Houston is not merely more Hispanic; the fastest-growing ethnic group is Asian. The kimchi taco is a hit. Some 90 languages are spoken. The city government will soon publish information in six languages. And 98 percent of the population growth in the first 10 years of this century has been nonwhite.
This diversity is rippling out to the far suburbs, counties that have long been white and Republican — and vital for winning statewide office. The most diverse part of the Houston region is now Missouri City, which straddles Brazoria County and Fort Bend County on the city’s southwestern edge and is filling with Hispanics, Asians and African-Americans seeking bigger homes and better schools.
The same trends are found in the Texas Triangle, an increasingly dense region bounded by Houston, San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth. It includes less than 20 percent of the state’s land but all its biggest cities. Conservative politicians do poorly in these settings.
The political shift is unmistakable. In Houston, 83 percent of residents favor a legal path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Six in 10 say abortion is morally wrong but oppose making it harder for women to get one. In August, an effort to repeal Houston’s new equal protection ordinance for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual people failed.
Not only did Harris County vote for Barack Obama in 2008, but in 2012 it was joined by all of Texas’ big urban counties and cities, which Democrats have controlled for years. Republican strength is on the wane in some of those key suburbs, too. The Republican margin in Fort Bend County shrank in 2012 from double digits to just six points.
The article goes on to say that this does not mean that Wendy Davis will necessarily win the gubernatorial election this time around, though she might, but that moving forward it will become much harder for conservatives to get elected, and that in upcoming presidential elections those 34 electoral votes that the Republicans have counted on for years may soon be up for grabs.
And that is nothing but good news.
I live in Dallas, and while I can attest that many of us in the cities vote Democratic and abhor Rick Perry, Ted Cruz, and Greg Abbott, there is still a lot of stupid. There are many Republicans who vote that way because there's an R after the candidate's name. They do little to understand their positions and the impact it will have on the state and vote against their own best interests. It will probably be another generation before Texas turns blue.
ReplyDeleteThis shift is happening slowly, but surely, everywhere. We may have a few bumps in the road, but this atheist has faith ;) that eventually we'll pull through as a country. Gay marriage will soon be legal everywhere. The abortion issue will be harder, but I doubt it will be outright banned. And if it is, it won't be for long. And pot will eventually come, too.
ReplyDeleteI live in Iowa, in a mostly rural area. You wouldn't believe the lack of outrage that there was when we legalized gay marriage. Seriously, it wasn't a big deal! There were some who pissed and moaned, but for the most part, even those who didn't agree with homosexuality were just like "meh, they can do what they want." Some of the coolest comments I heard about gay marriage were, surprisingly, from elderly people. Many of them pointed out that they paid taxes like the rest of us, so they thought it was fine that they get married.
My late brother wrote for the Sioux City Journal. He was a strong advocate for legalizing gay marriage and found a lot of support from his small city neighbors. The fact that he was straight was a bonus, so people could see that it was a civil rights issue, not noise from a "special interest group". I'm glad he lived to see the law changed.
DeleteIowa is not as conservative as you might think. I wonder if the strong traditional support for education has. Anything to do with that.
When I lived in TX I lived in the large cities...Austin, San Antonio, Houston. I also lived in New Braunfels for awhile so I understand the frontier mentality. My son lives in Galveston, my sister lives in Dallas and a brother lives near Houston. I have avoided moving back to TX since it turned 'blood red'. If what you are saying is true, and Wendy wins, I might return. I do miss the boots, the hats, and the drawls. There is definitely something sexy about Texas Honky Tonks and Dance Halls and I would like to see my alma mater (UT-Austin) before I die.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I know, Austin is safe for blue atheists ;-)
DeleteBlue. Atheist/Agnostic. Gay. Northerner. Liberal. And yes, my partner and I safe here in my north/central neighborhood of Austin. :)
DeleteIn fact, in both jobs I've had here, it seems as if Republicans live "undercover" and are a bit afraid of being known. Generally they claim to vote about taxes - you, know they may have to buy a Lexus every 3 years instead of every two.
My partner's not in the same boat. Works in the "burbs" around conservative rednecks. he hasn't told them he's gay. I think it would go over ok, but he's afraid to risk it, based on conversations he overhears.
Dave
Texas
The whole central corridor is bright blue , with Austin growing at a rate of over 65,000 a yr mostly because of HiTech expansion in the "Silicon Hills", as with the Valley and the Houston area. Dallas/FW are still borderline. While west Texas is still overwhelmingly red( well except for the million people in El Paso, Texas is turning bluer every day.
DeleteCome on back, this Minnesota raised Democrat feels quite at home outside of San Antonio :)
For the time being, of course, we should remember that Democrats have won every statewide race in Texas in the last 20 years. So there's a long way to go yet.
ReplyDeletePlus, with tools at their disposal like voter disenfranchisement, gerrymandering, etc., the game can be rigged to make up the population difference for the foreseeable future.
typo, I assume. Republicans have won every statewide race for 20 years.
DeleteLived in Texas all my life and I am looking forward to these things. I am so tired of the same old white guys controlling everything here. Kiss it goodbye fellas, you are on your way out!
ReplyDeleteYes! Go blue, TEXAS!
DeleteI live in TN but have a home in Denton/Colin county(Dallas suburb) where it is redder than blood red. Both states have been going steadily backward, but maybe there is hope. Maybe in my lifetime, and probably TX will be blue before TN.
ReplyDeleteThis cycle has been incredible--there's been more activity and money spent in Texas on the D side than anytime in the past 30 years. The State Democratic Party, Battleground Texas, County Democratic parties, Planned Parenthood, Annie's List, TOPS, and many other groups have been working for a year registering people and making contacts. This election is going to be very exciting. The Rs are going to be shocked at the turnout. They don't have any idea that so much grassroots organizing has been going on for the past year.
DeletePlus, the statewide Democratic candidates are strong this year. The D Comptroller candidate (Collier) is a CPA and has been getting endorsements from the Dallas, Houston, etc. paper. Same for the D Attorney General candidate. This was simply unheard of for years and years.
Even Collin and Denton counties are organizing. You should check the results in November for those two counties--I think you will be surprised.
That map is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThere can be no Republican presidents without those Texas electoral votes. Ever!
I so hope Wendy Davis wins! I have family and friends in TX and they are all voting for her. Austin, TX is majority blue already! Rick Perry's not being in office is going to be a huge help.
ReplyDeleteUnless Abbot is elected, he is Perry on steroids.
DeleteBTW Gryphen,
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read the title of this article I thought it would be about a completely different subject.
Wind generated power, last year over 30% of the power needed to supply the Texas power grid came from wind energy. Yes, even in an oil state like Texas there has been a surge of wind farms and different types of power solutions can co-exist.
just got back from Tyler, Texas, my hometown. It's redder than red, in deep (racist, backward, Baptist) East Texas. I saw two Wendy Davis signs out in front yards! I could not believe it. So not only are there two sane people in Tyler, they're not afraid to show their colors. HOOOORAY!
ReplyDeleteAll they have to do now is kick Jesus in the ass...................
ReplyDelete