I'm not from Texas nor have I ever visited. So given my local ignorance, I was surprised looking at the results breakdown with Democrats doing best in the areas bordering Mexico. Considering the Trump and the Republicans are so obsessed with protecting the border, why is it that the people who actually live on the border are voting for the other party? What do they see that makes them reject the Republicans and how can this be communicated to the wider population?
5
All I can say is "Don't Texas our America"! As a former Texan (lived there 14 years), I hope Ted Cruz and the entire Republican party feel the sea of change. There is a rising tide in America that has had enough of the divisive nature of the Republican party and its hate, exclusion, geocentricism and holding fast to the rules of old white men. Republicans would be well served by ceasing the far right rhetoric and legislating morality. If a Democrat can come this close to winning a Senate seat in good ol' boy Texas, there is indeed hope for the future and I thank goodness for the coming generation that embraces diversity, inclusion, tolerance and love.
4
Mr. O'Rourke has shone a light on some of the concerns and issues in Texas. The Democrats should pay a lot of attention to this race and learn how to beat the Republicans in 2020. Immigration reform is a big issue in this border state. Rather than consider everyone a racist, delve deeply into where these concerns are rooted. Counteract the Republicans drumbeat of 'the Democrats want open borders, higher taxes, crime in the streets" and the rest of the garbage they pump out to win the election. Do something different, appeal to their better nature. Show how the Democrats will solve these issues humanly.
5
Will Cruz-often referred to as the most disliked member of the Senate-be able to go on knowing that his renewed Senate salary is only $177,000? Oh wait, his wife makes $490,000 at Goldman-Sachs!
4
"James Dickey, the chairman of the Texas Republican Party, said Mr. O’Rourke’s loss echoed the defeat in 2014 of Wendy Davis, another well-funded Democratic star who lost the governor’s race to Mr. Abbott.
“Given the track record now of Wendy Davis four years ago and Congressman O’Rourke this time, I hope that Democrat donors from around the country realize now that they can’t buy office in Texas,” Mr. Dickey said."
I was going to let this go but...seriously? Mr. Dickey, some of us can actually do a bit of reseadcrh before spouting off. Read the Politico article and then opensecrets for more information on Ted Cruz's out of state funders. Just click on the link below. At least Beto got money from people like me, in small donations.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/09/ted-cruz-reelection-trump-813354
The Adelsons of Nevada: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/20/adelson-republican-donors-sheldon-miriam-789833
The Koch Bros:
https://www.prwatch.org/news/2018/05/13355/who-are-2018-koch-candidateshttps://www.prwatch.org/news/2018/05/13355/who-are-2018-koch-candidates
There's more but I leave that to others.
5
Now that it is over, perhaps there will be some real vetting on Beto. Because so many hate Ted, the new "savior" was accepted by the suffering masses. But this savior's dirty laundry wasn't aired. And it needs to be. He ain't who he says he is.
1
All that is Trump and Senator Schumer and leadership couldn’t deliver the senate. They must go and make way for Next.
1
It is my hope that, come the next Pres. election, that Beto O'Oourke will be the VP choice.
This man showed both savvy and caring.
I want to see more of him.
10
Fellow Texans, don’t despair. 4 million people in Texas voted for Beto in a Senate race and only 3.8 million voted for Hilary in 2016 in a Presidential race. Those are promising numbers.
7
Your figure of $40 million in fund raising by Cruz does not, I think, include the dark money spent on his behalf, and which I think went to TV ads, and which may have outstripped Beto's total, which was all small donations and no PAC money. Beto's ground campaign was phenomenal compared to Cruz. But in my view there were lots of TV ads for Cruz that were full of lies, half truths and paranoiac scare tactics.
20
Why in heaven's name didn't Manny Fernandez supply the vote count and percentages as he knew them at the time he wrote the article? I mean, it is evidence which backs up his claim.
1
Sorry, Texas, your claims of independence and chivalry are faker that the news you used to justify voting for the likes of Ted Cruz.
Also, let's not forget the voter suppression that occurred. This is not just real news, it's an assertion provable by facts.
11
Bernie + Beto 2020
What Bernie starts, Beto can finish.
7
When will the mainstream press learn not to beat the drum for the latest liberal savior until they have actually won their election? Cycle after cycle we see someone endlessly promoted, based mainly on their charisma, before they've proven they have the chops to win a tough battle. Representative O'Rourke may indeed embody the future of the Democratic party, but if you can't yet win your home state, you've got more to work on. He's young enough to run for Governor in four years to show that he has executive ability. Maybe then he can move up to the nationwide stage and then actually deserve those adoring articles.
7
How do you ascribe meaning to the vote without being able to gauge the effect of the Border Patrol's mock drills/exercises that blocked access to the polls? And although it was only for part of election day, how can you estimate how much the sight of soldiers lingered in the minds of voters who feel under a governmental eye anyway?
7
The three races that upset me the most:
The Ioss of the intelligent, skilled, compassionate and hardworking Beto O'Rourke to Ted Cruz, who completely lacks character for description;
The re-election of Steve King, the racist Trump white nationalist who refuses to allow even Iowa's state newspaper into his speeches, and
IF the vastly more qualified Stacey Abrams' does lose to Kemp, the man who threatened a child with a gun, said he'd round up immigrants in his pickup truck, and discarded more than 50,000 voter registrations for reasons like hyphenation. He also ensured that voting precincts in at least one nonwhite county had technical difficulties. From NY Magazine: "A sobering exchange at a polling location in Atlanta’s Collier Heights neighborhood on Tuesday morning captured some of the day’s many frustrations. “They base the number of [voting] machines they send [to precincts] on turnout from the last election,” a poll worker told a group of 50 exasperated would-be voters, many of whom had been waiting in line for more than an hour. It was pouring rain outside. Everyone at the precinct, the Berean Seventh-Day Adventist Church, was black, and only four of Georgia’s notoriously glitchy digital-voting machines had been provided for them to cast ballots. In a wry rebuke to the poll worker’s suggestion that voters had earned this low number of machines due to their lack of past engagement, one woman snapped back, “Well, look who we had to vote for before!""
