Texas Had the Worst Voter Turnout in the Country, and the Rain in Dallas Didn't Help

dems are always looking for an excuse other than people finally see the truth and say thats enough, so much for the diversity garbage that never ever ever works

Dallas county elections site was down all day. Same company hosts and crashed Chicago and los Angeles.

Commissioner court hearings will br a hoot.

To be fair, Texas also had the worst candidates. 

Congratulations for you massive wins you trendsetting DO commenters.

I don’t think we Dems could have had a better candidate than Wendy Davis so Progressive’s were behind her 100 percent.I fully agree that the numbers are clear that Texas will not be turning any color but a bright red in the future, if ever.I am sincerely hoping for a Republican President so at least the country can move forward is some direction.I look to you guys as Texas trendsetters.With the help of Joe Tone you guys turned this reddish-blue blog a bright red, so I would love to hear what it is you issues to you find important and what goals you would like these new Texas leaders obtain.

How far to the right would you guys like to see Texas go?Do certain rights need to be taken away and just no more added?No immigration at all or send more people back?No gay marriage or yes to mandatory gay therapy?No food stamps for anyone or food banks for all?I am not sure the availability of abortion can be cut back any more but if it can, would you like a zero tolerance?Do you think we need more input for our religious leaders in on the decision making process of laws and legislation?  What are your number one or primary issues that you want some immediate change?

Don’t let your dislike for me influence your thoughts as there are a few of us really curious and I can’t think of a better group to ask.I promise to write something later where you can all piss all over me.

After 3 agonizing terms of Rick Perry, we with brains in this state know it's futile to waste our time trying to counteract the votes of all the morons here who always vote for Republicans!

I'm just waiting for the extremist from both side to attribute the 5% drop to either poor people without ID or dead people prevented from voting.  However, the reality is even at a 37% high in 2010, over 60% don't give a shit.

That's truly, epically, depressing.

Let's see. Texas (and Dallas County) does the following:
- Mail-in ballots for those that need them.

- 2 weeks of early voting that includes weekend days and a long list of locations you can go to to vote. It doesn't even matter which one you go to, as long as it is in your county.

We make it incredibly easy to vote, and people still do not vote. I believe that it really does depend on the candidates and how contested the races are. Let's face it, in most of the big races on the ballot (Governor and the rest) the polling showed that it was foregone conclusion of who would win. Without sticking a gun to people's head, you just aren't going to see a large voter turnout in that kind of race.

Personally, I voted a week before the election. It was easy. I was in and out in less than 10 minutes. I was also there to vote on the state and local propositions. I voted in the rest of the races. But, it was more of a vote against particular candidates than it was vote for any of them.

The lack of organization at the polls didn't help either.  At Sanger Elementary in Forest Hills, I had to wait almost an hour.  They only had eight voting stations and lines that crossed each other between wait to check in and wait to vote.  It looked like they were in need of a traffic engineer. The poll worker also had a very remedial grasp of the alphabet as well.  He could find my name. so I had to point it out in the book upside down. 

My point is, how many people decided not to wait?

@demoscum Good point.  I mean, there were so many Democrats in office in Texas before this election, right?

Repubs in TX have a mandate? With whom? Especially since they fight gay marriage so hard....

@Myrna.Minkoff-Katz Maybe Alabama Democrats are smarter than Wendy Davis?  Did she not seriously know she was being set up to be the Democrat not elected this time?  Losing a high profile race (severely) is a career killer.

@JackJett 

No immigration at all?

http://www.visitdallas.com/things-to-do/diverse-dallas/asian/

Oh, you mean those illegally trespassing into the country.

Sorry, I'm a bit slow, as I certainly fit your above stereotyping.

@JackJett

Don't be so dramatically splashing red paint -- or any straight-ticket party color -- on all of us, Jack.

Seeing your phrase "could (not) have had a better candidate" reminds me that I said the very same thing about Bill White's gubernatorial bid. He was a very effective Houston mayor, so he had great management experience; he was pro-business, so he had the financial cred; he's white and bald and even has an All-American name, so as not to scare the folks in East Texas; yet he still lost. 

Since Wendy couldn't thrill Dems to the polls, and since White couldn't get enough cross-over/middle-ground voters, then yeah, Republicans are in place for the foreseeable future. 

@puppybone691

Thanks for showing up! We wondered where you were on election day! 

