Thank you, Michelle! I've been waiting for real news about what happened yesterday & with the exception of DallasNews reporting on the front page above the fold that the Texas Democrats flew to California & Illinois yesterday to tell folks what was going on here regarding redistricting I couldn't find a single thing.
I just finished reading your column aloud to my husband & we had some good chuckles in addition to riding the emotional roller coaster. Thank you for all of it!
I'm heading off to post on Blue Sky now as my pinned post & for OV1 reposts.
Reading this felt like watching someone throw holy water on gerrymandering and then light the map on fire. In a good way.
Thank you for saying what so many of us in red states are screaming into the void: this isn’t politics as usual. This is slow-motion authoritarianism dressed up in committee hearings and polite tyranny. And the fact that some blue-state consultants are worried about "optics" while we’re out here dodging drones and losing library cards to Bible militias is infuriating.
Texas Democrats aren’t perfect, but damn if they aren’t showing up. Spines straight. Eyes open. And mouths unfiltered.
Let the consultants clutch pearls. We’ll be over here sharpening them into weapons.
Thanks as always for this piece. You somehow manage to be both pragmatic, angry, and hopeful in a realistic way.
Also, I was on the floor in Austin Friday night. I’m a counter. There were 12 sections in the upper stands of potentially 400 each, not packed but quite full. I’m calling that about 4000. On the floor were another 1000-1500 easily. I’m calling 5000 on Friday night. Also, the huge parking lot took over an hour to get out of. It was a FIRED UP *CROWD* and that’s what I drove from Richardson to be a part of. Beto is doing this right and with All his Might. It IS exciting to be a Democratic Texan right now!
Hi, Ginny. I will try to get the official figures for you. I know for sure 3000 signed up for the meeting. I went to both the Tuesday night meet in Plano and the Friday night in Austin. Both were electric and I was glad to be involved in both. It's a good time to be a Democrat in TX. Plus I finally got to meet in person Rep. Gina Hinojosa. These leaders inspired everyone, even the long-time followers.
This is great, Michelle. Your analysis is 100% on the money in my opinion. I would simply like to add another possible angle here that seems to be a good thing. The whole tenor of the Newsom/Texas Delegation press conference was Texas and California being friends and teaming up against Trump. For too long, Republicans have relied on merely ginning up antagonism between California and Texas. Republicans assign demograhic groups certain identity characteristics and then set them off against each other, see, e.g. Jim Crow. This is actually a political weakness. If Republicans assume they can just give the old merry-go-round of antagonism a spin and their political job is done, we can defy their expectations. We can knock them to kingdom by working together instead.
When the governor of California says he wants to help Texas, when Texas Democrats say they want to team up with California, that blows Republicans' plans to prevail in Texas with superficial, hostile slogans like "Don't California my Texas". It shows Republicans we will not be reduced to a stereotype and then be herded in the direction they want us to go.
I think Newsom threaded the needle pretty well regarding the contradiction between Democrats' fealty to voting rights and redistricting California. I initally was worried about the contradiction between our ideals and our actions for both ethical and strategic reasons. However, after watching the joint TX-CA press conference, I believe we have good political leadership. That leadership combined with the rest of us persistently slogging through the message that Newsom articulated can bridge the contradiction and carry the day.
the funniest, wittiest, bitinest political satirist has died...and it wasn't even his full time job....he was the guy to warn us what if Alabama gets the bomb
"“UNDER TRUMP’S WATCH, STILWELL GENERAL HOSPITAL IS CLOSING ITS DOORS,” one sign screams. The billboards are outside hospitals in Silex, Missouri; Columbus, Indiana; Stilwell, Oklahoma; and Missoula, Montana.'
In Azle Tx.........Charile Geren-R has a big ole honking e sign on Jacksbeero Hwy.....u cannot miss it.....it will be etched in the psyhe to drivers
in FTW., TCDP can't even manage to put the address on an event they are inviting u to attend
"Democrats need to focus relentlessly on making people’s lives better—immediately and demonstrably, and they need to brand the hell out of it when they do.'""Exactly. Democrats constantly bury their accomplishments in the fine print of the tax code. Working parents get help via confusing credits. Many don’t even benefit because they don’t itemize their taxes. And no one walks away from tax season thinking,"
I know a family.....mom had no idea why got double earned income tax credit.....its just showed up...but when it went away under Biden she knew that....1st we let it expire during Biden and 2nd we told no one Biden doubled the EITC......we are sooo stuuupid
thinking about that cool splash of shiner in about an hour, give or take an hour.....i was contemplating
Beto in FTW for a Town Hall.....will make all the news shows.........and the papers and some blogs
and then..................................................thud...............
what if the manaosphere and bro culture wasn't lite up by the message ...it was in fact the 1st time anyone ever talked to them
and by extension..........how does an apperance by Beto or Talrico or anyone increase t/o if we aren't talking to the people who don't vote...who won't be at the Ridglea Theater , who don't watch Channel 5, 4, 8,11
maybe on the margins.....but not in anyway that shifs TC blue
that's the politico innovation i have mentioned....other too....that's what we need along with quality candidates
are we now running like the failures of MAGA make '26 a shoe in?
u have heard exactly ZERO from our side on this....."Almost 1.8 million Americans have been dis-enrolled from Medicaid health coverage in Texas in the last two years, according to data by KFF, a nonprofit health policy research and news organization
all the while some 300,000 were denied the Med Exp for the last 10_ years
if u were wondering why nobody votes for us......