17
Please excuse poor grammar above - I was cutting and pasting to stay inside the 1500 character allotment. I should say I now have a newfound respect for Trump's ability to stay inside Twitter's character maximum (NOT!)
3
It has been said that Texas isn't a Red or Blue state. It's a Non-Voting state. I'd like to see a breakdown of the turnout. How does it compare with previous elections.
Did the Hispanic vote increase significantly this time around, or not.
5
If we had run a stronger candidate for governor, we could have taken the Senate seat. Until we can field a viable slate of candidates for state offices or get rid of staight party voting, we won't get to see Democrats from Texas in the Senate.
7
People can stop slamming all Texans as idiots. Almost half of us voted for Beto, and despite the polls we are sick with disappointment that he lost. So give us a break.
30
@VPMYou've got it! This is a man for the future. Hope is persists. He'll eventually win.
13
I read this entire article and nowhere do you tell us the percentage of difference! You say at the outset it was a close contest!!
6
Here in the reddest part of the mostly reddest state, Beto and other Democrats scored in the 30s, which means that about one-third of voters here support reason and integrity in government. Not enough, but shows hope for the future. I find that encouraging.
35
Beto O'Rourke was an excellent campaigner. We need someone with that type of charisma to defeat Trump. Hillary Clinton would have been a good President, but she lacked that spark needed to bring out the plebs.
16
@Carol Avrin Calling people plebs will definitely make them want to vote for your candidate!
4
So does Beto just go collect his campaign signs and cover "Senate" with a sticker that says "President"?
11
I’ve altered mine already to read as such ;)
3
Thank you, Beto! We'll be watching and waiting... Thanks for all of the sacrifices you and your family have made, and for giving us HOPE in a dark time. Immigration did us in, I think, with Trump significantly stirring fears of an "invasion" of refugees from the south.
When will Americans remember what is written on the Statue of Liberty: "Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..." ?
I work with migrants in Texas and have never met harder working people: the jobs they take no Americans will do, and they work long hours at low pay with no rights to try to educate their children and give them a better life.
Get some rest, sir. We'll be watching...
124
@Caroline ... they work long hours ... but do they vote?
My hope is that the 1st generation Americans realize that an important part of being an american is voting. My fear is that if the current climate of fear cannot mobilize a massive latino vote, nothing else will.
1
This was a $100 million battle that was won by the least popular guy in the room, also the guy who got $1 to each $2 the other guy raised.
The DNC did not lose a Senate seat, they lost the Liberal progressive effort.
70 Million could not get him a win, his political career is in shambles, and he was the golden child with talk about a presidential run, defeated by a Tea Party guy who is universally disliked. That after outraising him 70m to 40m.
It would have been less painful had the other Liberals won, but all 3 are toast as well, Guillum, Stacey, Sinema, all done. Watch the FBI jail Gillum next now that the DNC does not need him.
That leaves you with Ocasio-Cortez to lead the Liberal wave.
The next time the big bucks donors are approached by Pelosi and Co for cash to run a liberal, the question will be, why?
Back to Square One for the DNC to find a guy or gal to run in 2020. Right now their real prospects are none.
7
Nihilism never got anything for anyone. Sheesh.
7
@AutumLeaff
Beto lost in a super red state by what? 3 % points? I would say that was not a bad showing at all. Eventually, Texas will wake up, hopefully, and realize that the future depends on diversity, not white supremacy and not on fear. Fear led this win by Cruz, but hope will lead the future. And Beto will make an absolutely magnificent President.
15
I've never met anyone in Manhattan who said "gal". The best cliche to respond to, umm, whoever you are:
A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.
And fear mongering Cruz is an expert, honed from year after year of nimbly crafting his own truth to alternately scare or bribe voters into submission.
6
Beto O‘ Rourke clearly represents the future whereas a slim majority in Texas still believe in the past.
In Germany in the state of Bavaria people always voted for the CSU ( pretty conservative but compared to the GOP leftwingers). This year the CSU lost more of 10 % of the vote and the Green Party gained most of these votes.
So people from Texas even in Bavaria „times are changing“ !!
11
@Max Reinshagen
O'Rurke will not run nationally ever. Locally he might win again in El Paso, maybe statewide in Texas in ... 8 years?
By then he will be the past, some one new and younger will come out to defeat him.
Paddy O'Rourke is done.
5
@AutumLeaff
you know what happens to leaff's in the autumn, their chlorophyll dries up and the stem is brittle letting the leaff drop. wind helps loosen the leaff early. the tree is bare for the winter of our discontent. and then, spring, whenever it will come, will start a new leaff. which in the autumn...
joining the leaffs on the ground pounding and waiting their demise they loose color and turn brown. maybe that is a sign of things to come.
2
@AutumLeaff
Wow! You really don't like Beto, do you? He is the future, like it or not, and should he decide to run nationally, he will win and carry our nation to the greatness the current president has all but completely destroyed.
6
I don't feel too bad at this result. While I'd like nothing better than Ted Cruz relegated to talking head status on Fox News, this outcome will give Mr. O'Rourke plenty of time to prepare for his next run...in 2020.
21
I thought Florida was unredeemable, but Texas is right up there with them.
