Thursday, May 31, 2012

Texas’s House Delegation Likely Won’t Reflect Hispanic Boom

TPM

After intense infighting and multiple delays, Tuesday’s Texas primaries proceeded under a compromise map intended to hand two of the state’s four new House districts to Latinos. It now appears as if neither of the new Hispanic-majority districts will send one of their own to Washington.

Texas’s population ballooned over the last decade due to the state’s rapidly growing Hispanic population. Between 2000 and 2010, the number of Hispanics grew by 2.8 million in the state; the group now comprises almost 40 percent of the population. But they make up less than one-fifth of its congressional delegation — and after November, that contingent could shrink, even after advocates fought tooth and nail to open the doors for Latino candidates with the state’s redistricting map.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Collin County Primary Results

By the end of primary election day the 435,397 registered voters in Collin County had cast 54,901 ballots in the Democratic and Republican primaries for a 12.6% voter turnout.

5,676 of those ballots were cast in the Democratic Primary and 49,225 Republican Primary ballots were cast. 22,644 Republican ballots and 2,645 Democratic ballots were counted for Election Day - including vote by mail ballots. Between both parties a total of 1,640 vote by mail ballots were cast with the majority being cast for the Republican primary.

The primary took place under interim district maps ordered by a San Antonio federal district court earlier this year while the maps passed by the 2011 Texas legislature and signed by Gov. Rick Perry continue under "preclearance" review by a Washington, D.C. District Court.

Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, Texas is one of eight states with a history of discrimination that submit congressional redistricting proposals to either the Justice Department or a D.C. court preclearance before they can take effect.

Texas Republicans are threatening redraw the redistricting maps during the 2013 Texas legislative session. GOP Primary voters approved their party's Primary Ballot Proposition #5 that reads, "Redistricting - The Texas Legislature should redraw the court-imposed lines for Congress and State legislative districts in its upcoming session in order to remedy inequities.

As did the rest of Texas, Collin County voters split their votes for the U.S. Senate candidates listed on the Democratic and Republican ballots.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Remember Why We Honor This Day

Memorial Day is a federal holiday observed annually in the United States on the last Monday of May.

It is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union soldiers who died in the Civil War.

By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died in all wars.

Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service.

Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries.

We should also remember "The Other Forgotten Soldier," military service dogs.

Find out about The Other Forgotten Soldier at:

Saturday, May 26, 2012

New Orleans' Times-Picayune Newspaper Going Digital

New Orleans learned last week that one of its bedrock institutions will undergo a major makeover: The Times-Picayune, the city's daily newspaper with a 175-year history, announced it will cut back its newsprint version to three days a week and expand its digital news publications. This change, which was taken because of declining print revenues in a digital age, is scheduled to take effect sometime this fall. When it happens, New Orleans will be the biggest city in the country without a daily newspaper.

A new company - the NOLA Media Group, which will include The Times-Picayune and its affiliated web site NOLA.com - will reshape how the New Orleans area's dominant news organization delivers local news, sports and entertainment coverage in an increasingly digital age. NOLA Media Group will significantly increase its online news reporting 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while offering enhanced printed newspapers on a schedule of three days a week. The newspaper will be home-delivered and sold in stores on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays only.

The decision to form a new company signals a change in the way news is delivered to an increasingly wired New Orleans area audience. As printed newspaper circulation declines, online readership is surging. The internet is slowly closing in on television as America's main source of national and international news. The rapid adoption of cell phones and, especially, the spread of internet-connected smartphones and iPad-like devices are changing the way people communicate with others, find information and read the news.

2012 Primary Early Voting Results

With only the Memorial Day weekend to get through until Primary Election Day, the University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll and Burnt Orange Report poll released earlier this week suggests that both the Texas Democratic and Republican Parties may need July 31 runoff elections to select the names that will appear on the November ballot for retiring Kay Bailey Hutchinson's U.S. Senate seat. If a runoff election is scheduled, early voting will run from Monday, July 23 through Friday, July 27.

The pace of voter traffic at early polling places quickened through the second week of early voting across Collin County with the heaviest traffic coming on the last day, Friday.

Several Collin County polling places were quite busy on Friday with heavy Republican voter traffic. Democratic Party voter turnout was also somewhat heavier on Friday, but GOP voters still topped Democratic Party voters by nearly a 10 to 1 ratio.

On Thursday, 3,039 people voted early in the Republican Primary and an additional 5,993 people voted the Republican ballot on Friday. For the Democratic Party's primary 337 people voted early on Thursday and an additional 651 people voted the Democratic ballot on Friday.

