State GOP worry grouchy voters won't go to polls

June 8, 2008, 11:16PM
State GOP worry grouchy voters won't go to polls
Convention opens here amid some discontent within the party


By R.G. RATCLIFFE
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

AUSTIN — After a decade of political dominance, the Texas GOP is opening its party convention in Houston this week with a troubling prospect: Grumpy Republicans may not turn out to vote this fall.

Many of the grass-roots Texas Republicans see presumptive presidential nominee John McCain as not conservative enough. Others still support presidential candidate Ron Paul. Some are unhappy over immigration, high federal spending, a sagging national economy and rising gasoline prices.

"A lot of them, and rightly so in many cases, are mad. They're concerned," said Roger Williams, chairman of the Texas GOP's voter turnout efforts this year. "What we've got to do is alleviate those concerns and get them to vote."

"We're the underdogs, and anybody who tells you we're not hasn't been out and about," Williams said.

The convention runs from Wednesday to Saturday at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.

Against this backdrop of discontent, the convention will feature speeches by Gov. Rick Perry, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, all of whom are considering runs for governor in 2010.

The convention also will feature U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who faces a re-election challenge this year from Democratic nominee Rick Noriega of Houston.

Delegates on Friday will hear from former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former presidential contenders Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney. Romney is McCain's designated surrogate speaker at the convention.

Cathie Adams, president of the Texas Eagle Forum, said McCain is not building bridges with the grass roots by sending Romney to speak to the Texas convention in his place.

"It would have been better if he had come himself," Adams said.

Adams said many delegates to the convention will want to be reassured about McCain on immigration. She said many are upset that he supports a process of granting citizenship to those who entered the country illegally.

Adams said McCain cannot win just by telling voters the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is bad.

"Everyone I know is unhappy with the prospects of Obama," Adams said. "But they'll stay home rather than just go out and vote against someone."

Similarly, some of Paul's supporters are upset with McCain and how the state convention is run. Some sued the Texas GOP last week in an effort to block the seating of some non-Paul delegates.

Don Zimmerman, a Paul activist and candidate for Travis County tax assessor-collector, is vying to be a national delegate, even though that means supporting McCain, whom he does not like.

Zimmerman said many new delegates to the convention this year will be Paul supporters. He said he wants to get them focused on winning local races.

"Get over the McCain thing and work for your local Republican who you like," Zimmerman said.

Republican leadership is less worried about the elections of McCain and Cornyn than they are about the effect party disgruntlement may have on congressional and legislative races.

Republican pollster Mike Baselice said half the Republican voters in Texas say the state and nation are on the "wrong track." He calls them "grumpy Republicans" who cannot be counted on to turn out to vote against presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

"I'm concerned about the wrong-track Republicans opting not to vote," Baselice said.

Baselice said Republicans in 2002 had a 6 percentage point advantage in Dallas County voting and an 8 percentage point advantage in Harris County. He said neither party now has an advantage in Dallas, and the GOP holds an advantage of about 1.5 percentage points in Harris County.

He said that partisan shift could give Democrats a great boost if a large percentage of Republicans don't vote.

Baselice said Republicans who vote can be counted on to vote up and down the ballot, but he said the GOP stands to lose ground if the "grumpy" Republicans stay home.

Former Republican Chairman Tom Pauken said politicians and party leaders need to reassure the Republican grass-roots workers that their efforts matter for conservative causes.

"The grass roots has withered up and died," Pauken said.

But current state Chairwoman Tina Benkiser said she believes most of the discontent is directed toward Washington. She said the 2006 elections were bad for Republicans nationally but that the Texas GOP picked up more than 200 offices held by Democrats that year.

Benkiser said the goal of this week's convention will be to excite the delegates and make them feel like a conservative agenda is worth working for in the general election.

"At the end of the day, things bode well for us," Benkiser said.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5826424.html

We won't vote because we HATE the thought of voting for Mcshame, a closet democrat. If you are a true Repulican, Mcshame does not sit well with you. There is no difference between the two candidates. Both of them are a vote for evil. They will destroy this country becaus the American people are asleep. How many people REALLY investigate what these two represent. Why don't people see that OBAMA is a communist? I wonder if they will ever wake up? I will write in or vote none of the above. If more people would vote 3rd party, we might have a chance to wake these bozos up, but I doubt that will happen.