20
Ted Cruz can crow all he wants, but coming from one of the most gerrymandered states in the nation, already ruled by 3 federal judges as including racial gerrymandering which is against the Voting Rights Act, well, he's still a cheater and a liar. A partisan hack who takes advantage of loopholes to skew the truth of what voters really want: Fair elections. Every vote counted. Beto did some minor miracles and I pray for more to come as We, the People, continue to bring balance and justice back to our democracy. Bravo to the great strides we made yesterday, and bravo to the greater good that is sure to come if we don't give up.
19
The article class this as tight race but doesn't give the numbers. Or did I miss them? How tight was it? What are the percentages? I'll have to go to the Washington Post or Google for this info.
7
So much for the narrative that Republicans have all the money. O'Rourke had closer to $100 million and Democrats are thankful for Citizens United. In the end, Texas is an anomaly with two senatorial candidates who were so far off the center line that they represent a painful choice. As in our last presidential election, it was a question of who is worse.
2
I'm deeply grateful for Beto's senate attempt. The US would be much improved if all candidates had his integrity.
32
@Devendra Yes. Standing up - or kneeling down - in peaceful protest for what you believe at the cost of your own personal wealth or success or career? That is exactly what integrity is.
17
@Devendra
Isn't the US for individual freedoms? Or only the ones in line with your views?
12
Here's what I call "intergrity": living in a red state if you believe in conservative values.
It's very sad when people believe opposing viewpoints exist merely due to a lack of intelligence. It says something about the person holding these beliefs.
10
Note to Senator Cruz: Maybe now that you have six more years, you can take a minute to re-build your spine and stand up to this abusive president. If anyone has personal reasons to do so, you do.
28
Watching and hearing the results from last night’s elections just tells me this country has a long way to go. I will never, ever understand how a Republican party which has shown very little compassion for the average American, plays the lying card, plays dirty politics, plays on the fear of people, is filled with lies and false rhetoric, is filled with false hope, caters to the wealthy and best of all threatened the health care of millions of Americans including their base get support and votes.
The political circus in this country has been operating like this for decades with no change in sight; tit for tat; us versus them; conservative, moderate, liberal views while the real work never gets done. Is gerrymandering and redistricting the blame? That’s part if it but the real blame are the voters that continue supporting party lines instead of examining their candidates, their principles and value and what they bring to the table to make their lives and the country better.
It’s not only disheartening, it’s pathetic.
27
In making his victory speech, Cruz spoke as if the whole state of Texas voted for him. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Beto has shown the country that Texas is truly a purple state!
37
After that immigration slurs by Trump its amazing latinos all still voted for GOP candidates adn wants eth Dems to fight for their rights .. it apalling! Congrats to Sen Cruz. you swore allegiance to Trump and not the country to win the Saneate seat awesome!.
7
I found it quite enjoyable to watch Ted snivel before the president. Cruz obviously loves power more than anything else. I think Trump put him over the top and the kind of groveling and weakness that Cruz exhibited shows what he is truly made of. He is not lying Ted or beautiful Ted, he is spineless Ted or perhaps sniveling Ted. A big manly man from Texas, helping the wealthy shove down the little man, ready to throw people off of healthcare and providing favoritism for every poor downtrodden corporation that has no one else to represent it in congress.
He is the snake we thought he was.
29
The excitment about Beto O’Rourke in San Antonio especially was palpable. I for one am saddened to have to listen to Ted Cruz pontificate about Texas values for another 6 years. I for one want to believe Texas values are not all guns and hate but inclusion safety. That was not Cruz’s message.
For those who called Beto a Socialist, they need to look up the word. He wanted for Texas what is good for all America, good education, good health care and stricter gun laws. Cruz wants Texas to be the wild west. Well it is now part of the new Millenium.
25
@Ann Winer Maybe eventually this state needs to be split in two states.. as does the country overall. Just so everybody can have their way life. The differences are just too big to ignore and we don’t want any violence.
5
No amount of money (nearly doubling Cruz's total), Hollywood good looks, or celebrity fans could get Beto across the finish line.
In the end, the voters of Texas focused on issues and not the number or quality of ads (paid for by deep pockets), the sex-appeal of the candidate, nor what celebrities think.
How regressive of them!
13
@ML And who paid for Cruz's ads?
7
Nope, apparently Cruz had far more in dark money than Beto had altogether. Nice try, though!
3
Sad that Cruz will revel in his victory without a thought to how close the results were and what that portends for the future. Like too many other Republicans, he has no ability to comprehend the subtle but distinct message there.
17
@Henry
And would Beto, the Left and you have reveled any less if Beto had won?
Beto, had he won, would have been elevated to messianic levels by Dems - just like a Chicago community organizer turned state senator turned two year US senator who, with his ascent in 2008, started this whole mess by his cerebral mismanagement of the country for the ensuing eight years!
7
Mismanagement? Do you mean wrestling our economy back onto the rails and getting much needed health insurance regulations passed? You can disagree with Obama on policy but you can’t honestly say that he wasn’t effective. Or dignified or free of scandal. Give credit where credit is due. If Trump can deliver superior trade deals and affordable health care for all like he promised I’ll commend him for it, no matter how much I loathe him personally or how much he has disgraced the office of the President.
5
@Common Sense I think you meant to say "Like the two-year US Senator, who became America's first black president, and served two successful terms in office during which America climbed out of the deepest recession since the 1930s. And then elected a billionaire toddler to mess it all up again."
