Colin Allred keeps Kamala Harris at arms length as he makes a play for the center (www.texastribune.org)

submitted 2 months ago by njm1314@lemmy.world to c/texas@lemmy.world

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"On a recent appearance on MSNBC, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred was asked how Vice President Kamala Harris’ presumptive rise to the top of the party’s ticket was affecting his campaign in Texas to unseat U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

Allred’s response was polite, but muted: “Vice President Harris was a member of the congressional Black Caucus and I’ve known her for some time and I support her nomination.”

That five-second comment was all the time Allred spent discussing Harris. He quickly pivoted for the rest of the seven-minute segment to attacking Cruz for blocking bipartisan border security and immigration bills, opposing abortion access and leaving the state for Cancun when millions of Texans had lost power in their homes in 2021.

Harris’s impending nomination has injected the November election with renewed enthusiasm among Democrats, who are hoping the historic nature of her candidacy as a woman of color could also boost down-ballot candidates. But in Republican-dominated Texas, Allred — who has been running his campaign as a centrist — is not flocking to her side."

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[-] njm1314@lemmy.world 25 points 2 months ago

Long history of Texas Democrats trying to run to the center and then crashing and burning. The center is were Democrats go to die in Texas.

[-] bornjett@mastodon.social 3 points 2 months ago

@njm1314 it happens so often you'd think he knows better

[-] Lifecoach5000@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

I’m not sure I agree with this take. We need baby steps down here to chip away at the redness.

[-] JDPoZ@lemmy.world 22 points 2 months ago

Disagreed. Baby steps don’t inspire turnout.

Texas isn’t a purple state. It’s a non-voting state.

No one shows up for discount 10% off but only if you are 1.5631x the current median poverty-rate one time mail in rebate coupon legislation.

People need bold action.

That doesn’t necessarily mean making Texans angry by saying “bold” things like “we are going to take away all your guns” but instead something meaningful “we’re going to punish the companies who let you freeze in the dark in Feburary 2021 because they’re being cheap bastards and people like Ted Cruz and Greg Abbott don’t care if you die,” or “we’re going to forgive all medical debt,” or “we are going decriminalize marijuana.”

It’s why hundreds of people line up outside of a Denny’s on “Free Breakfast Day”… but no one would show up for a “$1 off your 1st pancake on the 3rd Tuesday every 4 months” coupon.

Bold proposals shake the apathetic into mobilizing and showing up… not half-ass milquetoast policy designed in an attempt to try to appeal to only the mOdErAtE fascists.

[-] njm1314@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago

Republicans have ruled the state for almost 40 years. The baby steps ain't got them anywhere. The problem in Texas is Texas Democrats never Inspire turnout. The votes are there they just leave them where they are. Texas Democrats would rather pursue conservatives than win elections with leftists. Hell not even leftist just liberals.

My feeling is Allred here is going to do it again. He'll do better than most will because everyone hates Ted Cruz, but he'll still leave votes on the table like they always do. If I had to sum up the Texas democratic party and one phrase I'd say low energy. His campaign is looking like it's moving in that direction too.