message to the party of corruption, cover-up, and facism:

Vote for change.

Vote for the vision of Jefferson, Adams, Washington.

Vote for the freedom for which generations of soldiers have sacrificed their lives.

Vote for the Constitution.

Vote against every Republican on your ballot.

Backwards and in high heels

One of my heroes died yesterday.

Most of you non-Texans who knew Ann Richards at all, knew her for her remarks about George H. W. Bush at the 1988 Democratic Convention:
"Poor George. He can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth."

But she was so much more. She grew up during the Depression, fortunate enough to have a father who told her she could be anything she wanted to be. With that in mind, she joined a debate club. And the rest, as they say, is history.

A honeymoon campaigning for a Democratic candidate. Raised 4 children. Travis county commissioner. Recovered alcoholic. State treasurer. Most famously, only the second-ever female governor of Texas. A favorite of the press corps, who loved covering her because they never knew what might happen (like taking up a Harley when she was almost 60). Her favorite comment about the difficulties of being a woman in politics: "Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels."

She was a classic Texas lady -- a heart as big as the state, and at the same time, tough as nails.

Vaya con Dios, Governor. Heaven's a little brighter now, and Texas a little darker.

State of the Union Address - a comment

If I had just 1% of that b.s. to spread around my rosebushes, I'd be a shoo-in for the blue ribbon at the State Fair.

Only in Texas

Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages -- gather 'round, for I have a confession to make:

I have been disrespectful of the Texas Legislature.

Yes, I know, it's difficult to believe (unless, of course, you happen to have read the previous post). But I assure you, it's true. I have joked about their incompetence. I have bewailed the start of session. I have referred to Will Rogers' comment about not writing jokes, just reporting on Congress.

Mea culpa, mea culpa. Mea maxima culpa.

But I have seen the error of my ways. I have turned a new leaf. I have . . . oh, enough already. You want to know what caused this change of heart, don't you?

The Texas Lege, folks, has now set a new standard of speed and efficiency. A new standard which I defy any other state body -- nay, even the U.S. Congress -- to meet, much less exceed.

In the waning hours of the current session, a committee was needed to iron out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the same bill. The committee would have to work out a compromise, write and issue a report and get it to the reps so a vote could be taken. With mere hours to go, House Speaker Tom Craddick named the House members of the committee on Saturday morning. A very short deadline, as the session was due to end Sunday.

But not to worry!! In an unmatched display of a heretofore-unseen sense of urgency, the committee's report was printed and distributed on Friday!!! Yes, you read that right, the committee wrote, published, and distributed the report before the members were even named!!!

And to add to their glory, the humble public servants who managed this miracle insist upon anonymity. Not one single person is claiming credit for this feat.

Take that, you other 49 states. Only in Texas!!!!

The Texas Lege

God love 'em. Certainly nobody else with a brain could.

OK, put yourself in this position: you are a legislator in a state with, among others, the following issues:
* kids are dying regularly because Child Protective Services is massively underfunded and understaffed;
* teachers are up in arms because you're trying to cut their pensions when you just voted yourself a $6000 raise:
* your state contains at least one of the fattest cities in the universe;
* an abysmal high school dropout rate.

So, what's your priority?

Why, isn't it obvious? Passing a bill to put a ban on same-sex marriages in the state constitution.
It gets better. The sponsor of the bill, with a perfectly straight face, claimed that the bill "is not anti-gay."

*sigh*

I recall, in the Gospels, harsh words from Jesus about hypocrites, and about those who look down on others as "not as good" as themselves.
But homosexuality?

Not one single word.