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Democrats Can Win!
Democrats can't win in Harris County, statewide in Texas or nationally by picking one member of our coalition over the others. Like "it takes a village to raise a child", it takes an entire coalition "fired up" and "ready to go" to win elections.
To win, Democrats need the support of not only women, Hispanics, the LGBT community and progressive whites, we also need the enthusiastic and energetic support of African Americans, Asians, Native Americans, naturalized citizens-international Americans-blue collar working class whites, labor, men, young voters as well as independents and some moderates and Republican women.
In Texas, if Democrats are going to win statewide, we need to stop allowing out of state consultants parachuting in and instead use the local consultants who know our state and the people on the ground in East Texas, the suburbs, our urban cities, the Valley, Panhandle and West Texas all the way to El Paso who can really and truly get out the vote.
We need to keep Texas money in Texas until we retake the state. The candidate at the top of the statewide ticket has to invest in supporting down ballot candidates to help bring out and drive up the base Democratic vote.
Democrats can't win statewide with an every candidate for themselves mentality and strategy. It also can't be done with a plan-and focus-on simply spending the bulk of the campaign money on TV in the last thirty days to two weeks of the campaign.
We need a true coordinated campaign like the one that helped elect Ann Richards, Bob Bullock, John Sharp and the rest of that statewide ticket.
Democrats also need a substantive policy agenda, and not just a "message", that appeals and speaks to the needs, hopes and aspirations of all Texans; those in the middle class and those who are working hard to get there and also hope to not only earn an income but to also create a level of wealth to pass on to their children and grandchildren.
For Democrats to win statewide in 2016 we must begin laying the groundwork to do so during the 2015 legislative session.
Democrats in the legislature need to have a coordinated and common sense legislative agenda in 2015 that outlines a progressive path for more jobs creation, economic growth, shared prosperity, border security, environmental protection and fully funding our public schools including funding statewide Pre-K and college scholarships.
Democrats must work together and have an agreed and shared message. They must offer solutions that matter-that help make life better for all Texans.
Democratic legislators could really send a "message" that would energize our base if they all abstained from voting in the speaker's race and let Republican legislators fight it out among themselves and divide their caucus. Open warfare among Republicans in the legislature would be good for Texas and good for Democrats. It could help keep bad and harmful legislation from getting passed.
If Democrats stand together and stay united they could energize the base, highlight the disfunction in the Texas Republican Party and help protect Texans from bad legislation.
Democrats can win statewide in 2016 and the road to victory begins in 2015 in Austin and all across the state. The Texas Coalition of Black Democrats and its local chapters must help lead the way.
The Coalition must blend the old with the new. They must use technology and social media to bring together African American delegates from those who supported Jesse Jackson in 1984/88 to those supported Obama or Clinton in 2008 and the President in 2012.
The Coalition must become the common ground for planning, implementation and the empowerment of African Americans in Texas Democratic Party politics.
Carroll G. Robinson
Get in touch with me!
Phone:(832)863-8092
About Carroll G. Robinson
Carroll G. Robinson is an Associate Professor at the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University (TSU) where he has served as Associate Dean of External Affairs and is Associate Director of the E-MPA program. Professor Robinson is a Co-Principal Investigator of the TSU National Transportation Security Center of Excellence-Petrochemical Transportation Security and is Associate Director of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) E-Government Center. He is Chairman of the Houston Citizens Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Board of Directors of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, Third Vice President of the NAACP Houston Branch and a former board member of the Northeast Family YMCA, a member of the Houston Independent School District™'s (HISD) Bond Oversight Committee, was a member of the City of Houston™'s Term Limits Review Commission, and is a former At-Large (elected citywide) member of the Houston (Texas) City Council where he served as Chairman of the city™'s Transportation, Technology and Infrastructure Committee. Professor Robinson is also a former member of the Board of Directors of Children at Risk (C@R) and the National League of Cities where he served as a member of the Board™s Finance Committee and was a member of the Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Steering Committee.
He is a former member of the Texas Municipal League™s Utilities and Environment Committee and Transportation Task Force; a former Vice Chair of the Houston-Galveston Area Council™s (H-GAC) Transportation Policy Council, is a former member of H-GAC™s Board of Directors; a former Advisory Board member of the Texas Environmental Defense Fund; a past President of the Texas Association of Black City Council Members; has served as a member of the Texas Department of Transportation (Tx-DOT) 2001 Work Group on Transportation Goals and Objectives, is a former Advisory Board Member of the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) at Texas A&M University and is a member of the Advisory Board of the TSU Center for Transportation Training and Research. Professor Robinson provided testimony to the Texas Governor™s Task Force on Evacuation and Logistics on October 26, 2005 on how to use technology to improve Emergency Preparedness.
Professor Robinson has worked in the Texas Legislature as Chief of Staff and General Counsel to Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis. He received his Bachelor of Arts (with Honors) in Political Science from Richard Stockton State College in Pomona, New Jersey and his Juris Doctorate from the National Law Center at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Professor Robinson is a Life Member of the NAACP, Omega Psi Phi and the author of numerous legal and public policy articles and commentaries.
Prior to his election to the Houston City Council, Professor Robinson was an Associate Professor at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University and served as Executive Assistant to two Presidents of the University. He has also served as an Adjunct Law Professor at South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas where he taught Constitutional Structure. Professor Robinson is a past President of the Houston Lawyers Association and has served on the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas and National Bar Association.
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EMAIL US YOUR THOUGHTS!
Email your thoughts, opinions, news releases, announcements, accolades and requests for interviews to yourthoughtmatters@gmail.com. Houston Business Connections Magazine is published by Aubrey R. Taylor Communications. Contact Aubrey R. Taylor Communications at: (832)212-8735 today!
# # # #
EMAIL US YOUR THOUGHTS!
Email your thoughts, opinions, news releases, announcements, accolades and requests for interviews to yourthoughtmatters@gmail.com. Houston Business Connections Magazine is published by Aubrey R. Taylor Communications. Contact Aubrey R. Taylor Communications at: (832)212-8735 today!