BTW Dallas is having a redistricting protest today.....FTW and Tarrant leaders are silent......maybe they fled Killerbee style
can't say i know much about the guy....other that he is way over on the other side of town, or a 10 minute drive, and has been completely silent on most issues that concern ALL of FTW
BoBo French is thinking about it.....TCDP not so much...they did invite us all to a raly ,,,,without saying where....
"With the special session of the Legislature and redistricting talks in full swing, several Democrats have left the state and are hinting at an attempt to break quorum, as they did a few years ago.
While they may have gotten away with it years ago, they must not be allowed should they choose to do so again. This time, the House can not only have them arrested if they break quorum, but also defund part of their office budget. Should this happen, their staff will go without a paycheck."
to which i say: okay staff..........if ur boss to to cowardly to leave the state to protect ALL Texans they have forgotten the Alamo and u should seek employment elsewhere
i could figure that out....the point is: why should i have to figure anything else in a bulletin? especially a location that the bulletin wants u to attend
Thank you, Michelle! I've been waiting for real news about what happened yesterday & with the exception of DallasNews reporting on the front page above the fold that the Texas Democrats flew to California & Illinois yesterday to tell folks what was going on here regarding redistricting I couldn't find a single thing.
I just finished reading your column aloud to my husband & we had some good chuckles in addition to riding the emotional roller coaster. Thank you for all of it!
I'm heading off to post on Blue Sky now as my pinned post & for OV1 reposts.
Hugs!!!
💙💙
Your comment is spot on. Michelle delivers invaluable news on the daily. I have one juvenile addition: Etienne Rosas running for TX34💯🤯🔥
I noticed this in Plano the other night but the second James is introduced the phones go up... I think we have ourselves a new superstar
Reading this felt like watching someone throw holy water on gerrymandering and then light the map on fire. In a good way.
Thank you for saying what so many of us in red states are screaming into the void: this isn’t politics as usual. This is slow-motion authoritarianism dressed up in committee hearings and polite tyranny. And the fact that some blue-state consultants are worried about "optics" while we’re out here dodging drones and losing library cards to Bible militias is infuriating.
Texas Democrats aren’t perfect, but damn if they aren’t showing up. Spines straight. Eyes open. And mouths unfiltered.
Let the consultants clutch pearls. We’ll be over here sharpening them into weapons.
Thanks as always for this piece. You somehow manage to be both pragmatic, angry, and hopeful in a realistic way.
Also, I was on the floor in Austin Friday night. I’m a counter. There were 12 sections in the upper stands of potentially 400 each, not packed but quite full. I’m calling that about 4000. On the floor were another 1000-1500 easily. I’m calling 5000 on Friday night. Also, the huge parking lot took over an hour to get out of. It was a FIRED UP *CROWD* and that’s what I drove from Richardson to be a part of. Beto is doing this right and with All his Might. It IS exciting to be a Democratic Texan right now!
This is going to be our year, as long as our stars spread out and don't all run for the same seat.
Hi, Ginny. I will try to get the official figures for you. I know for sure 3000 signed up for the meeting. I went to both the Tuesday night meet in Plano and the Friday night in Austin. Both were electric and I was glad to be involved in both. It's a good time to be a Democrat in TX. Plus I finally got to meet in person Rep. Gina Hinojosa. These leaders inspired everyone, even the long-time followers.
The official count was 5000. You were correct. Good counting.
This is great, Michelle. Your analysis is 100% on the money in my opinion. I would simply like to add another possible angle here that seems to be a good thing. The whole tenor of the Newsom/Texas Delegation press conference was Texas and California being friends and teaming up against Trump. For too long, Republicans have relied on merely ginning up antagonism between California and Texas. Republicans assign demograhic groups certain identity characteristics and then set them off against each other, see, e.g. Jim Crow. This is actually a political weakness. If Republicans assume they can just give the old merry-go-round of antagonism a spin and their political job is done, we can defy their expectations. We can knock them to kingdom by working together instead.
When the governor of California says he wants to help Texas, when Texas Democrats say they want to team up with California, that blows Republicans' plans to prevail in Texas with superficial, hostile slogans like "Don't California my Texas". It shows Republicans we will not be reduced to a stereotype and then be herded in the direction they want us to go.
