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Ann Richards? I never thought of her as "so horrible" (but, then, I don't vote according to party lines), and at least she was a Texan.
By horrible, I mean his opponents' extreme liberalism...and Ann Richards was nothing if not a liberal!
However, you couldn't help liking her...at least I couldn't...even if I hated her politics. She is someone I would liked to have had lunch with in some Austin restaurant. While I liked her personally (what I knew of her, that is), I would never have voted for her because of the liberalism.
Mauro (whom I met briefly when I lived in Midland) was also a liberal, and would never have gotten my vote for the same reason.
I don't see anything "east coast" in him. He doesn't talk that way or act that way at all to me. He was raised here and I truly believe he's a true Texan, very southern even though many claim Texas is not in the south. NOTAM, where are you? I think she'd agree with me and she's Texan through and through.
Well, momof2DWF pretty much said it all. He is, first and foremost, a politician, and uses whatever is at his disposal to win.
He used Midland (where he lived for a few years as a kid) to the hilt during his presidential run, but Midland wasn't good enough for anything else.
"The sky's the limit" is a slogan used in Midland marketing, and he bled it for all it was worth.
He lived in Midland for about 11 years before moving to Houston and he more than likely believed in Midland's slogan just how he believed in Midland's values.
We can pick apart any politician and say they use whatever they can for gain. I truly believe he's a man who does care and is compassionate and that's more than I can say for politicians in some other states.
I think Bush has much of a Texas mentality and in his case, it's not bad as it is with some who think they have such. Hey, I live here and want to believe that Texas and her people are great, which many are, of course. Being a native Texan doesn't necessarily make one special or one with a true Texas mentality. I know natives from both ends of the spectrum and though most of them have good values, they don't all fit the bill.
A person doesn't have to be born in a state to feel like he or she is part of it and feel it's a place to call home. That's just downright ridiculous, but if people want to use that as being "real", they should do so to make themselves feel better, using it to define true value for their lives.
Kids can't help where they're born, but they can still claim the state where they're raised as their home. I know many who have and how shallow of anyone to think differently.
Hey, Canine, I believe you were the one who invoked the "true Texan" card initially, to back up your opinion, were you not, saying that a particular person on here was a "real Texan" and would agree with you? We were all just playing the game you started! You shouldn't get cranky just because of that!
He lived in Midland for about 11 years before moving to Houston and he more than likely believed in Midland's slogan just how he believed in Midland's values.
We can pick apart any politician and say they use whatever they can for gain. I truly believe he's a man who does care and is compassionate and that's more than I can say for politicians in some other states.
I think Bush has much of a Texas mentality and in his case, it's not bad as it is with some who think they have such. Hey, I live here and want to believe that Texas and her people are great, which many are, of course. Being a native Texan doesn't necessarily make one special or one with a true Texas mentality. I know natives from both ends of the spectrum and though most of them have good values, they don't all fit the bill.
A person doesn't have to be born in a state to feel like he or she is part of it and feel it's a place to call home. That's just downright ridiculous, but if people want to use that as being "real", they should do so to make themselves feel better, using it to define true value for their lives.
Kids can't help where they're born, but they can still claim the state where they're raised as their home. I know many who have and how shallow of anyone to think differently.
Very true. But someone asked me how I liked being a "New Mexican." I politely said that I love where I live--and NM in general, but that I was a transplanted Texan!!
Don't get me wrong about Bush. He IS the consummate politician--and always will be. He just turned out to be a huge disappointment in so many ways, but that's all water under the bridge now. I still don't consider him a Texan, but if he wants to live there, he has that right, just as anyone else does.
Man, I had to sleep all night after reading these and waiting to ge able to get on here. Worse than a kid on Christmas Eve.
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Originally Posted by Cathy4017
Bush the younger was born in NH, CT while his father was attending Yale. That family has deep eastern roots--nothing wrong with that, but he's no Texan. Bush the elder was born in MA, and you don't get any more east coast than that!!
And BOTH Bush Sr. and "W" have milked their East Coast roots for all they are worth. They have NOT let go of them either. Summer in Kennebunkport....... yep, lots of Native Texans do that. When they are there I'm sure they play up the part of that region being their "roots".
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Originally Posted by houstoner
I never voted for Dubya or his father, and never would in a million years, but I totally agree with you here. I don't think the transplants get it, though. What he does/has always done is to play out the stereotypes of being a Texan; what "Texan" looks like to the outside world. He's a caricature of a Texan. A real native Texan, particularly of his social class and standing, is something quite different than the stereotypes.
I've said it before and will again...... I've NEVER voted for a Bush in my life. There are people that love him and all but I've never gotten all wrapped up in ANY politician EVER!
