Now That I Think About It, Youth is Everywhere
The more I think about the youth movement in politics, the more I realize that its everywhere and I should've noticed it a long time ago.
On the Democratic side, when given the opportunity to vote for younger and progressive candidates, the electorate almost always goes with the younger and more progressive candidate. I'm trying to think of a time when that didn't happen and I can't really come up with one. I guess you could argue in the Marquez / Barraza race (hey, wasn't that a boxing match too?), but Barraza isn't really more "progressive" than Marquez.
Four years ago, Richard Wiles was the youngest in the field of candidates running for sheriff if I'm not mistaken. Socorro City Council is younger and more progressive than in the past. Carlos Hisa, Lt Gov of the Tiguas is a young guy and has stayed the Lt Gov for quite some time. Though I wouldn't consider him a progressive.
Even on the Republican side, they have a youth movement of their own. David K ran against Haggerty for County Commissioner, Jay Kleberg and Rene Diaz ran for state rep, and then there's the El Paso Liberty Group.
Clearly the Republicans like their establishment guys, which is why DK, JK, and RD weren't successful but the Republican Party apparently is starting to "get it" when it comes to their relationship with young people.
Lets start with the College Republicans at UTEP. They've been recognized for their work by the state party. They were the engine behind some of the campaigns in the last election cycle. Some of them went on to work for local elected officials and are still involved in campaigns.
There's Genna Pendergrass (hope I'm spelling that right). When the Tea Party Rallies were actually effective and well-attended, it was because of Pendergrass.
And now, El Paso Liberty Group. Its almost entirely youth-driven, though they have the benefit of mentorship from some experienced political activists. They are the component that the Republican establishment has been missing. They are media savvy, tech-savvy, and have an almost Evangelical devotion to Ron Paul. They are young, energetic, and smart. Exactly what the GOP in El Paso needs to freshen up.
But what they are most is issue-driven. They aren't fully Republicans in the current sense of the word. Or to paraphrase Mitt for Brains, they aren't "severely Conservative". What I mean is that some of them are pretty devoutly conservative, but others are pretty liberal on social issues. Point blank...they are Libertarians.
But young, organized, and energetic Libertarians. Its what the GOP needs. The problem is that the GOP has to think long term. They are at least a decade away from winning anything other than HD 78 (if they can even hold on to it) or the Commissioner's seat. They have to think long-term. They aren't going to win the Congressional seat. In fact, I'm pretty sure Tim Besco's vote totals were the high-water mark for Republicans in El Paso. Its going to be very difficult to duplicate that number in a Presidential Election year in El Paso and against an opponent like O'Rourke who has already demonstrated appeal to Republicans.
Having met several of the Ron Paul people, whom I admittedly have a soft spot for, I think every one of them I know are supporting O'Rourke.
Why?....Young and progressive.
(I have a soft spot for them because you can't be around a group of smart and energetic young people and not get excited. I guess we are just wired differently and so my political values are different from most of theirs, but there is an unmistakable familiarity of the Obama 08 campaign with the El Paso Liberty Group. Particularly in their focus on the delegate process, which echos of Obama 08. They think like Republicans but organize and work like Democrats. Of the 68 Republican delegates to the state convention, 30 were Ron Paul supporters. Thats almost HALF. If HALF the delegates to the Texas Democratic Convention weren't Old Guard Democrats, I think their heads would explode. The platform that the El Paso Liberty Group worked on has Ron Paul written all over it. They are organized and effective. How could I not have a soft spot for them?)
The political move towards youth has been going on for quite some time. I think it just reached the point where people finally started to notice it.
And of course, that puts the race for El Paso County Commissioner Precinct 3 sharply in to focus...
On the Democratic side, when given the opportunity to vote for younger and progressive candidates, the electorate almost always goes with the younger and more progressive candidate. I'm trying to think of a time when that didn't happen and I can't really come up with one. I guess you could argue in the Marquez / Barraza race (hey, wasn't that a boxing match too?), but Barraza isn't really more "progressive" than Marquez.
Four years ago, Richard Wiles was the youngest in the field of candidates running for sheriff if I'm not mistaken. Socorro City Council is younger and more progressive than in the past. Carlos Hisa, Lt Gov of the Tiguas is a young guy and has stayed the Lt Gov for quite some time. Though I wouldn't consider him a progressive.
Even on the Republican side, they have a youth movement of their own. David K ran against Haggerty for County Commissioner, Jay Kleberg and Rene Diaz ran for state rep, and then there's the El Paso Liberty Group.
Clearly the Republicans like their establishment guys, which is why DK, JK, and RD weren't successful but the Republican Party apparently is starting to "get it" when it comes to their relationship with young people.
Lets start with the College Republicans at UTEP. They've been recognized for their work by the state party. They were the engine behind some of the campaigns in the last election cycle. Some of them went on to work for local elected officials and are still involved in campaigns.
There's Genna Pendergrass (hope I'm spelling that right). When the Tea Party Rallies were actually effective and well-attended, it was because of Pendergrass.
And now, El Paso Liberty Group. Its almost entirely youth-driven, though they have the benefit of mentorship from some experienced political activists. They are the component that the Republican establishment has been missing. They are media savvy, tech-savvy, and have an almost Evangelical devotion to Ron Paul. They are young, energetic, and smart. Exactly what the GOP in El Paso needs to freshen up.
But what they are most is issue-driven. They aren't fully Republicans in the current sense of the word. Or to paraphrase Mitt for Brains, they aren't "severely Conservative". What I mean is that some of them are pretty devoutly conservative, but others are pretty liberal on social issues. Point blank...they are Libertarians.
But young, organized, and energetic Libertarians. Its what the GOP needs. The problem is that the GOP has to think long term. They are at least a decade away from winning anything other than HD 78 (if they can even hold on to it) or the Commissioner's seat. They have to think long-term. They aren't going to win the Congressional seat. In fact, I'm pretty sure Tim Besco's vote totals were the high-water mark for Republicans in El Paso. Its going to be very difficult to duplicate that number in a Presidential Election year in El Paso and against an opponent like O'Rourke who has already demonstrated appeal to Republicans.
Having met several of the Ron Paul people, whom I admittedly have a soft spot for, I think every one of them I know are supporting O'Rourke.
Why?....Young and progressive.
(I have a soft spot for them because you can't be around a group of smart and energetic young people and not get excited. I guess we are just wired differently and so my political values are different from most of theirs, but there is an unmistakable familiarity of the Obama 08 campaign with the El Paso Liberty Group. Particularly in their focus on the delegate process, which echos of Obama 08. They think like Republicans but organize and work like Democrats. Of the 68 Republican delegates to the state convention, 30 were Ron Paul supporters. Thats almost HALF. If HALF the delegates to the Texas Democratic Convention weren't Old Guard Democrats, I think their heads would explode. The platform that the El Paso Liberty Group worked on has Ron Paul written all over it. They are organized and effective. How could I not have a soft spot for them?)
The political move towards youth has been going on for quite some time. I think it just reached the point where people finally started to notice it.
And of course, that puts the race for El Paso County Commissioner Precinct 3 sharply in to focus...
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