8
That Ted Cruz won is not the central issue. It is the irrefutable fact that Texas will not allow someone like O'Rourke to represent us. Those who voted for him were really voting against President Trump. This is sad. I have to do it as well. I do not like everything Ted Cruz is doing, Most of us like O'Rourke and his kind's actions less. SO we vote "against" when we cannot vote "for". Pres. Trump does a LOT we don't like. But our country is better off than it has been in decades thanks to the current administration. Too bad that the hate directed at Trump supporters is the same vitriol that keeps the Democratic party in chains.
9
@Jerry H speak for yourself when you say you voted against something instead of for. I voted FOR Beto. Beto only lost by 200k votes in the state with the longest red streak in the country and you think it’s because people hate Trump? If that’s the case then why did Dem Valdez lose to Rep Abbott by 1 million votes on the very same night by Beto only lose by 200k? The people that voted for Beto voting for Beto, I didn’t see a “Not-Trump” bottom when I was in the election booth. Beto put people first and that’s why he was able to get Republicans and Independents to swing their votes for him.
10
Although Betomania didn't deliver for Beto himself, I think it helped deliver something else: In the TX 32nd Congressional District, where I live, Colin Allred just dethroned incumbent Pete Sessions, one of the most powerful Republicans in the House.
Allred was a relative unknown, an unapologetic anti-gun and pro-immigration liberal running in a gerrymandered suburban district designed to reliably deliver a Republican to the House. In recent election cycles, most of the action happened during the Republican primary, since it's a given that the Republican will win. Dallas County as a whole has turned blue but the 32nd District has reliably stayed red.
I'm certain that anti-Trump feelings were a factor, but my perception is that the overall Democratic ground game far outperformed the Republican effort, and that Beto was its driving force. My mailbox repeatedly filled with Sessions mailers, but nobody was distributing Cruz/Sessions stickers on the street, and most Cruz yard signs stood alone while most Beto signs were accompanied by an Allred sign.
Crucially, about 44,000 more Texans voted in the 32nd District in 2018 than in 2016, and it seems that most of them voted for O'Rourke and Allred.
15
In his concession speech, Beto O'Rourke sounded like a visionary. In his victory speech, Ted Cruz sounded like a political hack who sold his soul to the Devil just to be re-elected and was happy to do it.
The two couldn't be more different.
26
Ted Cruz won but it wasn't an overwhelming victory. This means that he ought to be smart about his win and stop being Trump's lapdog. If I were in his shoes I'd represent all Texans, not just the Texans who voted for me. Ted Cruz is not Texas but he does represent a strain of Texans who are very pro Trump and that's the problem. Trump has not represented all Americans or worked for all Americans. Trump likes winners. He said this during the campaign. He didn't care for McCain because McCain was a POW. (Of course we know where Trump was during the Vietnam War; nursing his bad feet.)
If the only people you like or care about are winners you're ignoring a large segment of the world. In America, since we worship money and celebrity, that means that you're ignoring all but a few thousand. In other words it's not government of, by, and for the people. It's government of, by, and for the elites. Considering how often the GOP has accused Democrats of being elitist their consistent catering to the elites is, to say the least, hypocritical.
18
It's the district maps drawn by Republicans for Republicans. Until this is corrected it will pretty much be a Republican who wins.
27
@NewJerseyShore District maps have nothing to do with Senate seats. District maps only affect House seats.
4
@NewJerseyShore It was a state-wide election so district maps are irrelevant.
4
This will be great for Immigration Reform, now Donald can build the wall along Northern Texas border.
6
Two traditionally Republican House districts were flipped in Texas last night. I am willing to bet my next paycheck that this wouldn't have happened without Beto. He gave energy and relevance to the Democratic Party in a state that typically elects Republicans by far larger margins than 2.6%. I am saddened by his loss (and the renewal of one of the most vile people in politics, Ted Cruz) but I thank him enormously for helping to carry 2 House seats to the blue end zone. And for showing reluctant Democratic candidates waiting on the sidelines in red states, convinced that they'll just never win, that yes, maybe they can.
54
The blue tsunami in Harris County, Texas is no joke, and Beto did not win, but he helped Harris County show up. All those judgeships are going to change the lives of poor people in Houston. Many of the new judges are African American women, and when a young black kid comes up for a minor change, the whole arc of what happens next is decided by them. A passionate, socialist judge was elected, determined not to let poor people rot because they can't pay bail. And Lina Hidalgo is arguably the most powerful Dem in Texas, with Ed Emmet gone. If Jack Morman loses to Adrian Garcia, a Latina, an African American, and Latino will control a population that would be the 7th largest city in America instead of four older white men. This election was powerful and we did not get the satisfaction of Beto as our senator, but his campaign helped usher in unbelievable wins. Please tell all the young and first time voters not to feel like this was a failure, because it was largely a win. Their votes saved lives, everyday lives, absolutely. It could not have been done without the new voters.
61
Cruz won by a very thin margin. I challenge all my fellow Texans to call his office regularly to remind him that he represents ALL Texans. We need to hold him accountable. He needs to show up for the job and demonstrate he deserves his narrow win.
32
Why do Democrats always blame voter suppression and gerrymandering for it's losses?
What about loose border policies and high tax platforms that need to change to reflect what Americans really value not what elitists on CNN preach.
12
@Ari There are no loose border policies- that is FOX/Trump news and a lie.
15
@Ari They blame their losses on them because the concrete numbers and maps prove them to be the case.
8
Ok, then let the Dems draw the lines and see how it goes. No problem right?
5
Beto's impact on local races was profound. In Bexar County [San Antonio], voters traditionally pick and chooses on judicial races based upon the candidate's merit. This year, for the first time, all the local Republican judicial candidates lost by 40 thousand or more votes after the early voting returns came in. A majority of voters cast their votes during early voting. The early voting deficit remained throughout election day.
