Tuesday's election
There is a big election today in Italy, but it's unlikely to have a good or decisive outcome.
The other election worth keeping an eye on is Tuesday's Texas primaries.
After the last day of early voting on Friday, the Cook Political Report's David Wasserman found that in the top 15 counties in the state, the Democratic early vote had spiked 105 percent over 2014 numbers. On the Republican side, there had been only a 15 percent uptick.
It's not just an uptick in Democratic voters happening in Texas, but an increase in candidates putting their names on the ballot, too. Democrats are fielding a modern-day record number of candidates across the state. There are 111 U.S. House candidates running for the minority party, and they are spread across all 36 Texas congressional districts — the first time that's happened in 25 years, and a departure from two years ago when Democrats didn't run candidates in eight seats.
On a state legislative level, Democrats have candidates in 132 of the 150 state House districts and in 14 of the 15 state Senate districts up for election this year. That includes four Senate districts where Democrats didn't field candidates in 2014 or 2012, and 20 new House districts where they didn't have candidates in either 2016, 2014 or 2012.
More Democratic voters, while very impressive, doesn't mean much by itself considering how corrupt the Dems are.
But the huge surge in candidates is important. That means lots of non-corporate Dems are running.
Democratic early voting has surpassed Republicans in most major cities. Texas could be on the verge of going purple.
Comments
Texas early voter
I got back to Houston this past Thursday after working a week out-of-state. Friday, I went to my local early-voting poll to cast my ballot.
Now Friday was the last day of early voting in Texas, but I was nevertheless surprised at what I saw -- the place was packed. I knew something was up when I could hardly find a parking spot. I've voted on the last day before, and you could still have your pick of voting machines. Often, I was the only voter present. Not this time. I had to wait in line.
Something else was surprising by its absence -- I did not see the usual Tea Party goon squad members loitering about, waiting for minority voters to dare to vote. (These Nazis immediately will go to the "check-in" table to contest the credentials of those with brownish skin.) No Nazi was to be seen, even though my town is the home of the "True the Vote" Schutzstaffel.
I was met by an illegal campaigner about 25 feet from the door of the polls (Texas law states 100 feet for campaigning). It was a representative of our despicable Texas House Rep Valoree Swanson. I was not surprised by this, nor amused; I turned her in to the election authorities when I entered. They chased her off ... for what good it would do.
In any event, there does seem to be something in the air. We'll know a lot more after the polls close Tuesday.