The Quorum Report has a nice story about my old friend Dick Murray and his remarks on the UT campus. Dick is an expert on politics in Texas and he has a bleak picture for Texas Democrats and Bill White. I support Bill and would love to see him beat Rick Perry, but the odds are against him.

Here is part of the Quorum Reports story:
“Given the way Texas is viewed at the national level, Democrats within the state will have to realize they are going to be on their own for the next few cycles, he said. Murray mentioned a couple of factors that will aid Democrats. Natural increase among Hispanic Texans remains the biggest driver in the state’s demographics. Also, Murray noted that half of McCain’s support came from white evangelicals, a demographic group in decline. That means the long-term prospects of Texas returning to a two-party state remain good. Murray suggested that the Texas House would fall back into Democratic hands by 2020.”

“The best opportunity to rebuild the Democratic Party would be for a Democrat to win the Governor’s seat. Murray pointed to Bill Clements’ victory as a historic parallel for the ascendancy of the GOP in Texas. “You really need to capture the governorship to build a minority party back up,” he said.

In Bill White, Democrats have perhaps their best candidate to accomplish that, Murray said. The task, though, is difficult because he will have to capture 55 to 60 percent of the independent vote, which tends to lean Republican in Texas, Murray said.”

Given the way Texas is viewed at the national level, Democrats within the state will have to realize they are going to be on their own for the next few cycles, he said. Murray mentioned a couple of factors that will aid Democrats. Natural increase among Hispanic Texans remains the biggest driver in the state’s demographics. Also, Murray noted that half of McCain’s support came from white evangelicals, a demographic group in decline. That means the long-term prospects of Texas returning to a two-party state remain good. Murray suggested that the Texas House would fall back into Democratic hands by 2020.

The best opportunity to rebuild the Democratic Party would be for a Democrat to win the Governor’s seat. Murray pointed to Bill Clements’ victory as a historic parallel for the ascendancy of the GOP in Texas. “You really need to capture the governorship to build a minority party back up,” he said.

In Bill White, Democrats have perhaps their best candidate to accomplish that, Murray said. The task, though, is difficult because he will have to capture 55 to 60 percent of the independent vote, which tends to lean Republican in Texas, Murray said.