In Collin County, the tally for GOP in-person voting through the close of early voting on Friday May 25, stood at 25,257 voters checked in to vote. Collin County had the fifth highest early Republican turnout among all 254 Texas Counties.

The tally for Democratic Party in-person voting at the close of early voting stood at 2,963 voters checked to vote. Collin County ranked thirteenth in early Democratic Party turnout among all 254 Texas Counties. (see table below the fold at bottom.)

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Volunteer Today To Help Your Fellow Texans Vote Next Tuesday!

by Michael Handley

Many Americans have come to reject politics, because they are tired of "blame the other guy" us against them politics.

But Collin County Democrats have an opportunity to find common cause and join with their fellow Democrats in a very positive and personal way as we approach primary election day. You can help your fellow Democrats exercise their right to vote.

The Democratic Party of Collin County needs your help on Election Day, Tuesday, May 29. If you are registered to vote in Collin County you can serve as an Election Judge, Alternate Judge, or Election Clerk on Election Day at polling locations across the county. If you can, please take this opportunity to serve your community and support your neighbors and fellow Democrats by helping them exercise their right to vote.

Volunteer today to be an Election Judge, Alt Judge or Clerk by calling or emailing the Primary Elections Administrator for the Democratic Party of Collin County at phone number (972) 578-1483 or email address elections@collindems.us.

If you reside in another Texas County, contact the Democratic Party office for your county today and volunteer to serve your community on Election Day!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

2012 Primary Early Voting In Collin Co.

Texas Democratic Party and Republican Party Primary Election Early Voting started Monday for county and statewide office contests. Early voting will continue through Friday, May 25. Voters can finally pick their party's nominees after a four-month delay caused by extended court battles over redistricting, which, by the way, aren't finally settled yet.

The four-month primary election delay has resulted in voter apathy, which creates a challenge for candidates to get out the vote. Voter apathy can spell trouble for some Republican incumbent candidates facing opposition from Tea Party conservative activists, and create an opportunity for very well organized newcomers.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Obama's Campaign To Launch Holy Grail Of Digital Campaigning

Barack Obama's re-election campaign for the White House is poised to launch its secret weapon: an online tool that the campaign hopes will vastly increase its ability to mobilize volunteers and potential voters across the US.

The new tool, called Dashboard, is being seen as the possible Holy Grail of digital political organizing, one that has eluded campaign chiefs for years. It is already being road-tested in several of the crucial swing states that Obama must hold onto if he is to remain in office.

The technology has been incorporated into the campaign's website, myBarackObama.com, and is expected to be made available to thousands of staff and volunteers across the country within the next 10 days. Its URL can be found through search, though it remains inaccessible to most Obama supporters until the launch.

For the past eight years, online experts working within both parties, but particularly within the Democratic party, have aspired to create the first fully formed digital campaign. That goal may now be within their grasp.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

May 29 Democratic Primary In Collin County

As the May 29 Primary Election looms, 2010 U.S. Congressional candidate John Lingenfelder and County Chair incumbent Shawn Stevens are seeking the office of Democratic Party of Collin County Chair. In this presidential election year, the Democratic Party's County Chair contest is about the only county wide primary contest that anyone is talking about in Collin Co.

Other than the Collin County Democratic Chair contest, there are four statewide Democratic presidential candidates on the countywide ballot - Barack Obama, and three unknown would-be spoilers, who few voters, if any, even know are listed on the ballot.

May 14-25 Early Voting Locations & Hours for May 29 Election.

May 29 Election Day Polling Locations & Sample Ballots.

The Voter Photo ID Law Isn't In Effect.

Find your election precinct number on your new yellow Voter Registration Card.

Find information about statewide candidates in the LWV Voter's Guide.

Houston PBS - Conversations with Candidates for U.S. Senate: Parts One, Two, Three, and Four

Four statewide Democratic candidates, including former state Rep. Paul Sadler of Henderson and Sean Hubbard, are also on the countywide ballot running for retiring Kay Bailey Hutchison's U.S. Senate seat. Hubbard is a first-time candidate who worked on Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008. But, regrettably, Sadler, Hubbard, and the other two Democratic candidates for Hutchison's U.S. Senate seat are not widely known, so voter interest is low on that ballot position, too.

