Being a RED state hurts Texas (Austin, Roma: buying, high school, wages)

[ocean2026]

Yes we all knew how Texas would vote before the parties named their candidates. Here's how that hurts us.


1. Of the hundreds of millions being spent around the country almost none goes specifically to us. Press corps and campaign staff spending money- Local TV and news papers- paid jobs and way more - we lose out.

2. Anyone who really studies polls or results knows that those who didn't graduate from High School are almost as heavily for McCain as they were for Bush- Look at the cross-tabs on Gallup or any of the major polls. Last I saw McCain led among drop-outs 51-37 and in Texas its going to be a lot higher. Those who have graduated from high school are almost 2-1 for Obama. If this wasn't enough the states with the highest illiteracy are the reddest - Alabama, TX _ Miss - Lou

This hurts in that some companies - some people may not want to come here when they can chose a more middle of the road location. Not everyone likes rednecks and Bush has hurt our reputation severely. The more people who move here and start or bring businesses are better for us.


Having said all this I voted in the GOP primary but for Ron Paul, however I am totally independent and have never voted for all the candidates in just one party.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by ocean2026

Having said all this I voted in the GOP primary but for Ron Paul, however I am totally independent and have never voted for all the candidates in just one party.

Interestingly, of the Texans that I know (and over the last 60 years, I've come to know a lot) with whom politics and voting is discussed, this is pretty how most of us say we vote.

I, myself, vote for the person or the issue, not the party.

That also being said, it is within my memory that Texas was a Yellow Dog Democrat state (as in, "He'd vote for a yeller dog if it was a Democrat").

Which is to say, those who stereotype a state, any state, and its voters do it from ignorance of the subtleties, the people, the history. Stereotypes are the true demonstration of ignorance.

[Pipeweld]

Originally Posted by ocean2026

Yes we all knew how Texas would vote before the parties named their candidates. Here's how that hurts us.

Those who have graduated from high school are almost 2-1 for Obama.

That just tells you how bad our education system is! LOL

[jread]

Texas has been a blue state before and is possibly going to end up one again. Early voting results have shown most of the major cities going democratic (especially Austin, but Austin is always blue). The rural areas may swing it the other way, but it's looking like Texas may not be as "safely" red for the republicans as they assumed it would be.

[lifertexan]

Originally Posted by ocean2026

Yes we all knew how Texas would vote before the parties named their candidates. Here's how that hurts us.


1. Of the hundreds of millions being spent around the country almost none goes specifically to us. Press corps and campaign staff spending money- Local TV and news papers- paid jobs and way more - we lose out.

2. Anyone who really studies polls or results knows that those who didn't graduate from High School are almost as heavily for McCain as they were for Bush- Look at the cross-tabs on Gallup or any of the major polls. Last I saw McCain led among drop-outs 51-37 and in Texas its going to be a lot higher. Those who have graduated from high school are almost 2-1 for Obama. If this wasn't enough the states with the highest illiteracy are the reddest - Alabama, TX _ Miss - Lou

This hurts in that some companies - some people may not want to come here when they can chose a more middle of the road location. Not everyone likes rednecks and Bush has hurt our reputation severely. The more people who move here and start or bring businesses are better for us.


Having said all this I voted in the GOP primary but for Ron Paul, however I am totally independent and have never voted for all the candidates in just one party.

First off,businesses and people have been coming into TX in droves for all these years that TX has been a solid red state.Texas has very probably the stongest economy in the nation after years of being a red state.Where is any proof that being a red state has hurt this?Judging by the growth,you could easily assume that being a red state has helped the economy.


Second,what is the answer?If you assume that people vote their conscience,then what are you suggesting?That people vote against their beliefs so that more money will be spent here by campaigns?

[teatime]

This hurts in that some companies - some people may not want to come here when they can chose a more middle of the road location. Not everyone likes rednecks and Bush has hurt our reputation severely. The more people who move here and start or bring businesses are better for us.

