Lawyer or Lesbian? Houston, we have a problem.

[techs]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/6767621.html

Here's the bottom line, or maybe the punch line:

In Houston, it is now harder for a lawyer to be elected mayor than a lesbian.

In the last two weeks of the hard-fought campaign, several mailings — one of them funded to the tune of $40,000 by candidate Gene Locke's finance chairman and another finance committee member — urged voters to choose Locke because Annise Parker is a lesbian.

Parker hit back with two tough mailings attacking Locke for his history as a lawyer and a lobbyist.

It's a Redneck dilemma!

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Admin allisolm

 

[SunSamurai]

P&n ----------------------------------->

 

[feralkid]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/6767621.html


It's a Redneck dilemma!

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Admin allisolm

However, being that Houston is mostly Democratic, 30% Hispanic and 25% Black, it doesn't exactly come off as redneck central to begin with.

 

[IronWing]

Janet Reno? Janet Napolitano? Houston could have the best of both worlds.

 

[Jaskalas]

However, being that Houston is mostly Democratic, 30% Hispanic and 25% Black, it doesn't exactly come off as redneck central to begin with.

I'm sure compared to some of those here Houston would appear to be "redneck central".

 

[blackangst1]

Im a Republican and fairly conservative...and I couldnt care less.

 

[Rainsford]

I'm sure compared to some of those here Houston would appear to be "redneck central".

I doubt anybody thinks of Houston in particular that way...it's more about the image of Texas as a whole to people in the rest of the country. And that is a reputation for being pretty closeminded about progressive social issues like gay rights. While I'm sure not all of Texas is like that, I think you'd have a hard time arguing that the reputation isn't pretty well deserved.

It's the same with California. There are plenty of places in California that are quite conservative, that's just not what the state is known for.

 

[nobodyknows]

Im a Republican and fairly conservative...and I couldnt care less.

LOL, a republican that thinks oneself "fairly" conservative is probably "ultra" conservative.

 

[blackangst1]

LOL, a republican that thinks oneself "fairly" conservative is probably "ultra" conservative.

Actually Im not. Fiscally I am, but socially Im pretty moderate.

 

[tallest1]

Parker hit back with two tough mailings attacking Locke for his history as a lawyer and a lobbyist.

What'd you expect her to do? Attack Locke for being straight?

 

[CrackRabbit]

I'm sure compared to some of those here Houston would appear to be "redneck central".

There are certain areas AROUND the city of Houston that could be qualified as "Redneck Central". The but city itself is quite progressive and has had a Democrat mayor since at least 1998.

I'm actually more interested in former mayor Bill White's gubernatorial run. He did a fairly good job with the city cleaning up when Lee Brown left it in a mess.
With the Republicans being somewhat divided he may actually have a chance at winning.

 

[Rainsford]

Actually Im not. Fiscally I am, but socially Im pretty moderate.

You are in the extreme minority in your party, or at least you use the word "conservative" much differently than most Republicans. Conservative social issues are at the forefront of the Republican platform, and conservative economic issues only get lip-service, or the rare showing of support when it's a way to beat up on the Democrats.

But the party as a whole long ago discovered that they could win more support by ignoring the libertarian wing of the right and courting the socially conservative crowd. Any time someone describes themselves as a fiscally conservative, socially liberal Republican, I feel compelled to ask them which of those things seems like a good fit with the Republican party.

 

[ElFenix]

There are certain areas AROUND the city of Houston that could be qualified as "Redneck Central". The but city itself is quite progressive and has had a Democrat mayor since at least 1998.

I'm actually more interested in former mayor Bill White's gubernatorial run. He did a fairly good job with the city cleaning up when Lee Brown left it in a mess.
With the Republicans being somewhat divided he may actually have a chance at winning.

nothing but democrats since 1982. had a couple back and forth before that. wikipedia doesn't list much in the way of parties before ~1960 for those mayors. probably all democrats given the solid south.

heh, one dude was mayor for 11 terms intermittently over a 36 year period



bill white definitely the strongest candidate for governor that the dems have put forth since ann richards. there's basically no way he's losing to farouk shami in the primary. he's got fiscal conservative credentials having run houston so well for the last 6 years.

however, i don't know that the republicans are divided. kay isn't giving up her senate seat unless she wins the primary, so she's not going to split the 'pub vote like carole keeton mcclellan rylander strayhorn did last election.