Katherine Savers McGovern and Walter Hofheinz are on the ballot for congressional district 32. The winner will challenge Republican incumbent and Tea Party favorite Pete Sessions in the general election this November for his congressional seat. District 32 encompasses election precincts in northern Dallas County, plus six southeastern area Collin Co. precincts.

The remainder of the five Democratic primary ballot styles, tailored to the county's 202 election precincts, are made up of uncontested single person ballot positions and three ballot proposition survey questions. The Collin Co. Republican Party has 36 primary ballot styles since that party has primary candidates running for every local and statewide elected office.

As Matt Taibbi said in a Rolling Stone article, "The apathy factor in American presidential politics this year has seemingly never been higher."

Friday, May 11, 2012

Tx State Sen. Ellis: Make Clear The Voter Photo ID Law Isn't In Effect

State Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, on Friday asked the Texas Secretary of State to make clear that the voter photo ID requirement will not be in effect for the May 29 primary.

Legislation passed in 2011 (SB 14) requires that voters present one of a select group of government issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, passport or military ID, before casting a ballot.

The U.S. Department of Justice rejected the state’s application for preclearance of the law in March, claiming the state did not prove that the law would not have a discriminatory effect on minority voters.

The voter photo ID law is currently tied up in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. with the earliest possible trial date, according to court proceedings, not until July – and that is only if the State of Texas makes certain discovery document available this week.

A statement, as specified by the Texas Secretary of State, concerning identification requirements on the back of new 2012-13 Voter Registration Cards can be misinterpreted to mean that voters must present select government issue photo identification, as specified in SB14, in order to vote in the primary election.

Related:

When Same-Sex Marriage Was a Christian Rite

Contrary to myth, Christianity's concept of marriage has not been set in stone since the days of Christ, but has constantly evolved as a concept and ritual.
Prof. John Boswell, the late Chairman of Yale University’s history department, discovered that in addition to heterosexual marriage ceremonies in ancient Christian church liturgical documents, there were also ceremonies called the "Office of Same-Sex Union" (10th and 11th century), and the "Order for Uniting Two Men" (11th and 12th century).

These church rites had all the symbols of a heterosexual marriage: the whole community gathered in a church, a blessing of the couple before the altar was conducted with their right hands joined, holy vows were exchanged, a priest officiated in the taking of the Eucharist and a wedding feast for the guests was celebrated afterwards. These elements all appear in contemporary illustrations of the holy union of the Byzantine Warrior-Emperor, Basil the First (867-886 CE) and his companion John.

Read the full story @ Anthropologist Live Journal

Listen to NPR's interview with Pew Research Center's Andrew Kohut about the steady shift toward acceptance on the same-sex marriage social issue, May 11. (4:12)
President Obama announced his support for gay marriage this week after a long consideration saying his views were "evolving." The public's view of gay marriage has changed over the past several decades, with growing support.

In 1996, Americans opposed gay marriage by 65% to 27%, but today the public is more evenly split, with 47% in favor and 43% opposed.

Related:

Monday, May 7, 2012

Campaign Web Wars 2.0 - Republicans Strike Back

Raw Story

Tired of playing catch-up to the Obama Internet juggernaut, Republicans have rolled out a one-stop online shop for conservative activism which they hope will help them capture the White House.

The Social Victory Center, which launched this week and allows Republicans to do everything from distribute campaign materials to ring up undecided voters in battleground states like Ohio, has been craftily embedded in the most comprehensive social media landscape of them all: Facebook.

Call it the Republican National Committee’s newest weapon in campaign web wars 2.0, the virtual battlefield of the 2012 election. But is Democratic President Barack Obama’s huge advantage in Facebook, Twitter, digital advertising and online fundraising already unassailable?

Sunday, May 6, 2012

President Obama's Campaign Kickoff

In back-to-back campaign rallies at Ohio State University and Virginia Commonwealth University on Saturday, President Barack Obama was introduced in Columbus and again in Richmond by first lady Michelle Obama. Thousands cheered and waved signs that read "Forward" as President Obama moved to speak to the assembled crowd.


President Obama in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday

During his remarks the president called Mitt Romney a willing and eager "rubber stamp" for conservative Republicans in Congress and an agenda to cut taxes for the rich, reduce spending on education and Medicare and enhance power that big banks and insurers hold over consumers.

Romney "doesn't seem to understand that maximizing profits by whatever means necessary, whether it's through layoffs or outsourcing or tax avoidance, union busting, might not always be good for the average American or for the American economy," the president said.