No, he does not fit the mold of how a REAL "Native Texan" carries themselves when in that social class at all. While there are different variations of those "molds" he does not fit ANY of them. He plays the Hollywood Cowboy image to the hilt. You know how when we are watching a show and it is set in Texas and they show someone with a HORRID accent and dumb as a box of rocks and they say things that are not even RELEVANT to anywhere in Texas............. us Natives are sitting there Dang, if they just took the time to REALLY find out what it was like. And people BELIEVE THIS CRAP!!! They believe the Hollywood image of a Texan and Bush plays that part to the "T".
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Originally Posted by Canine*Castle
Yes, that's the one; there is no other. Personally, I couldn't stand her and like Bush much more, but they are/were very similar in character to me. I just think he's nicer, but maybe that's just a facade.
His demeanor and attitude is what makes me think Texan. How funny? We're all so different, but that's a good thing. That's a compliment to him and what I think is Texan. I think he's nice and Richards, not nice.
Wow, you REALLY don't know anything about Ann Richards. Her "not nice". right
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Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady
I think Houstoner pegged it. As a transplant, you have a stereotype of a Texan and he plays to that. We see through it
I really see no similarity between Bush and Richards, and certainly liked her better. (Since I'm neither elephant nor donkey, party had nothing to do with it.) What similarity do you see?
Even though she has been here for "30 years" she still seems to hold that Hollywood image of how they portray Texans to be the truth. Bush plays it to the hilt and many people bought it hook, line and sinker. People need to give some of us "uneducated rednecks" more credit. At least we can see through the fake stereotypes even when it comes to people from other states AND countries.
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Originally Posted by Canine*Castle
Perhaps you should outline what makes a person a "real" Texan other than being a native Texas. That doesn't cut it in most cases.
I do agree that Bush is fake and does try to portray the cowboy. I believe the Crawford Ranch was just a prop, in a sense. Now that he's looking to live in Preston Hollow, oh my, what a difference. Oh well, no one really knows the true intent of the ranch and now the elite area.
I always thought Richards was a fake and as I said, I couldn't stand her but if you say she did well for Texas, I believe you. I didn't pay much attention to politics in the early 90s.
As someone else said, you brought up him being the one that plays the part of how YOU view a "Native Texan". We natives just happen to know better. There is no outline it is a gut feeling and an instinct built into us after many years of dealing w/ people and some that are supposedly more "educated" that makeup fake stereotypes to what THEY think is the epotime of a "Native Texan". Bush fits that bill to the "T".
Oh my, the bolded area. You really DON'T KNOW Bush that well. He lived in Preston Hollow BEFORE he ran for governor. He has ALWAYS been a part of the ELITE East Coast circles!!!! He has NEVER been part of the "middle class". As Ann Richards dearly said, "Poor George Bush, he was born with a silver foot in his mouth". He was born into a wealthy EAST COAST family that came to Texas to TAKE ADVANTAGE of a situation. If there had not been MONEY for the Bush family to make in Texas they would NOT have stepped foot in this state. They saw a chance to take advantage for their OWN WELL BEING! They are sure not doing much for Midland now are they?
As for Ann Richards, she did a GREAT JOB for the State of Texas. I'll see if I can dig up online that article that Texas Monthly did on her. Let me give a brief outline of Ann Richards. If dear Ann had been a "prim and proper lady" that did the "ladies lunch" crowd she NEVER would have made it to being Governor of the state much less mayor of some small town or a PTA president. Those types DO NOT get anywhere in the business or polictal arena. She had a tough life and she overcame a LOT of hurdles and hard times. She had spunk, charisma, determination to make a difference and survive and Big B a l l s. She HAD to otherwise she would not have survived. She has the same story that a LOT of Southern and Native Texan women have. They were left with small kids to raise, hard times and had to find a way to survive. They KNEW they wanted to make a difference and the ONLY way to do it was being GUTSY! She could put ANYONE in their place be it male or female. She was not going to get run over and she stood up for what she thought was right.
The humor part of her is also something NATURAL to a lot of women from Texas. We can say things that are also about ourselves that are funny and everyone gets a kick out of it. We can sit all day with people we love and even those we don't care for and rib, josh, poke fun, make jokes, laugh and carry on with each other and NO ONE GETS THEIR FEELINGS HURT!
