Well,, it looks like the State GOP is going to fold like a House of Cards on the redistricting suit, probably costing the GOP 2-3 Congressional seats, 1-2 State Senate seats and probably a half-dozen State Rep seats. Here is a good article about the state of this whole ludicrous process. They are going to concede all of this- apparently to prevent the election being delayed into the summer months. And they are doing it with a Friday-night ‘document dump’ revelation, to avoid getting any blowback from the rank-and file that might scuttle the deal, emulating the Obama administration in doing so.
Certainly we would ALL like the earlier primary date of April 3rd, to have more influence in the Presidential Primary cycle. But that alone is not enough to justify giving up so many seats for a decade to maybe get a primary 2 months earlier (and before mandated conventions).
One other factor comes into play: the nature of the current races between ‘establishment’ and conservative ‘rebels’. In the top race of the the ticket; polling has had Dewhurst on top- but Ted Cruz gaining rapidly as his name recognition and positions become better known. Other challenges across the state against long established officeholder are also gaining ground (like Matt Beebe against Straus). Also, the non-Austin-beholding candidates in the open races are doing well (many open because ‘old hands’ fled from a combination of the upcoming challenges and the nightmare that the next session budgeting will be because of the HUGE mess left behind by the last session’s leadership).
An election held in the summer, even runoffs, are a distinct disadvantage for the ‘powers that be’, who require a lot of ‘casual’ voters that base their decisions on standard campaign material, rather than a more serious study of politics. The ‘rebels’ would have more time for the grassroots approach to work its magic and turn out their more committed (but quantitatively lesser) supporters.
So, to save their bacon for now (ESPECIALLY the Senate seat), they will to cut a deal to the long-term detriment of conservatives nation-wide. And for that, leadership- Party and elected- should pay a steep price. If anyone locates a bunch of spines somewhere in the Austin area or principle lying on the streets of Austin, please return them to the GOP Headquarters for the owners to reclaim them.
The main hypocrisy here is that the redrawing of the lines has NOTHING to do with minority representation and EVERYTHING to do with Party representation. If that were not true, why were the Democrat-drawn maps of the courts making it difficult for ethnic minorities like James White and Aaron Pena- who happen to be in the GOP- to be re-elected and at the same time designed to salvage Anglos like Sen. Davis and Rep. Doggett, who happen to be Democrat? The dirty little secret is it is Republicans who sometimes elect minorities in Anglo-centric districts while it is the Democrat who sometimes elect Anglos in minority-centric districts. THAT is something never brought before the courts- and should be as a sign that Section 5 should be done away with as a discriminatory practice based on ancient history no longer relevant.
If Texas districts were drawn for TRUE maximization of ethnic representation, there would be essentially NO Anglo democrats outside of Austin itself- and a significant number of minority GOP members. But it’s REALLY all about DEMOCRAT power. And the establishment Republicans are going to bow to that for their own purposes.
Posted by Mike O 
