After some DeLay, sentencing handed down

[the_rukh]

Well, in name at least. DeLay has been sentenced to serve 3 years for his money laundering which allowed Republicans to take over the Texas house. Actually, he was charged 3 years for conspiracy. He would have 5 years for his money laundering but the judge switched it for 10 years probation. Oh and he may not have to serve those 3 years any

Comments

Re: If we think he is guilty, that is

[politikitty]

Wait, what?

The 23rd district was overturned by a Supreme Court decision and the redrawn map resulted in a Democratic win.

Texas is trending blue. Republicans spread their districts so thin that they've had to push for more centrists candidates. How else do you explain that Tom Craddick was ousted for the more moderate Joe Strauss?

Harris County went blue for the first time in 2008, and Bill White still carried Harris County. Not Houston, Harris County.

The small towns that the Texas Republican Party is counting on continue to dwindle as ranching and on-land fossil fuel excavation pass their peak. The urban centers that are keeping the Texas economy afloat are growing and staying blue.

And let's not talk about the problem of the growing Hispanic population. Many are immigrants, but increasingly it's becoming an electoral demographic. And with the exception of the small Cuban demographic, there is no love for the Republican Party.

You might want to take a picture of the electoral landscape. You're not going to recognize it soon enough.

Re: If we think he is guilty, that is

[mikeyxw]

Um, none of this seems relevant to what I wrote. I get your point and some of it may be true, but I'm not quite sure why you're posting this as a response.

Re: If we think he is guilty, that is

[politikitty]

The process that was used to redraw the districts may be odd, but it held up in court

except. you know. It didn't.

Further your entire comment was a confirmation of reality_hammer's comment that Texas has been trending red. Sure, I probably should have split up the two comments, and I apologize for the laziness. But if you honestly agree with r_h, I don't mind telling you that's an incorrect opinion.

Re: If we think he is guilty, that is

[mikeyxw]

The process I was referring to was that the districts were redrawn twice in a decade, the Supreme Court upheld this. I guess I should have said that it only held up for 31 of 32 districts. I guess that saying it was upheld is only 97% correct while pointing out that it was struck down is 3% correct.

My comment referenced the 70's and 90's. It started out by saying Texas is red, I never said anything about where it will go in the future. I was really agreeing that the switch to a Republican majority had much more to do with the majority of the voters in Texas voting Republican than DeLay's corruption. There is nothing in my message that confirms that Texas is trending red in the future, it may well not be, but my crystal ball is in the shop today. If you really disagree with r_h's assertion that Texas is trending red, you should reply to him.

Re: If we think he is guilty, that is

[dwer]

except when you re-draw the districts to favor republican candidates, it's easy to win as a republican.