Democrats nationwide lost big this November. But while the coast-to-coast swell of citizen-engagement has traded in liberal Democrats for Republicans, liberal Republicans in Texas are also being rejected in favor of more conservative alternatives. An ever-increasing number of Texans are realizing that “Republican” simply isn’t good enough.
For evidence of the Democrat’s demise across the country, look no further than the recent Republican victories in traditionally blue seats, such as Matt Bevin’s win as Kentucky’s new Governor.
Since Obama was elected, 910 Democrats have lost state legislative positions to Republicans. This historic shift first began back in 2010, resulting in the GOP today holding the highest majority of state legislative seats since the 1920s.
A similar rejection of big government liberalism is tangible in states such as Texas, where Democrats are numerically powerless over state lawmaking. While federal legislators remain secure in their seats (with one notable exception, Ralph Hall), conservatives have continued to fire large numbers of Republican charlatans at the state-level.
Voters have little patience for “Republican” politicians who’ve sold them out in exchange for the approval of lobbyists and local government interests who relentlessly oppose pro-taxpayer reforms. The results have been astonishing.
Policy outcomes have generally improved, with some pro-taxpayer reforms gaining traction, despite obstruction from big government zealots who’ve rallied around the Democrat-heavy coalition government lead by Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) in the Texas House. Straus and several of his henchmen already face primary challengers in 2016.
Unsurprisingly, the least tenured legislators serving in Austin tend to rank the highest on the Fiscal Responsibility Index, and almost always demonstrate more responsible voting records than the Republicans they defeated. These findings have been confirmed by repeated, non-partisan studies conducted by Rice University professor, Mark Jones.
The answer to our nation’s political problems is simple: voters should continue firing politicians who abandon their own campaign promises. As the saying goes, you cannot continue to elect the same people, and expect different results.