Thus, Beto at the top of the ticket made local voters more inclined to vote early and straight ticket.
38
@Ben - You mean that all of Beto money impact was profound.
5
So correct. You won't hear this from a democrat that Beto spent 70.2 million against Cruz's 33 million.
1
@AZPurdue money for people and not PACs. Why do you people act like the fact he raised $70 million is a bad thing? People put their hard earned money towards his campaign. Cruz sold himself to the highest bid....a long time ago.
2
Nice to have the House back, but the fact that candidates like Cruz, Gianforte, the two R House members under indictment and other similar swamp denizens won are further triumphs of the decades of right wing media propaganda that has convinced so many voters that any given democrat is a worse choice than even the slimiest republican.
42
Is Texas the state where you can vote with a Gun Permit, but not a Student I.D.?
I thought so...
32
@Brandon That is because student IDs usually show the student is too young to vote. What teen do you know that Doesn't have a drivers license by the age of 18? You must be 21 to have a gun permit in Texas unless you are in the military. Faux issue....doesn't exist.
6
@James College students are too young to vote? Really?
I think you entirely missed the point.
6
@Brandon. It is not that difficult to understand. Gun permit implies that you are a resident of the state whereas student ID does not.
3
Cruz is a difficult person to like, but even after $80M poured in by the leftists, he won. Texas is never going to elect a Socialist who would be taking orders from Schumer as to how to vote.NEVER!!!!. In addition, Republicans have won now in Montana and Arizona further increasing their control of the Senate and judicial appointments. Democrats will lose control of the house in 2020, as Trump is re-elected. Look at the geographic map of the US and it is a red map even today.
7
The map is red because there are an enormous number of incredibly stupid people in this country, tuned into to Sean and Rush, waiting to find out what it is that they're supposed to fear today. "Boo! Here comes Chuck Schumer to tax you! Be afraid! Look! Over there... It's brown people coming to take your job! Be afraid!!!"
Lol @ Houston, Texas! Also @ you.
36
You’re right. They’ll never elect a Socialist who takes orders from Chuck Schumer. They’d much rather reelect a Republican who kowtows to a president who takes orders from Vladimir Putin.
50
@MikeP. Socialism has been the universal utter failure of the 20th century. People voting for Socialists have zero idea of the consequences and are just thinking about what goodies they can receive and the people offing the goodies know full well they are just buying votes. As a Physicist and an engineer, I don't act emotionally, I just analyze the data of the consequences of Socialism and it is a disaster and the single most inefficient governmental system invented by man.
3
Thank you Beto, for helping establish the infrastructure necessary for challengers in red Texas. The networks, volunteers, campaigning infrastructure, etc. will help.
Ted Cruz is vulnerable today. He'll be vulnerable tomorrow.
The reverse Midas touch from kissing Donald Trumps ring doesn't wash off easily.
41
Beto's biggest impact in Bexar
4
Fantastic! Another great election night for the republicans. When are the Leftists going to understand that we are not Sweden?
8
@JP I sure would enjoy Sweden's standard of living. Sweden ranks #3 in quality of life. The US ranks #17. Considering how much wealthier we are as a nation...
12
"Republican strategists and insiders said Mr. Cruz’s narrow victory did not mean that Democrats stood to make substantial gains in Texas. Rather, they believed it had more to do with Mr. Cruz himself."
Let them go on believing that, as the demographics of Texas continue to change. Let them continue to underestimate Rafael Cruz's opponents in future races, and other Democratic contenders as well.
17
@Petsounds TX ...
YES...ALMOST there... and I hope that we have not heard the last of Beto O'Rourke.
It is interesting that I've read much comment about Beto O'Rourkes's nickname and its origin, and its point, etc. etc.
Our winner, a guy named RAFAEL Cruz, Canadian-born, chooses to be called "TED"? Yet, I don't recall anybody asking where and why he got that nickname.
16
Teddy's Robber Baron masters managed to pull it out for him - but barely.
Heartfelt thanks to Beto O'Rourke for his tremendous challenge to Teddy and to all those Good People of Texas for supporting and working with him. His results are astounding given the BIG money that has controlled Texas politics from it's inception.
WE THE PEOPLE must not rest. Democracy is not a spectator sport. Robber Barons will continue to day everything they can to try to destroy OUR United States and WE must not let them.
Please, Good People, select the one thing you appreciate most about living in OUR United States of America and fight like hell to preserve/restore/improve it.
WE THE PEOPLE are the only ones who can/will stop them and NOW is the time.
48
@njglea. Big money indeed was in play in this election. However it failed to control the election. Beto lost after spending 72m against Cruz's 33m.
2
As an outsider (Canadian) I keep on wondering why the Dems have not adopted a more nuanced yet stricter border policy. Clearly Beto lost on the immigration issue. When I see thousands walk into Quebec I to shake my head. This has to be arrested. Not with walls and barricades but with ex. camps for refugees. After that enforce the strict rules as they apply.
13
@Aad Ahsmann
Look, "policy" is one thing. The BORDER is handled by the US Border Control / ICE / US Customs, not by a political party. Those agencies make the plans and do the job. They're not ordered to do so by politicians.
11
@Aad Ahsmann Another good approach is to take children away from their parents. Works like a charm!
2
@Aad Ahsmann
The border is maintained by conservative security forces. What are you even talking about?
O'Rouke needs to challenge these results. Every Democrat who lost a close race needs to challenge the results and have election tampering investigated. They give up too easily.
32
These comments are too funny. Every "democrat" needs to.
1
@Meredith Russell I agree. This is what drives me crazy about the Democrats. They roll over too easily and accept anything even when they know how crooked the Republicans are. Republicans cannot win except when they cheat.