Romney and his "friends in Congress think the same bad ideas will lead to a different result or they're just hoping you won't remember what happened the last time you tried it their way. Obama said his rival was merely doing the bidding of the conservative power brokers and has little understanding of the struggles of average Americans. "Why else would he want to cut his own taxes while raising them for 18 million Americans," said Pres. Obama of the Republican presumptive presidential nominee.

"When people ask you what this election is about, you tell them it is still about hope. You tell them it is still about change," he said. It was a rebuttal to Romney's campaign, which has lately taken to mocking Obama's 2008 campaign mantra as "hype and blame."

"The economy is still facing headwinds and it will take sustained persistent efforts, yours and mine, for America to fully recover," the president said. He noted that jobs are being created and urged his audience not to give in to what he predicted would be negative campaign commercials designed to "exploit frustrations."

"Over and over again they'll tell you that America is down and out and they'll tell you who to blame and ask if you're better off than the worst crisis in our lifetime," he said. "The real question ... is not just about how we're doing today but how we'll be doing tomorrow."

Friday, May 4, 2012

WTF, GOP?

Mother Jones

Hey, GOP? A bit of simple math: Women are 51 percent of the population and 54 percent of voters.

The gender gap between Republicans and Democrats, in presidential elections, has historically ranged from 4 to 11 percent; in Pennsylvania, a key swing state, it was 8 percent in 2008.

Fifty-five percent of Americans think abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Sixty-three percent support requiring health plans to include no-cost birth control; 67 percent of independent women do. And a staggering 77 percent of Americans think a petty argument over contraception has no place in the national debate.

"Republicans being against sex is not good," one GOP strategist told Maureen Dowd. "Sex is popular."

This sanctimony is not playing as part of the genuine, profound disagreement between (and, guess what, among) liberals and conservatives about whether and when abortion should be legal.

It's playing as needlessly humiliating women with invasive procedures, as denying people the choice of when and whether to have kids, and, frankly, as straight-up slut-shaming puritanism (recall Rick Santorum admonishing married couples that it's not okay to have sex unless it's "procreative").

Let's have GOP strategist Alex Castellanos bring it home: "Republicans being against sex is not good," he told Maureen Dowd. "Sex is popular."

Not content to enrage people who like sex? Well, party of Lincoln, you've also bullied Latinos, a giant, socially conservative, upwardly mobile, and demographically growing bloc that many analysts see as key to securing the White House—and that as recently as 2004 swung 42 percent for George W. Bush. That was before GOP lawmakers spearheaded some 160 punitive anti-immigration bills in the last two years. Before Mitt Romney—whose own forebears fled to Mexico to avoid anti-polygamy laws—bent over backward to embrace such "self-deportation" measures. Before Rick Santorum demanded that Puerto Ricans switch to English. These days no more than 14 percent of likely Latino voters can see themselves casting a ballot for any of the GOP candidates. Hasta la vista, Nevada!

No one expected you to make nice with gays and their families. Ditto African Americans, Muslims, teachers, climate scientists. But cops? Firefighters? Every other middle-class independent who's watching his kid's school fire the lunch ladies? Seriously?

Read the full story @ Mother Jones

"Sen. Cornyn and Texas’ Congressional Delegation Has Met The Enemy, And It Is Planned Parenthood" @ Texas Observer by Eileen Smith

Planned Parenthood Again Prevails In Suit Against Texas Republican's War on Women

Fifth Circuit Judge Jerry Smith agreed Friday that there's sufficient evidence the state's law banning Planned Parenthood from participating in the state's Women's Health Program is unconstitutional.

Judge Jerry Smith today let stand an injunction issued by District Judge Lee Yeakel in Austin on Monday that blocks Texas from enforcing the law championed by Gov. Rick Perry and passed by the Republican dominated Texas legislature in 2011.

Smith had stayed the injunction earlier this week so he could review the law.

The law passed by the Republican-controlled 2011 Legislature forbids state agencies from providing funds to an organization affiliated with abortion providers. Eight Planned Parenthood clinics that do not provide abortions sued the state.

Texas officials have said that if the state is forced to include Planned Parenthood, they'll likely totally shutter the program that provides basic health care and contraceptives to 130,000 poor women.

When the Texas Tribune asked Texas state Rep. Wayne Christian (R-Nacogdoches), a supporter of the family planning cuts, if this was a war on birth control, he said: “Well of course this is a war on birth control and abortions and everything.”

