Texas government politics - Essay Example

Texas government politics Introduction Jane “Bitzi” Johnson Miller, is the granddaughter of former governor Joe“Big Daddy” Johnson (Governor in fictional Texas from 1954-1958). She is a conservative republican. She was born and raised in West Texas in a ranch and therefore has her roots in the region. She is divorced but has two grown children whom she has dearly taken care of. She is industrious, independent and headstrong having started her own software manufacturing company in Dallas in 1993. She is also strategic because after growing this business to huge magnitude, she sold it to Dell in 2010 for £2.5 million. She comes from a long line of governors in the state and is someone you can trust with the affairs of the state. Cultural and Regional Support Where (in what regions of the state) is she likely to do well? Where will she have problems? Jane is likely to do well in at least five suburban counties of Collin, Denton, Williamson, Fort Bend and Montgomery. These have been traditionally republican counties where Democrats do not have much support (Stiles and Zahira). In addition she is likely to have support from people with larger incomes and higher levels of education fitting the description of Anglo (Stiles and Zahira). This is because in previous years, the population of Anglo in Denton and Colin has been over 50%. In 2010, Perry of the Republican Party garnered 55% of these votes as compared to White’s 25% (Stiles and Zahira) therefore Jane is highly likely to win these votes as well. She is likely to receive support from counties in West Texas that is considered a Republican favorite. Jane is likely to have problems in areas that are generally considered strongholds among the Democrats. This includes the rural voters in East Texas. They occupy the border counties such as El Paso and cannot be ignored (Stiles). This region is of interest because they have a large voter base but their voter turnout is often quite low making them often unpredictable. However, Jane should try to minimize her losses in such border counties by engaging them. Jane should also focus on the state’s largest urban counties such as Harris (Houston), Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar and Travis because these will provide the most votes for her (Stiles and Zahira). Demographic support In which regions and political cultures are people most likely to vote? Will the issues she focuses on vary by region or part of the state?  Jane is likely to face resistance from the Latino and African American communities in the state. These groups have got a significant number of people but few turn out to vote during the elections (Stiles and Zahira). The White population towards the West are more likely to turn out in large numbers during Election Day. In the recent years, the areas that were previously the preserve of the Democrats like East and West Texas are increasingly being dominated by Republicans. The issues she will handle will vary by country. In the predominantly white states, she will have to deal with issues of security and the need to reduce federal spending (Slater). The Republican members are increasingly being angered by the excessive spending that is the norm of the federal government. They would like to see budget cuts in various areas with an increase in revenue generation in order to improve the state’s outlook. In the other mixed race counties she will be dealing with issues of immigration and security along the borders (Slater). Their border with other countries has realized an influx of illegal immigrants who come into the state in search of jobs. These people however present a potential security risk to the local inhabitants. Measures to curb this influx has been met with great criticism among United States citizens from these neighboring communities such as Hispanics. Reassuring them of the government’s commitment to their needs is a challenging task. Which ideological (conservative or liberal), ethnic (black, white or Hispanic) and economic (poor, wealthy or middle class) groups are likely to support her? Jane is likely to receive support from the conservative community in Texas. This is because she is a member of the Republican Party which is considered a conservative party in the region (Stiles and Zahira). The members of the Republican Party are largely white, educated and wealthy. The middle class is also theorized to support a Republican Candidate to some extent. Women are also likely to support her should she address the issue of gender effectively during her campaigns (Stiles and Zahira). She may appeal to the role of women in society as pertains to their role of juggling work and family life efficiently. More women may vote for her because they may wish to identify with her success. However, she will need to work hard with the female vote because moderate Republican women are more willing to switch parties than men if they are not satisfied. Should she be able to present her policies well, even democrats commonly found in East Texas are likely to support her. This is because Texans are more worried about the gubernatorial candidate’s plan than the party that they belong to. Campaign Themes Identify at least three issues that will be important to your campaign. Government Spending Jane should seek to reduce the level of government and federal spending that is bleeding the economy. She should adopt an outsider role at the war with the big government and federal spending (Thomas). She should support a smaller government and devise means of creating budget cuts. This is because Republican place special emphasis on government spending. Budgets are at the heart of the Republican Party because they are opposed to great spending. In this way, Jane will be able to retain the votes of the Republican Party. Transportation Transportation is at the heart of economic and income generating activities in the state. As such, Jane should endear to ensure there are high speed rail networks and free roads that facilitate efficient transportation (Thomas). The presence of an efficient transport network will reduce fuel wastage thereby leading to a leaner economy. This is in line with the vision of the Republican Party. Improve higher education Jane should seek to improve the higher education institutions within the state. Education is an essential aspect of economy because it ensures that youth are empowered in order to take up greater roles in society. She should seek to increase funding for education so as to build more public universities with state of the art research facilities that allow premier research to be carried out. These are referred to as Tier One institutions that make the education sector in Texas competitive worldwide (Thomas). If you hear a rumor that your opponent was involved in an incidence of domestic violence (a dispute with his wife), but no charges were filed. Would you make that a campaign issue? Why or why not? A rumor involving an opponent would have to remain just that, a rumor. This is because it is unethical to raise such an issue in public in order to make a debate and a mockery out of one’s opponent. In addition, the Republican Party is very conservative about public displays therefore this would go against the ideals of the party. In addition, this would also not make a good campaign issue because the people of Texas are not interested in a smear campaign that simply involves an exchange of words between its candidates. This is shallow and baseless. Instead, the people of Texas are interested in a campaign that is rich with ideas for development. A campaign that focuses on those issues that are relevant to the public, with events that affect their daily lives. Engaging in a rumor campaign would significantly lower one’s political standing. Win or Lose It is likely that Jane would win the election should she chose to present herself for candidacy for the gubernatorial seat in Texas. Should she present her policies well to the people and conduct her campaigns in an appropriate and dignified manner, she is likely to win. This is because over the years, Democrats have failed to win elections in the state of Texas (Stiles & Torres 2010). For long, it has been considered the stronghold of the Republican Party therefore winning on a Republican ticket is quite likely in this state (Slater). Democrats have not won the state since Richards lost to George W. Bush in 1994 and the odds of them winning anytime soon were dashed when White was defeated in the 2010 elections. The Anglo make up about 72% of voters in Texas (Stiles). These often offer immense support for the Republican candidate making Jane likely to win. Works Cited Slater, Wayne. “Poll Shows Rick Perry with 12-point Lead over Bill White in Texas Governor’s Race.” Dallas News. N. p., 2010. Web. 5 May 2014 . . Stiles, Matt. “2010 Texas Governor’s Race Maps.” The Texas Tribune. N. p., 2010. Web. 5 May 2014 . . Stiles, Matt, and Torres Zahira. “Can a Democrat Win the Teas Governor’s Race.” Texas Tribune. N. p., 2010. Web. 5 May 2014 . . Thomas, Mike. “Perry, White Square Off on the Issues Heading into Election.” San Antonio Business Journal. N. p., 2010. 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