So once again Texas shows us that their stupidity rules the day. Trump insulted Cruz's wife and just stood there and now they are friends. I would've knocked him out regardless of my political ambitions. A joke the GOP HAS BECOME. Trump and his party need to sent to Nuremberg.
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How very sad that intelligence cannot be supported in Texas.
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Hard to do when your congressman's district extends a couple hundred miles north, because your city of 1,000,000 people has been sliced like a pizza into 5 districts by the corrupt powers that be.
Here's an idea: stop calling us stupid and help Texans fight restrictive voter ID laws and gerrymandering. Last I heard, it's a lot easier for a candidate to win a presidential election if they take Texas. Wouldn't it be great if our voter turnout worked in your favor?
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@Romy G exactly! You can fit 30 NJs inside the state of Texas. We have a population of 27 million people vs NJ 8 million. This person doesn’t understand how impossiblely hard it is to turn TX blue with those numbers plus gerrymandering and voter suppression, and yet Beto still only lost by 200,000ish vote. Texas lost the battle last night but we’ve made a huge leap towards winning the war.
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@MLE53
Why aren't political districts in Texas divided according to COUNTIES? I mean, isn't law enforcement there divided the same way?
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There was definitely a blue wave in Houston/Harris County. Long-time GOP county judge (who runs the county) lost to a 29 year old Latina who became a citizen after graduating from Stanford. Other county wide offices flipped blue also. Meanwhile, Lizzie Fletcher defeated longtime GOP Congressman John Culberson in Houston area. Meanwhile in Dallas, longtime GOO congressman Pete Sessions went down. Not winning statewide races suck, but these are really big gains in a state where Dems couldn’t win, except in heavily gerrymandered minority districts, for the past 20 years. We had four Beto signs in our yard after we doubled down when neighbors complained. Our children in Dallas and Austin area voted blue. It’s is only a matter of time...
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@Conley Smith-Thank you for this bright spot of news.
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You’re welcome - actually our new county judge is 27 years old - Lina Hildalgo! Whoop!
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Looks like the slim majority Texans held off those highfalutin liberals with their clean air and clean water, labor rights, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid protections, good schools, reproductive rights, and culture of inclusivity for all Americans once again. Thank goodness, even if they elected a slimy, stuffed-shirt know nothing instead of a more qualified, dignified, and caring candidate. Order is restored in Texas.
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Ted sent out a fundraiser designed to look like a court summons. Beto sent a kind letter full of hope.
Texas is the biggest loser. Those of us who voted for Beto HATE Cruz.
Beto for President 2020~!
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Never underestimate the power of lies. Not a single person was running on open borders, and yet we see people voting against Beto for this reason.
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@Jeff exactly! Cruz painted Beto as “left of Bernie” when in reality Beto’s views are pretty vanilla straight Democrats views....Beto just had a way of selling these ideas that made it seem new and refreshing and progressive (maybe bc he actually believes it). Cruz’s lies and people’s unwillingness to do research themselves won Cruz’s election.
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People’s unwillingness to do research themselves? That’s what 99 out of 100 people running for *anything* rely on to win.
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They are not running on Open borders because it would hurt them during the election. But voters are smart enough to know how their Senator will vote on a Bill when it comes for a vote in Senate.
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Truly, what a shame. Beto was our hope, "Lyin' Ted," business as usual. When will fellow Texans wise up? The outcome of this election deserves the Bum Steer Award. That said, the fact that Beto got this far, with Cruz squeaking by with a narrow margin is a positive sign that things could change in our good 'ol red state. I hope Beto doesn't hang up his hat just yet. Maye he'll run for governor? Lord knows we could use him in downtown Austin. Time for some fresh faces in the Lone Star state.
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I’m so tired of the “open borders” argument. The borders aren’t “open”. It is NOT illegal to present yourself at the border and ask for asylum. (At least not yet) It’s the same as when people went thru Ellis Island and Castle Garden before that. Sneaking in is another matter.
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And yet 3.8% of people living in the U.S. are illegals.
They probably flew into the country as opposed to crossing the porous borders.
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@ALB Mexico offered those in the "caravan" asylum. Most turned that down. So they are heading north not for asylum -- but for benefits.
Asylum is granted to those in imminent mortal danger -- not to the needy who are not in such danger. Once Mexico offered asylum: That's it. No entry to the USA.
800 million people -- over 10% -- live in what WHO defines as "extreme poverty." Most in this caravan do not appear to be in that category. But even if that is debatable: Are we to admit 800 million because they are needy?
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It's a shame that just a few thousand more Texans didn't see that Cruz and Trump are the threats to liberty they're so scared of. But then, telling the truth isn't on Cruz's agenda any more than it is on Trump's. It's painful to see so many otherwise decent people I know buy into the lies these men shamelessly tell.
Still, it is hopeful here in Texas. Despite voter intimidation, archaic systems that were prone to "accidentally" switching a straight-ticket Democratic ballot to a vote for Cruz, and a deeply entrenched anti-anything-new mentality, Beto nearly pulled it off. And the fact that Democrats were even competitive and on the ticket was great. I've seen times where there were more Libertarians and Greens than Democrats on a voting ballot.
No, this more than Cruz being a jerk so hated his own party would love to see him dead. It's about an awaking in Texas of a growing young, urban voting power that will turn back the toxic red tide poisoning the minds of so many older entrenched voters.
I think the story of the old woman in Houston who voted for the very first time in her life tells it all. She made it out of the hospital to go cast a straight-ticket Republican ballot saying she "wanted to clean up the Swamp," then she died. Rest in Peace Madam. You were lied to and repressed your whole life, but today is a new day in Texas and in America. Things are about to change.
