The Electoral Loan Star of Texas Once Shined Brightly, and Can Shine Again
Once upon a time, the state of Texas was hotly contested in Presidential elections. In 1968 Democrat Hubert Humphrey eked out a mere two percentage point victory. In 1976, the state was a battleground in which Jimmy Carter edged out Gerald R. Ford by just three percentage points. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter made five campaign stops in the state just three days before the general election. In 1992, all three major Presidential candidates, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and H. Ross Perot, held rallies in Texas on election eve. George H.W. Bush won Texas by just one percentage point.
Since the 1992 election, the state has trended significantly Republican, and because it has trended significantly toward one particular political party, Presidential candidates are no longer interested in visiting Texas and listening to what the people have to say. The Democratic candidates concede the state to the Republicans, and the Republicans declare victory over the state before the election season even begins, rendering the state of Texas to a state of insignificance.
With more than 25 million residents, Texas is the second largest state in the nation. Yet it no longer influences Presidential elections. The Presidential candidates basically ignore Texas, choosing instead to direct their limited time and resources to only about 15 battleground states that could swing in their direction if swing voters in these battleground states are influenced by their respective campaigns.
This is a sorry situation for Texans. In the large Democratic citadels of Austin, Dallas, and Houston, voters feel alienated about voting. Similarly, in the Republican controlled rural areas of Texas, many voters also feel a sense of alienation. In addition, at this point in time, Presidential candidates from both parties have no compelling reason to persuade the proliferating and increasingly competitive Texas Hispanic vote to support them.
Texas is a victim of the current winner-take-all electoral system. In 2008, over 3.5 million Texans cast their ballots for Democrat Barack Obama, only to see their vote nullified in the Electoral College. Despite compiling more than 3.5 million votes, all 34 of the state's Electoral votes were awarded to the Republican candidate John McCain. This one-sided allocation of electoral votes occurred despite the overwhelming electoral landslides Obama scored in the state's two biggest cities, Houston and Dallas, as well as in the state capital of Austin.
Under the National Popular Vote Initiative, Texas would once again be a major player in Presidential elections. Texans from all over the political spectrum have a common interest in supporting the Initiative and getting back in the game. Urban Democrats concerned about smog issues, or concerned with children without health insurance, or concerned about the loss of manufacturing jobs in the state would all have a voice in the Presidential election. Similarly, rural Republicans, worried about water rights, oil regulations, and federal encroachment on small businesses would also have a chance to be heard directly by the major Presidential campaigns.
Since the 1992 election, the state has trended significantly Republican, and because it has trended significantly toward one particular political party, Presidential candidates are no longer interested in visiting Texas and listening to what the people have to say. The Democratic candidates concede the state to the Republicans, and the Republicans declare victory over the state before the election season even begins, rendering the state of Texas to a state of insignificance.
With more than 25 million residents, Texas is the second largest state in the nation. Yet it no longer influences Presidential elections. The Presidential candidates basically ignore Texas, choosing instead to direct their limited time and resources to only about 15 battleground states that could swing in their direction if swing voters in these battleground states are influenced by their respective campaigns.
This is a sorry situation for Texans. In the large Democratic citadels of Austin, Dallas, and Houston, voters feel alienated about voting. Similarly, in the Republican controlled rural areas of Texas, many voters also feel a sense of alienation. In addition, at this point in time, Presidential candidates from both parties have no compelling reason to persuade the proliferating and increasingly competitive Texas Hispanic vote to support them.
Texas is a victim of the current winner-take-all electoral system. In 2008, over 3.5 million Texans cast their ballots for Democrat Barack Obama, only to see their vote nullified in the Electoral College. Despite compiling more than 3.5 million votes, all 34 of the state's Electoral votes were awarded to the Republican candidate John McCain. This one-sided allocation of electoral votes occurred despite the overwhelming electoral landslides Obama scored in the state's two biggest cities, Houston and Dallas, as well as in the state capital of Austin.
Under the National Popular Vote Initiative, Texas would once again be a major player in Presidential elections. Texans from all over the political spectrum have a common interest in supporting the Initiative and getting back in the game. Urban Democrats concerned about smog issues, or concerned with children without health insurance, or concerned about the loss of manufacturing jobs in the state would all have a voice in the Presidential election. Similarly, rural Republicans, worried about water rights, oil regulations, and federal encroachment on small businesses would also have a chance to be heard directly by the major Presidential campaigns.
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