As for what she did for the state: She changed many of the ways that business could operate in the State of Texas. She made it ATTRACTIVE for businesses to come here and operate. Many businesses came here during those times when the rest of the country was feeling some hard times because of the attitude toward businesses, the cost of living, location, taxes, etc. If these businesses would not have done that then THANKS TO ANN I'm pretty sure that a few years later they would have been moving overseas. We think the unemployment is bad now.......... it could have been MUCH WORSE if things had not played out like they did during her reign. As I said before, Ann changed a lot of things that brought a LOT of people to the State of Texas during her time as Governor. Many of these people did NOT know that SHE was one of the people responsible for THEM being able to survive, have a job, afford a nice house, etc. The VERY PERSON that made it possible for them was who they voted AGAINST. They never took the time to get to know exactly WHY the state was able to survive during that time. Bush "W" came along at a time when the Republicans were not doing so hot in many areas. They had to plead to someone to get back their strength. They hit up the very conservative groups like the Christian Coaliation and played to a weakness and told them that if Dem's got in office they would be reeling w/ horrible times and they were the only ones that stood for them. Now, I'm "conservative" and I'm a Christian but I do NOT vote along party lines, never have, never will. I am for the best person for the job regardless of race, sex, religion, etc. Bush just happened to be at the right place at the right time - NOTHING MORE and NOTHING LESS! I don't want to get into the whole political party thing or debate but just wanted to make sure this point DID play a HUGE part in Dubya getting elected Governor. He had ZILCH EXPERIENCE.
I knew MANY Natives that loved him dearly and thought he was some kind of savior. Funny is now they don't say much about him and all of those "W" stickers seem to have disappeared I have relatives that have been this way and I NEVER discuss politics with them. I know where they stand but they don't have a clue where I stand. It is not worth even discussing with them - for many different reasons.
Ann Richards was NOT a "fake". Maybe you should do some research on her and see what all she did. You might gain some newfound respect for our Dear Ann. As even others have said, you may not have liked her politics but you couldn't help liking her.
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Originally Posted by Canine*Castle
She had a very superior attitude and although Bush has a slight one, it's not as bad as Richards'.
She had a lot of spunk, but was full of wisecracks all the time. I didn't think that was cute at all. He's a bit of a smart alec, but he's not at all on her level.
You know, you're right. Dubya and Ann really are different in character. I think he has more of the "good stuff" and to me, he'll always be a Texan.
I do hope NOTAM reads this. You all know she's a native and loves Bush. Maybe she can give you more insight on her feelings than a TRANSPLANT can. Heaven help me, what a title I've been given.
Okay, the natives think Laura Bush is a Texan. How in the world does she even compare to the Texan, Richards? Laura is quite a lady and Richards was just a big mouthed, condescending woman. I so admire Laura, soft-spoken, kind, intelligent, and a gracious person. I just didn't see any of that in Ann.
As I said above, if Ann had been the "prim and proper lady" she NEVER would have been elected as Governor. She would not have made it out of the starting gates. ANY female that has run for ANY political office has to have BRAWN and BB's. Otherwise they would be chewed up, spit out and run over. I also explained the "wisecracks" above.
Laura could NOT survive ANY political race. She doesn't have the brawn it takes to do it. There are MANY Native Texans just like her w/ the outward appearance of the "prim and proper" and the "lunch ladies" crowd. They don't run for political office, they don't sit in boardrooms, they don't manage high powered corporations, etc. They are more suited to the Junior League.
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Originally Posted by Canine*Castle
The demeanor of Ann Richards was nothing to boast about. Please get off the transplant kick. It's quite corny and after living here 30 years, I didn't just set foot on the soil. I know what I see and if Ann Richards and her nastiness makes a Texan, I will not consider her to be one. (I know she was, but that's not what I like to think of as a friendly and kind person). The natives I know are much nicer than she and so is this transplant.
Do you all know how much a transplant grows in 30 years?
Please read what I've said above.
FYI, if you don't want to be refered to as a "transplant" then stop bringing up where you came from
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Originally Posted by Cathy4017
By horrible, I mean his opponents' extreme liberalism...and Ann Richards was nothing if not a liberal!
However, you couldn't help liking her...at least I couldn't...even if I hated her politics. She is someone I would liked to have had lunch with in some Austin restaurant. While I liked her personally (what I knew of her, that is), I would never have voted for her because of the liberalism.
Mauro (whom I met briefly when I lived in Midland) was also a liberal, and would never have gotten my vote for the same reason.
Don't you know that would be AWESOME to have been able to meet her in a casual setting where you could just sit and talk and carry on with each other. I also did not care for EVERYTHING she did (ha, what politician much less person is there on this entire PLANET that any of us could agree w/ 100%) but you couldn't help liking her. She just had that charisma about her that drew you to her.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cathy4017
Well, momof2DWF pretty much said it all. He is, first and foremost, a politician, and uses whatever is at his disposal to win.
He used Midland (where he lived for a few years as a kid) to the hilt during his presidential run, but Midland wasn't good enough for anything else.