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BETO stood for BE the change you wish TO see in this world.
Thank you Beto O'Rourke!
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Beto will be back.
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hope Beto will run as presient with vice president Stacey Abrams.
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@Christine I'm as democratic as they come, but that ticket would be a disaster.
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She has equal or more experience, let's put Stacey Abrams at the top of the ticket, Beto for VP.
Oh no...now we have to put up with Ted Cruz and Marsha Blackburn as if having trump in every TV channel is not enough.
What is the matter with Texas ?
But congrats for Sherrod Brown, his opponent tried to make up fake stories but did not go anywhere with it.
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I feel defeated. And I’m in Ohio...
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The dream of a blue Texas continues in perpetuity.
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The Cruz supporters made it clear, no matter how good a democratic opponent can be and no matter how flawed their candidate is, it is party over country which is a sad reality for today's Republican party.
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Beto will play even better on the national stage than he did in Texas. I supported him when only one state was in play, and I'm ready to magnify that support when it's all 50 states.
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@John Pastore-Beto should NOT concede the race as Texas is known for its notorious problems with insecure and non-functioning voting machines and outright voter intimidation tactics. He should demand a recount.
Voting machine errors changed votes in Cruz-O’Rourke race, group says
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/texas/article/Voting-machine-errors-changed-some-Texans-13339298.php
"Accusations of intimidation surfaced after U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced plans to run a “crowd-control” exercise Tuesday near a Hispanic neighborhood in El Paso — the hometown of Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke....Voters with limited English proficiency in the Houston area said they were being blocked from taking interpreters in with them to help them vote, as is provided for under the Voting Rights Act, according to civil rights groups."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/broken-machines-rejected-ballots-and-long-lines-voting-problems-emerge-as-americans-go-to-the-polls/2018/11/06/ffd11e52-dfa8-11e8-b3f0-62607289efee_story.html?utm_term=.3f79d356f68c
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@John Pastore
Brilliant. Run a failure for President. Nothing says ready for the presidency quite like being a junior congressman who can't win state-wide office.
But you may be right, people outside Texas might only care that he looks good and acts cool. That's certainly reflected by the Hollywood celebrity meltdown over his loss.
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Exactly, this candidate definitely deserves to be on a much grander stage. I hope he runs for the presidency!
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The slimy but entrenched Cruz winning narrowly in Texas is a positive sign that Texas is changing. Especially when so much money had to be poured into the race to get Cruz a win.
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@K Henderson. Beto outspent Cruz by more that 100% and LOST.
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PJ, Cruz is marked now as politically vulnerable because it wasnt an easy win. You are using Foxnews-type logic.
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It is clear that Beto was the right kind of canadiate to run in Texas and his loss probably had more to do with Republican gerrymandering over last twenty years than anything else...to be so close has to be a tough lost.
Beto's hands on and grassroot s approach is what Democrats and viable third party candidates need to utilize to help break the partsian gridock in Congress and on our democracy.
Yes he may have out raised him but he did it with out PACs and that is a step in the right direction.
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@shiningstars122 This was a Senate race. Candidates are elected on a statewide vote. How would gerrymandering be relevant here?
Beto lost in part because Cruz was the incumbent, which is always an advantage, and in part because he was deified by the national left which rallied longer standing Texans vs the newcomers.
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@CNNNNC Interesting, then votes for Beto flipping to Cruz was purely accidental, the straight up lies, the cheating too. No, I don't believe that. People's vote need to count if they are to stay engaged but we all know the gop is not interested in an engaged, educated or healthy populace, that would come with power. No the pubes prefer them uneducated, unhealthy, their personal walking profit centers and mean as he!! That keeps the gop in power and control over the money flowing to their pockets. This isn't rocket science. Every time the dems outvote the gop but the gop still win. Something that needs looking into too. I was brought up to believe America was about a level playing field, equality and success for everyone. Gop is none of these.
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@CNNNNC You are right that gerrymandering doesn’t clearly have an impact on statewide races. However, there is some evidence that it suppresses Democratic turnout in some heavily Republican House districts. Overall, that could have an impact around the margins.
I’m not sure either of the specific issues you mentioned are why Cruz won. In the end, Texas is likely just too red a state for even the strongest Democratic candidate to win at this point. The only way to reverse that would have been an avalanche of new Latino voters, and my guess is that Latino voters once again turned out in lower numbers than was hoped for.
7
I keep reading how Beto had the financial edge with the $70 million he raised, but no mention of the fact that far right Republican PACs saturated local TV stations with anti Beto ads. These ads were full of distortions and outright lies. Considering how expensive it is to run ads in Texas I can assure you that these PACs with odd sounding names spent tens of millions of dollars in their effort to re-elect Ted Cruz.
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@Horace Buckley. If that is your position, you should also count the coverage that nationwide media gave to Beto.
2
@Horace Buckley PJ nailed it. Seven (7) articles/editorials/opinions in the NYTimes alone, praising him as the Great Hope. Even a photo (since removed) heading one such that showed Beto as the Savior, fluorescent halo, arm raised in . . . benediction?
"Texas’ longstanding culture and identity were under assault by the left." You say that like it's a bad thing.
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@Lee Noffke when the left are represented by people like Abbott, Patrick and Cruz in the state, and Trump at the National level - then yes, it is a terrible thing. The Republicans/GOP of the past that stood for morals & decent values have been gone for many years. They are now a bag of corrupt & immoral group of people
8
Beto was such an inspiration for people all around the country. If the Democrats have any hope of winning at any level of government, they need to support & nurture Beto & others like him.
