by Sandy » Thu Aug 12, 2004 9:56 pm
I don't know what's going on up in your neck of the woods, MLovell, but this redistricting gerrymander that old Tom Delay kicked off is making politics quite interesting around here.
It forced Nick Lampson, the Democratic imcumbent, to run in a new Republican majority district. He had the option of running directly against Tom, but chose to remain in the district where his hometown of Beaumont is located. The Republican who is running against him was so confident that the election would be decided in the primary that he spent most of his money running against other Republicans. The Democratic turnout was huge, and now it looks like Lampson will hold on to that seat. Also, over here in the heart of the Texas Republican Paradise in Fort Bend County, Tom is in a pretty tight horserace. His Republican primary opponent, who got almost 40 percent of the vote, is running as an independent in the general election. The hope is that the Republicans who don't like Delay, but who wouldn't vote for a Democrat will vote for the independent and give the Democrat, Richard Morrison, the majority. The Democratic party "get out the vote effort" here has been absolutely phenominal. The two party gatherings I've attended in the past six weeks have drawn record turnouts and from all the yard signs and bumper stickers that are out, you'd think this was a Democratic dominated area instead of one that's gone Republican since the 70's. Driving through my neighborhood this evening, I counted no less than 20 Kerry-Edwards and Morrison yard signs, and as of yet, not a single Bush sign. Perhaps his supporters are out there, but afraid to show it. Our precinct's Democratic primary turnout set a record this past spring, it was more than double that of the Republicans, who usually out-poll us four to one in this precinct. That redistricting has folks as mad as hornets.