With Little Momentum, Texas Democrats Hold Convention
Texas Democrats limp into Houston on Thursday for yet another state party convention that will highlight how far they have sunk into statewide oblivion.
“All they can really do at the convention is continue what seems to be a decade-plus process of rebuilding with no real end in sight to that process,” said Jim Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin and a Texas Tribune pollster. “If you ask people who are the statewide candidates in the next cycle, you hear crickets.”
No Democrat has won statewide office in Texas since 1994, and ...
Comments (9)
Nathan Wilcox via Texas Tribune on Facebook
the GOP can breathe easy because Texas Dems will try everything else first before they even consider becoming fearless advocates of the interests of their constituencies.
Tony Trevino
Let's face it. The TX Demo Party has no new ideas.
People looking for anything other than Repub may actually not vote.
Demos, you need to start from scratch. That means trying to determine what you stand for. We will vote for candidates we can trust to represent our interests, not for a certain party. This idea of "rising stars" and the idea that hispanics will vote for someone because the candidate is hispanic is dumb.
Joe Deshotel
Democrats have almost no chance of winning statewide races but the convention can serve to raise awareness and support for what competitive races we do have like Nick Lampson for Congress in TX-14. We can also help train and recruit folks to make sure Obama wins in battleground states.
With a new chair hopefully we can start the recruitment process at the school board level just the way, Republicans did in seventies. There's actually plenty democratic elected officials can do to help rebuild since most of them are twiddling their thumbs after the Primary.
Joe Deshotel
...Oh and most importantly they have to distinguish themselves from the national Party.
Michael Miranda
You mean to tell me you couldn't come up with the name of the candidate running against Paul Sadler in the Democratic run off for US Senator? What kind of reporting is that?
San Benito
[Since the Democrats apparently did absolutely no background research on their newly elected State Chairman, here are a few recent articles from South Texas, where he was chased out of office faster than a mangy dog]
IF IT SQUIRMS LIKE A PIG, WALLOWS LIKE A PIG, AND OINKS LIKE A PIG, IT MUST BE A DEMOCRAT GILBERT
By Juan Montoya
I find it difficult to believe that Democratic Party Chairman Gilbert Hinojosa contends that political party affiliation is not a factor in the ongoing corruption investigation resulting from the plea agreement with former 404th District Judge Abel C. Limas.
Let's see.
Limas was a Democrat.
Jim Solis a Democrat, from 1993 through 2006 and represented District 38, in Harlingen.
Former Cameron County Judge Gilberto Hinojosa, an attorney and head of the Cameron County Democratic Party, was one of four attorneys favored by Limas for ad litem appointments.
Former Cameron County Court-at-Law No. 3 Judge Daniel T. Robles resigned from office in February 2009, saying that he planned to join Solis’ practice in Harlingen. Will his name be up next time an indictment comes down from the feds?
Let's rewind.
Brownsville Herald. April 23, 2000
Cameron County Judge Gilberto Hinojosa together with his partner Juan Magallanes have received the most in ad-litem fees, records show. Combined, they have pulled in $126,000 in six appointments alone. An additional $55,000 was pulled in by Magallanes but with State Rep. Rene Oliveira, district clerk public records reflect. Judge Ben Euresti approved most of the fees awarded to this group. Oliveira received an additional $40,000 from two appointments made by Euresti and former Judge Darrell Hester. Ernesto Gamez has received the next-highest amount of ad-litem money. Gamez frequently contributes to political campaigns, and along with Magallanes and others guaranteed a loan for Limas in his bid for the 404th.
Gamez has received $64,250 in nine appointments but the amount is greater, records also reflect.
Oliveira, by the way, was also quoted in the newspaper expressing dismay over the Limas case. Was he expressing dismay over the fact that Limas is looking at nearly a quarter century of prison time? Or is he expressing dismay that the gravy train has stopped?
Now, Gilbert, how many of those named on this post are Republican?
http://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2011/05/if-it-squirms-like-pig-wallows-like.html
San Benito
Anonymous said...
Gilberto Hinojosa is at the heart of the corruption in the Democratic Party of Cameron County. The Democratic Party is to corruption in Cameron County as local doctors are to corruption in the medicare and medicaid systems. Corruption abounds...so we have lawyers loyal to the Democratic Party and their corruption, in order the make a living...off of ad litems, guardianships, probate appointments and judicial favors. Gilberto Hinojosa is at the heart and soul of this corruption of the Hispanic community. Behind that bushy moustache is a forked tongue devil...who serves no one but himself.
San Benito
Anonymous said...
Texas Democrats must really be ashamed of Cameron County Democrats, while Republicans just love the indictments of so many Democrats here.
San Benito
Comments about Hinojosa from South Texas blogs (did the Democrats spend less than an hour researching this guy's devastation on the Democrat party in South Texas before they elected him???!!!)
"Can you give us more data on Gilbert? What specifically makes him so bad?"
Well, when County Judge, he tried like hell to sell off Isla Blanca park to hotel concerns. There was the whole "Red River" trash debacle, constant promotion of the status quo within the party, promoting Hilary even after the convention chose Obama, denying any use of Cameron County Democratic Party assets to be used for Obama later in the general election, again after the convention picked Obama. The list goes on and on......
"Gilberto Hinojosa Moves to Stop Corruption in Cameron County
Headline should read, Gilberto Hinojosa Moves, out of Brownsville. This should Stop Corruption in Cameron County. It's all about the puctuation."
"What a shame for the Democrats of the State of Texas. Best thing that ever happened to the Republican Party in Cameron County was David Sanchez and then Gilberto Hinojosa's miserable leadership of the Local Drmocrats!! Now, Gilberto wants to take his "leadership" abilities and control the State of Texas. What a shame !!"
"It is miraculous that this guy is not in prison yet. His assent to state chair for the Democratic party is a horror show in slow motion."
"Villalobos (Cameron County DA and Congressional Candidate who was indicted for racketeering and abuse of office) serves us like Conrado Cantu....stupid and under the influence of Gilberto Hinojosa and his Dumbokratic Party corruption and fraud. Villalobos is a DICK and his indictment is timely and right."
"If the Democrats want division and are happy losing elections....then they should choose Hinojosa; he will surely destroy the start party as he did locally. "
"limas scandal is not over i am sure gilberto will get his part in due time puras calabacitas baby"
LOL! You know, I literally believe you are more than right. I hope you are, anyways. Cause I'm on my way to Cobbleheads saloon to start betting on it. Good day to ya!
"When Gilberto Hinojosa decided to give up the Cameron County Democratic Chair to run for the state version of that office it was a godsend to the citizens of Brownsville and Cameron County. Hinojosa has been viewed by many as the poster boy for corruption, backdoor dealing and influencing elections in Cameron County and is closely associated with Abel Limas, Conrado Cantu and Jim Solis. The obvious win-win situation would be for Hinojosa to vacate the county chair, then lose his bid for the state chair."
"After having lost to Republican Carlos Cascos for Cameron County Judge, presiding over the Democratic Party in the county and seeing Cascos again defeat John Wood, his party's nominee for judge, Gilbert Hinojosa now thinks he is eminently qualified to hold the chairmanship of the Texas Democratic party.
Never mind the fact that two years ago, for the first time in 28 years, Republican Blake Farenthold became the first GOP congressman in District 27 that includes the state's southernmost tip, a traditional Democratic seat held by his bud Solomon Ortiz.
What are the Democratic Party leaders in the state thinking?"