Which counties are the most "RED" in Texas? (Howe: appointed, construction)

[TexasGirl@Heart]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

What's your definition of "red", and what's your definition of "history"?

Within my lifetime, Texas was known as a "Yellow Dog Democrat" state (parenthetically, I HATE the term "blue dog democrat" that I see thrown around online - the original actually has a meaning, as in "He'd vote for a yellow dog if it was a democrat"). While acknowledging that I'm older than dirt, I certainly hope I'm not old enough to be considered historical!

Red = Republican, Blue = Democrat...Meaning that the majority of Texas normally votes Republican, as does PA. I'm surprised that PA went blue this election.

I don't ever recall Texas voting primarily blue (Democrat) in any election that I have been alive to know about. Now granted, I'm not that old, but someone correct me if I'm wrong. Has Texas EVER voted primarily blue (Democrat) in any Presidential election? I don't think so... If I'm wrong, please include which President/year that it happened.

[TexasHorseLady]

Here ya go. Here's the Presidential voting record of Texas, starting in 1848 going through 2004. The most recent election in which the majority of Texans voted for a Democrat was 1976, it appears. Then, going back, skip one election, and a run of Democrats in 1960, 1964, 1968. The two elections before that went Republican, but, then, Eisenhower was from Texas, so that's easily explained. If you keep going back, you're going to see that Texas, far from voting red historically, has voted blue historically until very recent times.

[TexasGirl@Heart]

I found this in the Statesman...

If you read down, I believe it is around the 3rd paragraph. It states that Texas is classically a "Red" state and a Democratic president has not carried Texas in over 30 years (Jimmy Carter was the last President to win Texas' 34 electoral votes.) I guess that is what I meant...which party carries Texas most often. It is Republican. At least in my life time, it holds true.

New Statesman - If Texas was a country

[Muhnay]

MEOW CAT FIGHT! Quick get your cameras guys clothes ripping is sure to ensue! LOL

Just kidding ladies. =) Frisky!

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by TexasGirl@Heart

I found this in the Statesman...

If you read down, I believe it is around the 3rd paragraph. It states that Texas is classically a "Red" state and a Democratic president has not carried Texas in over 30 years (Jimmy Carter was the last President to win Texas' 34 electoral votes.) I guess that is what I meant...which party carries Texas most often. It is Republican. At least in my life time, it holds true.

New Statesman - If Texas was a country

Now, see, there's the catch. "In my lifetime" doesn't mean the same thing as "historically".

I'm reminded of my son, when he was 9, in response to my not liking a particular rock song on the radio, explaining to me that the reason I "didn't like rock music" (keep in mind I was 18 in 1968 and dated a drummer and saw pretty much every major rock band that came through town in concert or at rock festivals) was that "we have electric guitars now". I promptly took him to a screening of Monterrey Pop showing at the Texas Union and pointed out, "You see that thing that man up there is setting on fire? That's an electric guitar."

In your lifetime, Texas has, for the most part, voted Republican in the Presidential elections.

Historically, Texas has voted Democrat way more times than it has Republican. Just look at the link I posted earlier and you'll see that.

The thing to ask yourself is, why did the state start voting Republican consistently in the Presidential elections? What changed something that had been really pretty consistent for all those years? What did the Democratic party do to lose that Yellow Dog Democrat state?

[ocean2026]

On that same forum Bellestar you were directed to an interactive map showing you the percentage voting red/blue for all 254 counties. You also got the numbers wrong. I said there were 5 counties with over 90% voting McCain and you were told how to find them by I believe Muhney.

Do your own research !

[TexasGirl@Heart]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Now, see, there's the catch. "In my lifetime" doesn't mean the same thing as "historically".

I'm reminded of my son, when he was 9, in response to my not liking a particular rock song on the radio, explaining to me that the reason I "didn't like rock music" (keep in mind I was 18 in 1968 and dated a drummer and saw pretty much every major rock band that came through town in concert or at rock festivals) was that "we have electric guitars now". I promptly took him to a screening of Monterrey Pop showing at the Texas Union and pointed out, "You see that thing that man up there is setting on fire? That's an electric guitar."

In your lifetime, Texas has, for the most part, voted Republican in the Presidential elections.

Historically, Texas has voted Democrat way more times than it has Republican. Just look at the link I posted earlier and you'll see that.

The thing to ask yourself is, why did the state start voting Republican consistently in the Presidential elections? What changed something that had been really pretty consistent for all those years? What did the Democratic party do to lose that Yellow Dog Democrat state?

I stand corrected THL! That is an interesting question you pose at the end of your post. Why do you think it changed?

[TexasGirl@Heart]

Originally Posted by Muhnay

MEOW CAT FIGHT! Quick get your cameras guys clothes ripping is sure to ensue! LOL

Just kidding ladies. =) Frisky!

You're crazy!

"Nothing to see here folks, keep it moving!"

[TexasGirl@Heart]

Originally Posted by ocean2026

On that same forum Bellestar you were directed to an interactive map showing you the percentage voting red/blue for all 254 counties. You also got the numbers wrong. I said there were 5 counties with over 90% voting McCain and you were told how to find them by I believe Muhney.

Do your own research !

Lighten up on Belle, ok?

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by TexasGirl@Heart

I stand corrected THL! That is an interesting question you pose at the end of your post. Why do you think it changed?

I'm not someone to whom politics is the end all and be all of life. However, we'd probably need to look at the timing of the change. John Tower (whose parents were my godparents - when writing to protest his stand on the Vietnam War, all my friends were making political threats, I was threatening to tell his Mama on him!) was the first Republican Senator from Texas since Reconstruction - that was in 1961 or thereabouts. Bill Clements was the first Republican Governor of Texas since Reconstruction - that was in 1978. Something happened right around in there to cause the change, I would think.

I've heard theories it was the Democratic Party moving further and further left, in essence moving out from under their voters in Texas, and that makes sense - parties are living things, not cast in stone. But I'm open to other theories, as well.