Inside Out: Insiders and Voters Don't See Eye to Eye
Most insiders are political professionals working in the halls of government. In The Texas Tribune's latest Inside Intelligence, they seem concerned with the kinds of problems that have been the province of government: above all, public education, but also infrastructure issues, like the water supply and transportation.
Texas voters, on the other hand, have recently demonstrated both in elections and polls that they are at best skeptical of and at worst downright hostile to what happens in those hallways. The problems that most worry voters lie outside areas of proactive government initiatives. They appear more focused on broad policy ...
Comments (2)
hans5162@ix.netcom.com hans
The insiders are right. What is not right is that the priority of voters in the Texas Republican primary determine the priorities in this state. Turnout in the Republican primary is about 9%. They are primarily the tea party evangelical voters whose priorities are social issues and who cannot distinguish between spending in Washington and spending at the state level. They do not understand fundamentals of economics or the economic impact on government finances of a downturn in the economy. Their agenda is to destroy governmental institutions and privatize the economy. The 9% of the Republican primary electorate really represents about 5% of the total electorate and they are the most extreme portion of the electorate. That is what is determining our elections in this state and what is determining our policy. The insiders are more representative of the electorate as a whole. The Republican primary voter is not representative. I give the current system about 5 more years before the voters realize what the politicians have been doing to them and to their children's futures.
Betty Haynes via Texas Tribune on Facebook
It is a long article but interresting stats