Old Times There Are Not Forgotten

Texas Democrats have long relied on the growth of voters of color as the key to their eventual success in the state. So why are their top statewide candidates mostly white? https://t.co/aGIY33yAYN

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) November 18, 2021

Wait a minute; start here:

James Whitfield has agreed to resign as principal of Colleyville Heritage High School after being put on paid administrative leave in August amid accusations he was teaching and promoting critical race theory. https://t.co/9NPT9tsCrr

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) November 17, 2021

James Whitfield was driven out by racism. Because he’s a black man, he was “credibly” accused of promoting CRT and so “upsetting” (at least) the delicate white students Colleyville Heritage High. Try to imagine that being so easy to do if he were white.

So Democrats are not running black or Hispanic candidates in major state races in Texas. True, and that is not entirely defensible. But a black or Hispanic GOP candidate is default “conservative” and therefore “safe.” A black Democrat is default “liberal” or “progressive” or, heaven forbid!, “woke.” Beto is already shackled as “liberal.” If he were black he’d have to have much more conservative credentials, like Sylvester Turner, Houston’s mayor. Turner is not a GOP conservative, and he knows the Lege, so he'd be a damned fine governor. But they would label him “woke” and he’d never overcome that, and go down in flames, proving once again that Democrats “don’t know how to win in Texas.” When it’s actually racism doing all the work.

As it has done since Travis decided to defend the indefensible Alamo.