I think Newsom threaded the needle pretty well regarding the contradiction between Democrats' fealty to voting rights and redistricting California. I initally was worried about the contradiction between our ideals and our actions for both ethical and strategic reasons. However, after watching the joint TX-CA press conference, I believe we have good political leadership. That leadership combined with the rest of us persistently slogging through the message that Newsom articulated can bridge the contradiction and carry the day.
it ain't WOKE , its BROKE
The BROKE Blueprint: The Real Agenda Behind the Noise
B – Bankrupt Every Program That Helps Regular People
R – Rig the Rules
O – Obstruct, Obfuscate, Outrage
K – Keep the Grift Going
E – Erase the Evidence
from DK: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/27/2335337/-The-Anti-Woke-Death-Spiral-How-Trump-s-Culture-War-Is-Killing-Conservatism?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web
the funniest, wittiest, bitinest political satirist has died...and it wasn't even his full time job....he was the guy to warn us what if Alabama gets the bomb
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/other/tom-lehrer-song-satirist-and-mathematician-dies-at-97/ar-AA1JojmJ?ocid=BingNewsSerp
political innovation:
"“UNDER TRUMP’S WATCH, STILWELL GENERAL HOSPITAL IS CLOSING ITS DOORS,” one sign screams. The billboards are outside hospitals in Silex, Missouri; Columbus, Indiana; Stilwell, Oklahoma; and Missoula, Montana.'
In Azle Tx.........Charile Geren-R has a big ole honking e sign on Jacksbeero Hwy.....u cannot miss it.....it will be etched in the psyhe to drivers
in FTW., TCDP can't even manage to put the address on an event they are inviting u to attend
turns out DNC did the sign thing BTW
"Democrats need to focus relentlessly on making people’s lives better—immediately and demonstrably, and they need to brand the hell out of it when they do.'""Exactly. Democrats constantly bury their accomplishments in the fine print of the tax code. Working parents get help via confusing credits. Many don’t even benefit because they don’t itemize their taxes. And no one walks away from tax season thinking,"
I know a family.....mom had no idea why got double earned income tax credit.....its just showed up...but when it went away under Biden she knew that....1st we let it expire during Biden and 2nd we told no one Biden doubled the EITC......we are sooo stuuupid
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/27/2334871/-Hey-Democrats-it-s-okay-to-brag-about-helping-people?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_1&pm_medium=web
thinking about that cool splash of shiner in about an hour, give or take an hour.....i was contemplating
Beto in FTW for a Town Hall.....will make all the news shows.........and the papers and some blogs
and then..................................................thud...............
what if the manaosphere and bro culture wasn't lite up by the message ...it was in fact the 1st time anyone ever talked to them
and by extension..........how does an apperance by Beto or Talrico or anyone increase t/o if we aren't talking to the people who don't vote...who won't be at the Ridglea Theater , who don't watch Channel 5, 4, 8,11
maybe on the margins.....but not in anyway that shifs TC blue
that's the politico innovation i have mentioned....other too....that's what we need along with quality candidates
are we now running like the failures of MAGA make '26 a shoe in?
no word from the Tarrant County Poltical Party or our Dem congressman who reps like 1/3 of TarrCoun
but
BETO , who seems to know how to work a FB...is coming to the Ridglea Theater with his own town hall...Aug 9
sorry i don't know how to link
u have heard exactly ZERO from our side on this....."Almost 1.8 million Americans have been dis-enrolled from Medicaid health coverage in Texas in the last two years, according to data by KFF, a nonprofit health policy research and news organization
all the while some 300,000 were denied the Med Exp for the last 10_ years
if u were wondering why nobody votes for us......
BTW Dallas is having a redistricting protest today.....FTW and Tarrant leaders are silent......maybe they fled Killerbee style
Gavin Newsom in FWST today on redistricting along with stories of trips to Cali by some lege
By contrast there is no comments anywhere from out current Chair, Allsion Campolo or our incredibly invisible Congressman Veasey
Veasey needs to be primaried.
can't say i know much about the guy....other that he is way over on the other side of town, or a 10 minute drive, and has been completely silent on most issues that concern ALL of FTW
BoBo French is thinking about it.....TCDP not so much...they did invite us all to a raly ,,,,without saying where....
"With the special session of the Legislature and redistricting talks in full swing, several Democrats have left the state and are hinting at an attempt to break quorum, as they did a few years ago.
While they may have gotten away with it years ago, they must not be allowed should they choose to do so again. This time, the House can not only have them arrested if they break quorum, but also defund part of their office budget. Should this happen, their staff will go without a paycheck."
to which i say: okay staff..........if ur boss to to cowardly to leave the state to protect ALL Texans they have forgotten the Alamo and u should seek employment elsewhere
It’s at UTA
i could figure that out....the point is: why should i have to figure anything else in a bulletin? especially a location that the bulletin wants u to attend