 

[Lemon law]

Houston has elected a mayor. What is the problem? The only problem I see is can Parker deliver good governance or not. A record that has yet to be written.

Given Parker's long record in city government, we must defer to the judgment of the Houston electorate. Democracy in action once again.

 

[Patranus]

Not really sure how being a lesbian is in any way shape or form a qualification of this woman to hold office.

 

[dawp]

not any more than being strait does. neither should be used as a qualifaction. what is important is how well she does the job.

And she didn't make it an issue, the wingnuts on the right did. as far as i can tell, she ran on her qualifactions.

 

[rudder]

They do love bush in Texas.

 

[blackangst1]

You are in the extreme minority in your party, or at least you use the word "conservative" much differently than most Republicans. Conservative social issues are at the forefront of the Republican platform, and conservative economic issues only get lip-service, or the rare showing of support when it's a way to beat up on the Democrats.

But the party as a whole long ago discovered that they could win more support by ignoring the libertarian wing of the right and courting the socially conservative crowd. Any time someone describes themselves as a fiscally conservative, socially liberal Republican, I feel compelled to ask them which of those things seems like a good fit with the Republican party.

I agree for the most part. But the primary reason for me bailing on the Democratic party (I was a registered Dem, active locally, for about 23 years) is my general belief that the government is not the answer to the country's ills. In general, I am against entitlement. The party in general believes they need to enact legislation for every perceived wrong, and those who are perceived as "not up to par" with whatever benchmark they set need some kind of government program to "right the injustice". I wholeheartedly disagree. Fiscally neither party is conservative, so I find no common ground there. Socially (obviously) the Dems are much more liberal, but I find more common ground on the centrist part of the GOP party than I do the Dems. That kind of ties in with my first point. BOTH parties are far from what they were just 60 years ago. I mean, it was the Dems who faught giving blacks equal rights not too long ago, and that, of course, is opposite of where they are today.

Anyway, getting OT.

 

[Robor]

Not really sure how being a lesbian is in any way shape or form a qualification of this woman to hold office.

For someone who tries to convey his intelligence at every opportunity you sure failed here.

 

[werepossum]

I agree for the most part. But the primary reason for me bailing on the Democratic party (I was a registered Dem, active locally, for about 23 years) is my general belief that the government is not the answer to the country's ills. In general, I am against entitlement. The party in general believes they need to enact legislation for every perceived wrong, and those who are perceived as "not up to par" with whatever benchmark they set need some kind of government program to "right the injustice". I wholeheartedly disagree. Fiscally neither party is conservative, so I find no common ground there. Socially (obviously) the Dems are much more liberal, but I find more common ground on the centrist part of the GOP party than I do the Dems. That kind of ties in with my first point. BOTH parties are far from what they were just 60 years ago. I mean, it was the Dems who faught giving blacks equal rights not too long ago, and that, of course, is opposite of where they are today.

Anyway, getting OT.

That pretty much mirrors my own experience with the Democrat Party. It was hard leaving - after all, in the South the Republican Party means those carpetbagger sons of bitches from reconstruction - but once you actually begin paying attention to what a politician or party is actually doing versus what they say they want to do, life becomes a lot more complicated. I went to the Libertarian Party, but I generally hold my nose and vote Republican for House and Senate. Voting since Reagan generally means selecting the lesser evil . . .

On topic, lesbian > lawyer. Everyone knows that.

 

[Robor]

That pretty much mirrors my own experience with the Democrat Party. It was hard leaving - after all, in the South the Republican Party means those carpetbagger sons of bitches from reconstruction - but once you actually begin paying attention to what a politician or party is actually doing versus what they say they want to do, life becomes a lot more complicated. I went to the Libertarian Party, but I generally hold my nose and vote Republican for House and Senate. Voting since Reagan generally means selecting the lesser evil . . .

On topic, lesbian > lawyer. Everyone knows that.

GWB = lesser of evils?

 

[blackangst1]

GWB = lesser of evils?

Compared to algore? Fuck yes.

 

[CPA]

Houston is far from Redneck country. Hell, it's mostly transplanted notherners, which explains why they have had a liberal mayor for the last twenty years.

 

[werepossum]

Compared to algore? Fuck yes.

Quoted for truth. As a fellow Tennessean, I want algore kept as far from power as possible.

 

[Robor]

Compared to algore? Fuck yes.

Sorry but I would have taken Gore and/or Kerry > GWB.