The Party of Reform

Learning from Newt - Michael Crowley

Hard to read this and not take a bit of pride in the efforts of my now-former Congressman, Chris Bell. The jist of Crowley's rather extensive article is that Dems would be wise to take copious notes from the Newt Gingrich playbook as the pre-1994 GOP sought to regain power. Nothing really novel about that, but I want to take a slightly unique twist on this as I believe a parallel is warranted for the Lone Star State ...

In preparing some notes for a meeting on Saturday, I think it's a fair statement to say that the 2006 elections are potentially very critical for the state party. I mean, even KOS is writing of a Senate race here in the state, and that's presuming it's an OPEN race!!! Heck, if you can't even have a prayer in those conditions, what is there to hope for? I'll go on record right now as stating that the outcome of the 2006 elections could well determine if Texas Dems go the way of the Idaho Democratic Party or the way of the Colorado/Montana Democratic Party. At least for the foreseeable future, that is. There's always the possibility of a Republican governor getting caught in a sex scandal with a farm animal or Troy Aikman dropping his Cowboy helmet in the ring as a Dem. Barring either of those, however, there's still a bigger issue of building the product here in Texas.

The unique characteristics of Texas make it a challenge for many a progressive: Texas is, by constitutional makeup, a limited government state. To the exasperation of more than a few liberals, the vast majority of Texans like it just fine that way ... including a good chunk of Democrats. The complexity this mandates on Texas Dems is that to run statewide is to run as a breed apart from your stereotypical Dem across this land. Sure, we all (for the most part) still think it's advantageous to put the tools in place so that kids grow up with a healthy and well-educated opportunity. There will always be a need for a safety net that government ought to provide, too. That gets us to a decent starting point of where to differentiate ourselves with the other side.

But even if you look at the 83-67 GOP slant in the Texas House, if we start with the whopping EIGHT seats won with the GOP candidate not breaking 60%, we're still in a 75-75 deadlock. Sure, it only took Ray Allen's ethical foibles and Scott Campbell's alcohol problem to even contemplate a deadlock, and nevermind that Toby Goodman is generally as tolerable a GOPer as there is in the House who's merely biding his time in a relatively tight district. and technically, if we add Joe Nixon's increasingly blue District 133, we end up with a majority. But as an excercise that every last-place baseball team is well-versed in during the month of July ... we're not mathematically out of it. So let a journey of a thousand miles begin ... it's a big state afterall.

Taking back the Lege requires not just the tactical campaign-by-campaign manuevering that simply dictates that we keep campaigns local. Sure, that helps. And campaigns for seats like a State Rep seat ought to be locally oriented. But in order to get the clean sweep needed to think about taking, it requires a tidal wave of effort. In short, taking back the statehouse ... and longer term, the state senate ... requires a charge from the top. You won't see Texas Dems take back the Lege without taking back the Governor's mansion, US Senate, and/or a handful of other statewide races.

The undercurrent that should drive Texas Dems back to the promised land is the same that Crowley writes of ... reform, reform, and yet more reform. Newly elected State Rep. Mark Strama has the framework pretty much there for the taking in his Political Reform Act. I've said it once, I think I've said it twice ... but it bears repeating: Texas Democrats ought to embrace this act in full.

There are aspects in Strama's act that will surely give a few fellow Dems heartache ... end the practice of legislative holds for attorney-representatives? Yeah, it'll suck for the large number of attorneys in the lege (on both sides). But the biggest culprit of this perk in the last session was a Republican: Joe Nixon (there's that name again). Ron Wilson was high up there as well, but we took care of him in the primary. The rest? Adapt. No other profession is covered by legislative fiat the way attorneys are in their capacity as representatives. Democrats should pounce on the practice and demand its prompt and timely death.

Recorded votes are a pretty simple matter, you'd think. But the latest that the State House can bother with is making it easier for a lone Rep to call for a vote (and risk banishment). Again, the issues are just being handed to us ... take advantage.

An independent commission for redistricting? Another winner according to recent polling. And also one that has a GOP sponsor for the idea. The effect will likely be of marginal benefit to state Dems, but its a perfect matter of efficiency and political competition that ought to be the goal. If we can't fight for that, then what will we fight for?

Now, on the surface, it looks like a lot of inside baseball. The key, as Newt was astutely aware, is to connect the behavior inside the House with the Representative outside of Austin (or, for those who represent an Austin district ... well, you get the idea). That the state GOP has a demonstrated pattern of corruption is not entirely news anymore, but showing people why they should care and how it affects them is not a given. That takes effort on the part of those presently in the minority. Or, at least, those who wish to once again serve in the majority.

It also takes effort on the part of candidates for Governor and other statewide races. Claiming the mantle of reform ought to be something that Democratic voters demand of their nominees when the time approaches. At present, the picture for State Dems to work through in order to regain the majority is cloudy at best. How does one go from a 61-39 outcome to something closer to 51-49 (I'll reassess the Kinky Friedman effect at a more appropriate time)? It isn't a battle won by looking for a few extra votes here and there ... it's a battle that must be waged by going for the jugular of the other side, by tearing down the facade of compassionate conservatism established by George Bush and displaying the Callous Conservatism unleashed by Rick Perry, Tom DeLay, and Arlene Wolgemuth.

Coming Soon: Part Two - On Dealing with 800 Pound Gorillas