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"“This was an election about hope and about the future, and the people of Texas rendered a verdict that we want a future with more jobs and more security and more freedom,” Mr. Cruz told hundreds".
Actually, this was an election to re-elect one of the most despicable human beings on the planet. One of the most disingenuous politicians in the world, even by world standards.
Cruz, now profoundly humiliated by crawling around at Trump's feet and licking his shoes to get re-elected, is a dangerous man indeed. He only ever cared about himself, and, that will only be magnified by his newfound fear of political mortality.
A truly sad human being.
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Don’t know why you keep voting for this guy Texas, but at least he’s not president. Cruz is the only guy who could make Trump look like the better choice.
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@Andy we don't all keep voting for him...every urban area of the state and the entire Rio Grande Valley turned solidly blue. Seeing hundreds of BETO lawn signs dotting the Gulf Coast over these past few months has been encouraging and heartwarming. What an inspirational campaign. Watching as Beto was ahead earlier in the evening, and with a "glitch" that flipped some Democrat straight ticket Senate votes to Republican (explained to me by a poll worker before I voted as "It's just a glitch they've known about for 10 years") makes me question the results. But make no mistake, Texas got bluer this election, thanks in no small part to an energized, engaged, intelligent and caring new generation of young voters. Beto in 2020!
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“I don’t want open borders,” said a 66 year old woman explaining why she voted for Cruz. Trump taketh away (Cruz’s dignity during the presidential primaries) and Trump giveth (framing /overtly lying in this election for the Senate.) The constant: Cruz has no backbone. Gross.
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Well, my vote was not wasted after all.
I had first voted for Sen Cruz at the last election when he was an insurgent against a mainstream Republican which is also who I am.
I was offended then by Sen Cruz opponent when he called him names and had nothing to offer against this senator except he is not a main stream Republican.
I believe - despite my own conservative values and as an "establishment" Republican - our party has been served better because of these insurgents.
They have brought energy, new ideas and yes, new blood.
I always remember Th. Jefferson saying: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure..."
I hope our new senator helps us usher in more reforms and other Republican goals - by being a team player for the most part.
4
@Neil Cruz was an incumbant so he isnt new
7
Beto lit a path in Texas. Read Lawrence Wright’s great book, “God Save Texas.” Texas will go blue in the next decade.
Enjoyed seeing all that Beto accomplished with his energy, erudition, enthusiasm, and buoyancy. Wish him well in his future endeavors and look forward to seeing him on the national stage.
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We should look forward for the presidential election in 2020, instead of seeing behind. We must bring forth a young and bright candidate who could defeat Donald Trump, and end his legacy of anti-immigrants, anti-healthcare for all and anti-transparency in the government.
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With numbers so close in this majority red state, Cruz should remember that there is a large contingency that wanted him gone. Now watch him run for president again. Ted has bigger ideas for himself, not so much for the people of Texas.
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@Cecilia that’s the sad part. I listened to all of the debates where Cruz never answered a straight question. Instead he would turn it around as an anti O’Rourke statement. So frustrating to listen to.
1
A Beto win was always a long shot; hardly any polls ever had him even. Cutting Cruz’s margin to under 3% is a big deal – as was energizing so many new voters. Democracy does not work if races are not competitive.
I also like the rise of candidates not backed by big money.
A lot to celebrate even for those disappointed in the result.
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I am so disheartened. I don't understand it. No one likes their Republican congressmen yet keep voting for them! All the compassion and kindness that we won't ever the results of from Beto. It's a sad day as Texans. The republican party is even more strengthened. We will continue to deny healthcare to each other in our drunken misery as we reap the fruits of bigotry, poverty, and inequality we keep voting in.
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"I don't understand it. No one likes their Republican congressmen yet keep voting for them!"
The people who frequent the NYT comment section are not the same people who are Cruz's base. (I don't like him either, by the way.) From the environment here it might seem like no one likes Republicans, but as the votes show, that's clearly not the case.
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@Ashraf A
Take heart, it's a great day in Texas! Beto didn't win this battle, but he inflicted serious wounds on the darkest stronghold of lies and deceit in the country. And, just think, now he's free for a 2020 run.
Let's all say BETO For President!
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How much did PAC money play in Cruz win? And Russian Bots or whatever fake social media he had. And lies and insults from a sitting president of the United STates? Not a tough campaign. A dirty one. From one side. We Texans are dragging a bit today. But we are stronger for having glimpsed true greatness. A people’s campaign, inspiring and inclusive - that’s a word you don’t hear from Cruz. Now we owe it to Beto to keep up the fight. We fight for ourselves and our families and for those who can’t fight. Make Texas Great Again? Naw. It’s already great. It just deserves BETO.
31
Across Texas, Beto 48%, Cruz 51%
And in my Tarrant County, 49.9% Beto, 49.3% Cruz - makes my day to see Beto win in this very red area
A win for the Democratic Party in Texas. On to 2020.
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@Steve Perkins-It's possible Beto won the state: "T
Texans submitting ballots in early voting reported problems with voting machines switching some of their selections, a problem state officials said was connected to Hart eSlate machines used in about 30 percent of counties in the state. They said it can occur when users fill out and submit ballots too quickly."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/11/06/midterm-elections-2018-monitoring-problems-polls/1832659002/
4
@Steve Perkins 4 million people voted for Beto in Texas and only 3.8 million voted for Hilary in 2016. So a win for sure. The future is looking bright.
@Ann, here we go again. If the Trump Party folk had control nationally they would only get these machines nationwide and put them in blue districts.
Early voters have to re-check their votes onscreen? what the heck do we need these machines then? who programmed these machines?