IMO we can primarily thank Prez Jorge for the state of the GOP.

But how the party ended up with McCain is still hard to believe.

I've seen plenty of swings during my life, it seems to be the trend. The Reps have control and mess up so then the Dems gain control and mess up and on and on it goes.

That's why I'm an Independent now, or as it's called in my state Decline to State.

Today there isn't much difference in the two parties and I'm tired of their game.

We have closed primaries here in Oregon, and now, this is why I had remained Republican, I wanted to have a say so in the primaries. It really frustrates me.

I voted for Ron Paul, he was on the ticket and that's who I gave my vote to, but never heard what numbers he carried here in Oregon, I think I need to look into that, I am curious.

Senator McCamnesty would be a natural candidate as a War Hero with his apparently demonstrated strength in National Defense except for his refusal to Defend our National Borders, Pro-ILLEGAL, Pro-Blanket AMNESTY, against Tax Cuts, help block judges, etc,etc..

Now he claims to be for ALL that he has spent the last several years working against and of course against ALL he has spent the last several years working for in the Senate. Again I believe we have been down this path before with the Bushwacker and Kamnesty Bailey stating what they thought was required to be elected not what they supported. They all want to lead the United States into becoming a Third World Country and we have discussed the reasons many times.

Just follow the money "my friends". The "political contributors" will get their "cheap labor" and not have to furnish any "benefits" because all the "benefits" for the ILLEGALS will be furnished by the taxpayers enforced and implemented by "our politicians" and their "men"(see Johnny Satan)!!

I am finished voting for the lesser of two EVILS, most of our choices are the same! Until "our" elitist politicians are made to pay on Election Day our "two choices" will for the most part be the same.

Once again the politicians and their contributors consider United States and Texas citizens only as "units of labor" and the sooner we become a Third World Country the better for their "bottom line"! Our elitist politicians and their elitist political contributors will not be happy until they transform the United States into a Third World Country for most of our citizens while furnishing the Chamber of Commerce and all their Elitist Special Interest Groups with their supply of "cheap labor". The politicians and their Elitist Contributors are providing "benefits" to the ILLEGALS on the backs of United States and Texas citizens through our assets such as the Education System, Social Security, and Health Care not to mention our National Security while "privatizing" the profits for themselves!

I sent the Oregon GOP a nice email tonight.

I explained how people have not forgotten McCains work on Comprehensive Immigration Reform, and his response to angry union workers (you couldn't do it if you were paid $50.00 an hour to).

I explained how they will lose this election due to GOP voters who have been disgusted with their sell out to have him on the ticket against the Dem's, and it is likely to appeal to the swing and fence rider voters, not true conservatives.

I have to say, I have never felt so galvanized against a candidate before, as I do about McCain, and I know a lot more people who feel the same.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AE

I sent the Oregon GOP a nice email tonight.

I explained how people have not forgotten McCains work on Comprehensive Immigration Reform, and his response to angry union workers (you couldn't do it if you were paid $50.00 an hour to).

I explained how they will lose this election due to GOP voters who have been disgusted with their sell out to have him on the ticket against the Dem's, and it is likely to appeal to the swing and fence rider voters, not true conservatives.

I have to say, I have never felt so galvanized against a candidate before, as I do about McCain, and I know a lot more people who feel the same.

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Last year I told the Texas GOP that I was "galvanized" against their their Open Border and Pro-ILLEGAL policy and they seemed "amused"!!

Republican pollster Mike Baselice said half the Republican voters in Texas say the state and nation are on the "wrong track." He calls them "grumpy Republicans" who cannot be counted on to turn out to vote against presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama





It seems that if folks feel we're on the wrong track.....which we are.....and totally disgusted, then that is the time to get out and vote.

Just don't vote your party nominee and instead look at alternate candidates.

Until we, as a nation, quit doing the same old things time and again at the voting booth, things will never change and only get worse.

Time to break the dysfunctional cycle and let our electeds know we mean business. Get enough of the bad blood out of office or keep them out, and the rest will have been put on notice.