Um, are you trying to say that most of our state is comprised of uneducated rednecks???? Spend some time in the Rust Belt and then get back to us on that one! :P

We have no shortage of companies relocating to the South. Union demands and wages, bad weather, and fewer shipping options/bad infrastructure have helped cause flight from the Blue States. Texas is business-friendly and fiscally conservative -- businesses appreciate that. You do see how we're weathering the recession MUCH better than the other states, don't you? California is begging the Feds for money to pay their bills -- Texas has a surplus.

THANK GOD we're a Red State! It's the one thing that keeps me from despair in the face of a possible Pres. Obama, sigh.

[ocean2026]

Texas has been lucky we have oil and gas and other natural advantages that brings people. Mississippi would be what we might be like if we weren't so blessed. Certainly most people who move here come for a job and we have them, however if you travel around and talk to people, many have a negative picture of us in part due to Bush ( you can find this in Colorado threads for example).

Texas Horse Lady you can call someone ignorant about stereotypes but you don't understand the definition. If one takes a Black person and says all Blacks deal drugs so this Black does also -that's a stereotype. If one takes the collective votes of 10,000,000 Texas votes cast that's a pretty accurate electoral picture. Note I started by saying we knew Texas would go GOP before we knew who the candidates were- that would be pretty accurate. Hey but you got to use a big word and even if you got it wrong .. its a start!


I'd like to think everyone votes their conscience,however if you are online ( and obviously you are) you have to have received local emails about Obama being a muslim and all sorts of ignorant stuff- most educated people examine the real issues. This isn't to necessarily take sides between McCain and Obama, remember I voted in the GOP Primary but if I don't vote for Obama its not because I think he's a Muslim. I actually decided to vote on who won the debates and Obama seems brighter, and more articulate.

[TexasHorseLady]

ocean2026, I do understand the definition of that and many other words. I've been a "word person" for going on 60 years now; it appears to be hardwired in me.

However, for your edification (from an assortment of online dictionaries):

1. a set of characteristics or a fixed idea considered to represent a particular kind of person
2. an idea or convention that has grown stale through fixed usage

stereotype - a conventional or formulaic conception or image; "regional stereotypes have been part of America since its founding"

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by teatime

We have no shortage of companies relocating to the South. Union demands and wages, bad weather, and fewer shipping options/bad infrastructure have helped cause flight from the Blue States. Texas is business-friendly and fiscally conservative -- businesses appreciate that. You do see how we're weathering the recession MUCH better than the other states, don't you? California is begging the Feds for money to pay their bills -- Texas has a surplus..

Well said. It would, indeed, appear that Texas is not hurting from being a "red" state, if that's, indeed, what we are. I suspect it's a bit more complex than that, though; after all, how we vote is but a tiny part of what makes up Texas as a whole.

[lifertexan]

Originally Posted by ocean2026

Texas has been lucky we have oil and gas and other natural advantages that brings people. Mississippi would be what we might be like if we weren't so blessed. Certainly most people who move here come for a job and we have them, however if you travel around and talk to people, many have a negative picture of us in part due to Bush ( you can find this in Colorado threads for example).

Texas Horse Lady you can call someone ignorant about stereotypes but you don't understand the definition. If one takes a Black person and says all Blacks deal drugs so this Black does also -that's a stereotype. If one takes the collective votes of 10,000,000 Texas votes cast that's a pretty accurate electoral picture. Note I started by saying we knew Texas would go GOP before we knew who the candidates were- that would be pretty accurate. Hey but you got to use a big word and even if you got it wrong .. its a start!





I'd like to think everyone votes their conscience,however if you are online ( and obviously you are) you have to have received local emails about Obama being a muslim and all sorts of ignorant stuff- most educated people examine the real issues. This isn't to necessarily take sides between McCain and Obama, remember I voted in the GOP Primary but if I don't vote for Obama its not because I think he's a Muslim. I actually decided to vote on who won the debates and Obama seems brighter, and more articulate.

You're problem is that you seem to care what other ignorant people buying into ignorant stereotypes in other states think about Texas.I for one do not.What we've done for the 30 years I've been in the business world is do things far better than other states.I have lived through many migrations of non Texasn to Texas because their supposedly brighter blue state minds couldn't keep their economies out of the sh*tter.So they move to Texas and take advantage of the great economy us dumb*ss rednecks seem to keep running smoothly year after year.So,like the saying goes,dance with the one who brung ya.