Family planning clinics are routinely referred to by many Republican lawmakers across the U.S. as “abortion clinics” because many social conservative Republicans say contraceptive use is the same as abortion. On Thursday, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and his team of state lawyers asked a federal appeals court to block U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel's Monday decision that required the state to continue funding Planned Parenthood. In his request for an emergency stay, Abbott analogized Planned Parenthood to a terrorist organization.

Cecile Richards, President of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund said in a statement:

"This case isn't about Planned Parenthood - it's about the women who rely on Planned Parenthood for cancer screenings, birth control, and well-woman exams.

"Governor Perry has already thrown 160,000 women off of health care for partisan political reasons - now there will be more to come. Mitt Romney would supersize what's happening in Texas and try to block women's access to lifesaving health care nationwide.

"Planned Parenthood's doors are open today and they'll be open tomorrow. We won't let politics interfere with the health care that nearly three million people a year rely on Planned Parenthood for in Texas and around the country."

Related:

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Using Social Media To Fact Check Attack Ads

The Koch brothers recently launched a $6.1 million attack ad against the Obama administration which quickly received a "Pants on Fire" rating from PolitiFact. As an example of one of the ways the Obama campaign will use the YouTube social media channel, here's how the Obama campaign responded to the Koch attack ad:

Democrats Paul Sadler and Sean Hubbard Join US Senate Candidate Debate

Texas Tribune

Tonight, the Democrats vying for Kay Bailey Hutchison's U.S. Senate seat may finally steal a sliver of the spotlight.

Paul Sadler and Sean Hubbard, two of the four Democrats running for the seat, will join the race's four major Republican contenders at a forum in Houston starting at 7 p.m.

Though the Republicans in the race have been fighting for months and raising millions of dollars, Democrats — without a marquee candidate — have struggled mightily to attract money and attention. The party hasn't won statewide office since 1994, and the candidates so far have struggled to meet even low expectations: Sadler, who so far has led the Democrats in fundraising, reported collecting just $72,800 in the year's first quarter — an amount he called "absolutely shocking."

As the Tribune's Aman Batheja notes, both Sadler, a former state representative from Henderson, and Hubbard, a 31-year-old who recently left a sales and billing job, have made fighting the influence of Super PACs a major component of their campaigns.

Read the full story @ Texas Tribune.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

What Is The Promesa Project?

VOXXI - By Carlos Sanchez

As the November elections draw closer, discourse about the Hispanic vote is surging. Whether this voting bloc, estimated to be worth as many as 12 million ballots cast nationwide, works may depend on voter outreach efforts — often a state-by-state and even region-by-region effort.

To understand the component of one of these outreach efforts. VOXXI talks to Rebecca Acuña, deputy political director for base outreach for the Texas Democratic Party about a program called the Promesa Project.

VOXXI: What is the Promesa Project?


Rebecca Acuña, Promesa Project base outreach Deputy Political Director, Texas Democratic Party
Acuña: The Promesa Project is the Texas Democratic Party’s new approach to Hispanic outreach that’s based on two important findings: One, that today’s young Latinos are increasingly the trusted sources of political information in their families. And, two, that the Internet has surpassed television as the main source of political information for people under 30.

VOXXI: How will it work?

Acuña: The Promesa Project will use a combination of online and grassroots techniques to recruit young Latinos as the party’s messengers to their families and social networks. On PromesaProject.com, individuals will be able to give us their “promesa” that they will talk to their family and friends about voting Democratic. Through the website, they’ll have access to videos, talking points, and research to facilitate these conversations. The project also utilizes the party’s vast network of young, prominent Hispanic elected officials and party leaders by featuring them in our web videos and utilizing them as surrogates in their local areas.

VOXXI: If Latinos are the key to turning Texas blue, how long will that take? Is purple even on the horizon?

Acuña: There are 3.8 million eligible Latino voters in Texas, and one out of every four eligible voters in Texas is Latino. We know that on every issue that’s important to Latinos, Democrats are better.

The Promesa Project will increase turnout in the short-term by persuading low propensity Hispanic voters to turnout for Democrats and it will build the party in the long-term by engaging Latinos early.

VOXXI: What are the greatest concerns among Latinos in Texas?

Acuña: Latinos, like all Texans, are concerned about education and opportunity for future generations. Texas families are angry about the $5.4 billion in cuts Republicans made to public schools, which were made the first year Hispanic students accounted for more than 50 percent of students in Texas public schools.

Latinos deeply value a quality education, and know that a higher education opens the doors to opportunity. Sadly, these opportunities are being closed by Republicans who slashed financial aid for students. As a result of the Republican budget, 43,000 fewer Texas students will get state aid for college, including 29,000 fewer students getting a TEXAS Grant. Latinos, who represent half of all TEXAS Grant recipients, will be disproportionately affected.