@huntersteve28

There is that one 18-year-old VA state rep, that's a little brightening. Sigh.

@Tim.Covington Drove to elementary school, got great parking, walked right up to the table, got my ballot, and had no line at all.  I love rainy election days.

@ozonelarryb  Rimshot!

It is when the other 72% make the choice not to vote.

@wcvemail  I do seem to have to always follow up with my comments here because no matter how I phrase things, someone takes them the wrong way.  It is like you are ALL my husband.

Ruddidski.....I am not bitter if that is what you meant. I am trying to re read what I wrote to see how that came off.   I would be bitter if we had just lost by a bit or if it were just Texas.  But it was a huge mega loss for the Dems.   It couldn't be bigger.   And sincerely what I am interested in is what changes will Republican's be making and do you guys think they will make the changes that have been on your mind here.   I think, if anything, I was eating a bit of stale crow in basically saying you guys have been right with your predictions and it looks as though Texas voters agree with you.  

I seriously thought I could ask that question in a cordial way and get some insight.   And every question is based on ever subject that had been discussed at length here.   What part of my comment makes me bitter?

wcemail.....I just don't know.  throwing paint on all of you.   It was a fucking joke a play on words.   That we "libtards" were thinking we could turn the state blue but it is clear it is getting redder.   As this blog has become redder.  That is a fact WCE, now if you see it different then the least you can do is look at the comments and figure it out.   Not sure what has upset you with my comment about  Wendy.   Simply stating that we could not find a better candidate...we didn't have a better candidate.....so what I am saying is we couldn't have won no matter who we had running.   I don't know how it offends you  but there you gol

And  dingo...the stereotyping.........again are you not reading the comments here ..........I MEAN..just here.   

I swear on my mother's grave that I was simply trying to get some insight on the win.  Even thought someone might ask a question back....you know .....a discussion.   I have said so many times that we really have more in common than we don't And if you look back you will see that no one has tried to break the ice more than me.   When I have been wrong, I cop to it.  If I feel I went overboard, I apologize for it.   Even if it is 60/40, I am willing to say my bad. 

So basically here is what happened.   I sometimes think when I post something no matter how tame it may be and even if it includes some self depreciation, someone here is going to find a negative in it.   And they are going to pick that out and go with it and bash the hole batfuck out of me just ...just.....I don't know just for the hell of it.   

It is clear a discussion for me here is impossible.  Because if are reading my comment and searching for something to attack, you will find it.  

How could you take anything I said with negativity when the first line is Congratulations...........trendsetters.......Even when I is passing out an awesome compliment it is seen as a negative.   Anyway, have your fun guys. 

I am fairly certain that he time here is near as my head is on the chopping block sooner rather than later.    So chop this comment to hell and back as there probably won't be many more.  My day of A-Tone-ment draws near.

@wcvemail @huntersteve28 Well, not until we see what she can really do.

Thanx Col. And to the rest, you are welcome. Glad it didn't slip by everyone.

@Myrna.Minkoff-Katz @doublecheese Courage doesn't have anything to do with it.  She didn't have a chance, and the party bosses knew it.

@JackJett @wcvemail

Dude, Jack, bubba, "calmen sie downen" as somebody might say in pig-German. I'm not upset, maybe a little perturbed at first that you splashed red paint on all of us. I'm part of us, and I'm very unaligned (insert joke here.)

I did indeed take your "none better" remark the wrong way.  Although I didn't vote for her (I went Libertarian in that race to make an invisible point), I thought that at least Babs had the right gender, the right media attractiveness, and the right "new blood" to get the Dem base moving. Obviously, I was wrong about that, too.

I'm still right that Bill White was a better choice than your secret half-brother, Perry. 

@ScottsMerkin 
Yep, as with the Amish and other groups who don't participate for religious reasons. The U.S. provides that right, at least implicitly. We've had an Amish population influx, apparently. Watch out for carriages.

@Becci1 @wcvemail @huntersteve28

Don't even know her platform, but I'm trying to keep it positive here, Downer Debby :-) 

OTOH, if this is just a cynical ploy on her part to get her own teevee reality show, I'll move down to your end of the bar and stare morosely into my beer, too. 

And explain to me the dichotomy (no holman, it's not a medical procedure): Texans rant on same sex marriage, but flock like lemmings to the Gaylord Texan. ..