Examples Of Cross-Party Voting in Texas—Voting Across Party Lines Most Often Does Not Make Sense

Here are two pictures I’ve taken in Houston in recent weeks of some likely cross-party voting this November.

The first picture shows an intent to vote for Democrat Bill White for Governor and Republican incumbent David Dewhurst for Lt. Governor.

The best course would be to vote for Mr. White for Governor and Democratic nominee Linda Chavez-Thompson for Lt. Gov. Ms. Chavez-Thompson has a proven record of advocacy for working people in Texas.

Why would you support for Governor and Lt. governor two people of opposing political ideologies?

The second picture shows support for Houston Mayor Annise Parker, a Democrat who will next be on the ballot in 2011, and Republican Harris County Judge Ed Emmett. Judge Emmett is on the ballot for 2010.

Mr. Emmett is known as a County Judge here in Texas. Outside Texas and much of the south you might call him a County Commissioner.

Gordon Quan is the Democrat running against Mr. Emmett in 2010.

Mr. Emmett’s web home calls him a”conservative pioneer.” Why would you support a person who identifies himself in this way while at the same time supporting a Democrat for Mayor?

In practice, Mayor Parker and Judge Emmett represent in Houston and Harris County an often centrist, business centered outlook that does appeal to some. (Though not me.)  In fairness to Judge Emmett, he is not a nut.  Yet at the same time, neither is he the right person to address the hard economic circumstances faced by so many in Harris County.

As for Mayor Parker, my view is that she willfully ignores issues of extreme poverty in Houston. She also ignores the need for greater Hispanic involvement in our political process in Houston.

Ms. Parker’s voter base is narrow and largely Anglo. She won in 2009 in a election that generated turnout of barely over 15%. While some of Ms. Parker’s supporters see themselves as progressives, economic issues are often not the chief concern of these voters.

There are many people in Houston who could use Mayor Parker’s bully pulpit and advocacy. This support has not so far been forthcoming.

When will liberals, progressives and Democrats ask more of Mayor Parker?

On a larger level, political parties provide a shorthand and a coherence that is useful to the wise voter and to the informed citizen. Politics is at core about beliefs and action rather than about personalities and playing it safe when people need help.

While there will be exceptions, the more practical and intellectually coherent approach to voting is to support a group of candidates who will work towards the same ends.