Lots to do, but you picked the right races! Fahad winning with 50.54% with all Irving sites in, and Kejal easing out Tammam by 4 votes to face Abdul in the runoff! We will see! I have to go to bed!
Removing the non-partisan fiction would change how these races are fought. Instead of voters being presented with two candidates making the same bland, generalized statements like "for the kids!", we could see more pointed discussions about finances, projects, etc. People in the know are having these discussions but the majority of the public is clueless about who to choose.
In the past, the newspaper revealed sources of funding, skeletons in the closet and other material information. The public read the newspaper before they voted. A neutral, public database of the financing and perhaps other relevant information like the composition and goals of the PAC's donating to the candidate is now needed. Because the newspaper has gone the way of the horse and buggy.
These are the kinds of events which political parties must participate in. It's extremely necessary for Democrats to contest Republicans' territory visibly. Besides, these real events are where real politics happen. When I was a kid in Hays County, I met a ton of politicians at all these events. And these politicians came to sports events and even school carnivals.
As Kendall Scudder said be out there as proud Democrats. It is really important for people to realize we aren't the monsters as depicted.
You know SO MUCH, Michelle. I always learn from you. Thank you for this great info....I am a precinct chair in Travis County--very blue--but your article explains why that doesn't matter when people don't show up or are completely uninformed. THANK YOU!
I was working with a youth voter registration drive last month. Several of the potential voters I came across, high school students about to turn 18, flatly rejected the idea of voting. Some said “I don’t believe in it”, or “They going to do what they gonna do anyway”. I was shocked. I didn’t know how to respond. I felt how stupid this thinking is but I also felt a generational trauma operating here where voters of color betrayed by the process, which is understandable. It seemed these kids were repeating what they’d heard their parents say. At a moment where voting could not be more critical or transformative this was a complete defeat. I fear this thinking is prevalent. The right uses anger and axe-grinding to turn out their voters.
How did we come to this? How do we respond to such voter antipathy from those who should be with us?
I have a friend who is a DVR. She tells the High School students at the schools she goes to; “so you would rather us old folks make decisions for you? Soon we will be telling you how to dress. Is that what you want?” Or something to that effect. 🤷🏻♀️
I have also encountered what you are saying, but stubbornly refuse to give up!
I am a VDR and now a precinct chair (and a retired educator) and I have learned that at least in high schools it is beneficial to partner up with a teacher or trusted individual who works at the school. At the high school in my neighborhood last spring I registered 28 kids in 45 minutes with the help of the school SRO (safety resource officer). He knew all of the students and has a positive relationship with them and we got every 18 year old or almost 18 registered. But we also need support in getting them to the polls that first time. There are resources and strategies out there.
Oh we did. It wasn’t just me. Our team of students confronted the same. Different conversations from different peers, teachers, mentors, we all faced the same pushback. There’s a bigger issue at hand.
I just checked the election I volunteered for. NEISD. Both candidates WON! Yay! BUT only 3.6% got out to vote. 😭
Unfortunately the other school district that our PAC helped did not do as well. The incumbents won! The school district, Alamo Heights. They decided to run against these incumbents because the school board decided to censor an author that was going to visit the district. Once a couple of parents found out that there was LGBTQ references in their book. 🤦🏽♀️
Darn these ladies lost to two men. This race only had 3.6% as well. That district is more affluent than NEISD
Lots to do, but you picked the right races! Fahad winning with 50.54% with all Irving sites in, and Kejal easing out Tammam by 4 votes to face Abdul in the runoff! We will see! I have to go to bed!
Removing the non-partisan fiction would change how these races are fought. Instead of voters being presented with two candidates making the same bland, generalized statements like "for the kids!", we could see more pointed discussions about finances, projects, etc. People in the know are having these discussions but the majority of the public is clueless about who to choose.
In the past, the newspaper revealed sources of funding, skeletons in the closet and other material information. The public read the newspaper before they voted. A neutral, public database of the financing and perhaps other relevant information like the composition and goals of the PAC's donating to the candidate is now needed. Because the newspaper has gone the way of the horse and buggy.
Yesterday, May 2, there was a festival in Downtown Plano, with all the food, bands, dancing etc, that you would expect. Great time!
I had seen that the local Collin Co democrats would have a booth and, since I live near there, I wanted to drop off by. Couldn’t find them anywhere.
The Republicans had a large booth in a heavily trafficked area with a loud speaker, games for kids, literature, etc!
Granted Collin county may be the last to turn blue, but I was disappointed.
These are the kinds of events which political parties must participate in. It's extremely necessary for Democrats to contest Republicans' territory visibly. Besides, these real events are where real politics happen. When I was a kid in Hays County, I met a ton of politicians at all these events. And these politicians came to sports events and even school carnivals.
As Kendall Scudder said be out there as proud Democrats. It is really important for people to realize we aren't the monsters as depicted.
You know SO MUCH, Michelle. I always learn from you. Thank you for this great info....I am a precinct chair in Travis County--very blue--but your article explains why that doesn't matter when people don't show up or are completely uninformed. THANK YOU!
I was working with a youth voter registration drive last month. Several of the potential voters I came across, high school students about to turn 18, flatly rejected the idea of voting. Some said “I don’t believe in it”, or “They going to do what they gonna do anyway”. I was shocked. I didn’t know how to respond. I felt how stupid this thinking is but I also felt a generational trauma operating here where voters of color betrayed by the process, which is understandable. It seemed these kids were repeating what they’d heard their parents say. At a moment where voting could not be more critical or transformative this was a complete defeat. I fear this thinking is prevalent. The right uses anger and axe-grinding to turn out their voters.
How did we come to this? How do we respond to such voter antipathy from those who should be with us?
Yes, their parents and teachers all feel the same way.
I have a friend who is a DVR. She tells the High School students at the schools she goes to; “so you would rather us old folks make decisions for you? Soon we will be telling you how to dress. Is that what you want?” Or something to that effect. 🤷🏻♀️
I know. We need a campaign to stop antipathy.
I have also encountered what you are saying, but stubbornly refuse to give up!
I am a VDR and now a precinct chair (and a retired educator) and I have learned that at least in high schools it is beneficial to partner up with a teacher or trusted individual who works at the school. At the high school in my neighborhood last spring I registered 28 kids in 45 minutes with the help of the school SRO (safety resource officer). He knew all of the students and has a positive relationship with them and we got every 18 year old or almost 18 registered. But we also need support in getting them to the polls that first time. There are resources and strategies out there.
How about just having a conversation with them. That was my point originally.
Oh we did. It wasn’t just me. Our team of students confronted the same. Different conversations from different peers, teachers, mentors, we all faced the same pushback. There’s a bigger issue at hand.
I just checked the election I volunteered for. NEISD. Both candidates WON! Yay! BUT only 3.6% got out to vote. 😭
Unfortunately the other school district that our PAC helped did not do as well. The incumbents won! The school district, Alamo Heights. They decided to run against these incumbents because the school board decided to censor an author that was going to visit the district. Once a couple of parents found out that there was LGBTQ references in their book. 🤦🏽♀️
Darn these ladies lost to two men. This race only had 3.6% as well. That district is more affluent than NEISD
Absolutely insane. Three point six!! 😭
The person that I canvassed for got a total of 736 votes for the win. Her opponent got 368. For a total of 1104 votes total. 🤦🏽♀️
Shameful. We need to fix this in our state.
Charge a fee if they don’t? 🤪