Laredo and South Texas take a bad rap for having deceased folks able to vote. Now that would be quite an attraction, if true, for people and their factories or businesses to move here! The potential for economic development would be huge. Every politician would claim it was his support of "second chance" voting that resulted in all those new jobs, more sales at the Mall, and just a bigger economy. Unfortunately, our departed may still appear on voter registrations from time to time, but I have not had one claim to have voted lately. Still, Lyndon Johnson owed his first election to Washington from such a voter turnout.
Laredo does have a deserved reputation for having the country's, or perhaps the world's, greatest political Pachangas. For Yankees, and other strangers to Laredo, a Pachanga is like going to your friend's ranch--shooting guns and drinking beer. Except a political Pachanga omits, mostly, the guns, and substitutes the pols' speeches and pleads for votes.
Election time in Laredo is now through the early summer, so enjoy and let me know if any "old" names do seem to vote one more time.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Laredo & Presidential Campaigns
In 1991, Bill and Hillary Clinton came to Laredo to meet the local folks; they stayed several hours and charged nothing for their presence. Bill Clinton had just started his campaign, and was little known outside of the south. At a morning breakfast, with about 40 Laredoans in attendance, he gave a 20 minute campaign speech, then turned the mike over to his wife, Hillary, who proceeded to give a slightly better 20 minute discourse. Back then you really did get "2 for 1".
Before that, in 1987, a Senator from Tennessee, Al Gore, came to the La Posada on a cold winter morning for breakfast with about 20 Laredoans. He was making his first unsuccessful campaign for President. About a month later, Al Gore held a campaign rally in Cotulla, with better attendance at the school house where Lyndon Johnson had taught.
In the 90's we also saw in Laredo, Jesse Jackson, among some other more forgotten Presidential Candidates.
This past year, prominent national politicians came to Laredo to raise money, and not to meet the folks who did not, or could not, pay to hear them speak. Times change, but they are about to change again! Now the Texas Primary on March 4, 2008 has suddenly become important--especially to the Clinton and Obama campaigns. These Demoncrats are virtually tied for convention delegates, and they now need to win votes in Texas. I have heard they will spend a lot of time in South Texas (maybe Laredo too) as that's were most of the Democrats are. So, we may again be able to have some free contact with our next President if he or she is a Democrat. Who knows, maybe Mike Huckabee, Republican, might come too.
Look up at the sky for those campaign planes.
Before that, in 1987, a Senator from Tennessee, Al Gore, came to the La Posada on a cold winter morning for breakfast with about 20 Laredoans. He was making his first unsuccessful campaign for President. About a month later, Al Gore held a campaign rally in Cotulla, with better attendance at the school house where Lyndon Johnson had taught.
In the 90's we also saw in Laredo, Jesse Jackson, among some other more forgotten Presidential Candidates.
This past year, prominent national politicians came to Laredo to raise money, and not to meet the folks who did not, or could not, pay to hear them speak. Times change, but they are about to change again! Now the Texas Primary on March 4, 2008 has suddenly become important--especially to the Clinton and Obama campaigns. These Demoncrats are virtually tied for convention delegates, and they now need to win votes in Texas. I have heard they will spend a lot of time in South Texas (maybe Laredo too) as that's were most of the Democrats are. So, we may again be able to have some free contact with our next President if he or she is a Democrat. Who knows, maybe Mike Huckabee, Republican, might come too.
Look up at the sky for those campaign planes.
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