Texas Democrats are the only ones talking about education and opportunity in Texas, and Texas Democrats strongly fought Republicans to keep them from making these cuts.

VOXXI: How do you respond to Republican criticism that President Barack Obama broke his promise to Latinos to reform immigration laws?

Acuña: Republican obstructionism is what prevented Congress from passing comprehensive immigration reform. Only three Republicans in Congress even supported the DREAM Act, which was originally written by a Republican. This was even after Democrats accepted Republican amendments in order to try and get the bill passed. If Republicans can’t even support the DREAM Act, which would let young students to earn a path to legalization if they go to college or join the military, there’s little chance Republicans would support broader comprehensive immigration.

The only way to make the DREAM Act a reality, or enact comprehensive immigration reform, is by electing more Democrats to Congress.

VOXXI: How do you explain the Obama administration’s aggressive deportation record?

Acuña: Republicans in Congress have obstructed any chance of comprehensive immigration reform, which is what our country needs.

President Obama has enacted new policies on deportation which prioritizes deporting individuals with criminal records and calls for administrative review of all pending deportation cases. He also made administrative revisions to the three- and 10-year bans that will allow many immigrants to apply for legalization while remaining in this country. These are some of the most positive, sweeping changes we’ve seen in immigration policy in decades, and are the most the president can do without Congressional approval.

VOXXI: The first Hispanic governor of Texas: Latino or Latina?

Acuña: There are many talented, energetic Hispanic elected officials in Texas, Latinos and Latinas. One thing is for certain, the first Hispanic governor of Texas will be a Democrat.

Article from VOXXI - By Carlos Sanchez

For more about the Promesa Project - Click here and click here

The video below shows the 2012 Promesa Project Fellowship Inaugural class participants. They discuss the reasons they applied to become Fellows, offer their thoughts on the reasons why young people should get involved in politics and discuss the potential effects of this project.

The Promesa Project

Politic365 by Anthony Gutierrez

Any Democratic campaign manager in Texas who isn’t including Latinos in their target voter contact universe would (or should) be quickly fired for negligence.

But knowing that Democrats need to target Latinos has never been the party's problem and in fact, when resources are focused, Texas Democrats are very successful in down ballot races by turning out Latinos.

And there’s the rub: in Texas we have 254 counties, 20 media markets and an awful lot of real estate to cover. Putting the kind of Latino turnout programs you see in swing states like Nevada or Colorado in place in Texas would carry a price tag in the tens of millions of dollars.

It’s a tough problem. But, we have come up with a theory of our own.


Promesa Project Video

Last year the Texas Democratic Party launched an innovative Latino engagement program called the Promesa Project.

Through this program, we’re asking young Latinos to give us their promise, or “Promesa”, that they’ll talk to their family and friends about voting Democratic.

That simple premise was the product of two recent findings.

First, that today’s young Latinos are increasingly the trusted sources of political information in their families. Second, that the Internet has surpassed television as the main source of news for people under thirty.

We believe that utilizing online outreach layered on top of traditional grassroots techniques will allow us to efficiently increase our vote share among older Latinos, boost Latino turnout among younger Latinos and simultaneously begin an engagement process that will build out Party towards the future.

Time will obviously tell us whose theory is correct. Our project began last year and we’ll be proud to stand by our results in November.

Read the full story @ Politic365 by Anthony Gutierreza.

Anthony Gutierrez serves as an adviser to the Texas Democratic Party and other Democratic candidates through his video production and digital media firm, Cadre Media.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

A Court Loss For Planned Parenthood

Just hours after U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel in Austin issued an injunction against Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s plan to revoke public funding for Planned Parenthood, a judge on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans threw out Judge Yeakel's ruling permitting Texas to cut funding.

Judge Jerry Smith, appointed by President George W. Bush, granted the state’s request for an emergency stay. Democrats were quick to point out that it’s not the first time Smith has weighed in on partisan politics, having recently corrected some of the president’s rhetoric on the authority of the judiciary.

Smith’s ruling gave Planned Parenthood until 5 p.m. on Tuesday to respond to the state’s appeal. It’s not clear if he’ll change his mind but, if he does not, Planned Parenthood’s funding in Texas will officially go to zero, eliminating health care for over 130,000 lower income women — a dire situation that could last for months as the case makes its way through federal courts.