.
Don't you wish the news media here in Texas would play some of his appearances up in Kennebunkport? Where he probably plays up his East Coast roots and carries on like he has never left New England.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Canine*Castle
He lived in Midland for about 11 years before moving to Houston and he more than likely believed in Midland's slogan just how he believed in Midland's values.
I think Bush has much of a Texas mentality and in his case, it's not bad as it is with some who think they have such.
A person doesn't have to be born in a state to feel like he or she is part of it and feel it's a place to call home. That's just downright ridiculous, but if people want to use that as being "real", they should do so to make themselves feel better, using it to define true value for their lives.
Kids can't help where they're born, but they can still claim the state where they're raised as their home. I know many who have and how shallow of anyone to think differently.
His family moved him to Midland when he was a kid. As I said earlier, they were there to make as much money from that area as they could.
Bush has used the "Texas Mentality" to take advantage of a situation. He has played the part of the HOLLYWOOD IMAGE of what people THINK Native Texans are like. We see through it. Oh, and one time he met a big meeting of truck drivers back when he was running for his 2nd term. These men are family men, many with college degrees and some w/ Masters and PhD's. He walked into the room and his entire speech was litered w/ "F" bombs and dirty language. My dad was there and left utterly disgusted as did many of the others. He came looking for money and support but because he PLAYED A PART of what he thought a "Texas Trucker" was like he LOST!
No, a kid can't help where the are born. But one CAN help how they act. If I moved to NYC I would NOT run around trying to change my accent trying to pretend that I've been there my entire life.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady
Hey, Canine, I believe you were the one who invoked the "true Texan" card initially, to back up your opinion, were you not, saying that a particular person on here was a "real Texan" and would agree with you? We were all just playing the game you started! You shouldn't get cranky just because of that!
That is what I thought too.
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Originally Posted by Cathy4017
Very true. But someone asked me how I liked being a "New Mexican." I politely said that I love where I live--and NM in general, but that I was a transplanted Texan!!
Don't get me wrong about Bush. He IS the consummate politician--and always will be. He just turned out to be a huge disappointment in so many ways, but that's all water under the bridge now. I still don't consider him a Texan, but if he wants to live there, he has that right, just as anyone else does.
EXACTLY!!! I'm sure if you were to go around acting like you were a native of New Mexico and wanted to run for office and gushed on and on about how wonderful life was in NM and how much you had done there and all and acted like you had NEVER lived anywhere else you would be seen as a fraud.
I would never be one to say that someone couldn't move here and become a Texan. I've seen it; I've also seen people that were somehow born Texan somewhere else (stork got lost?) and got here as fast as they could manage to do so.
However, moving to Texas and living here for years does not qualify one to be a "Texan".
Hey, Canine, I believe you were the one who invoked the "true Texan" card initially, to back up your opinion, were you not, saying that a particular person on here was a "real Texan" and would agree with you? We were all just playing the game you started! You shouldn't get cranky just because of that!
I'm not the least bit cranky, but I do find the transplant and native stuff corny, but in a "what's the use" funny way. Darn, I didn't know you guys were playing a game. I'm not much of a game player though, hence the reason I didn't pick up on the fun stuff.
Yes, I do feel the person of whom I spoke is a real Texan, but I'm not sure we all agree with what is real. It really doesn't matter in the long run as long as we're all "real" people. By real, I do mean genuine and a bit child-like with a bit of guilelessness thrown in. I guess I need to play the game more so I can really be a kid again. It's sometimes a bit hard to distinguish games and reality on CD. It shouldn't have to be like that, but it's okay that it is.
I would never be one to say that someone couldn't move here and become a Texan. I've seen it; I've also seen people that were somehow born Texan somewhere else (stork got lost?) and got here as fast as they could manage to do so.
However, moving to Texas and living here for years does not qualify one to be a "Texan".
Bush does not qualify.
I agree he doesn't qualify because he lives here; he qualifies because he is a Texan. Okay, I'll stop on the "Bush being a Texan" rant. He's a Yankee or something to you, but he'll always be a southerner to me whether Texans claim him or not.
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When they are there I'm sure they play up the part of that region being their "roots". 
I've said it before and will again...... I've NEVER voted for a Bush in my life. There are people that love him and all but I've never gotten all wrapped up in ANY politician EVER! 
Dang, if they just took the time to REALLY find out what it was like. And people BELIEVE THIS CRAP!!! They believe the Hollywood image of a Texan and Bush plays that part to the "T".
I have relatives that have been this way and I NEVER discuss politics with them. I know where they stand but they don't have a clue where I stand. It is not worth even discussing with them - for many different reasons. 
