Don’t expect to see all that many campaign events in East Texas this spring in advance of the primaries.
Except for a few races, neither Republican nor Democrat candidates are being seriously challenged to get a spot on the ballot, which means they will be saving their money for the general election.
So, when an event does happen — and one is happening in Tyler this weekend for the Democrats — you should try to be there if possible.
Saturday, at least 13 statewide Democratic candidates — organizers promise there will be “many, many more” — will appear at Liberty Baptist Church at 2506 N. Broadway at 9 a.m. Don’t worry if you can’t get there exactly at the start because campaign events never begin on time. I think that’s a law.
This particular event is valuable because the candidates in several contested primary elections will be showing up. Two of the Democratic candidates for both governor and attorney general are scheduled to show.
That mean you should have the opportunity to hear what each has to say. Just how are they different? You just might find a candidate or two who is not only worth voting for but worth supporting in other ways, too, like with your time or money.
Voting is important but, really, it is the least you should do, particularly if you want to see things change. Voting is a basic civic responsibility. In a better world, there would not be a citizen eligible to vote who didn’t go to the polls.
Whatever you do, don’t be one of those people.
Real change is only brought about by people who do more than the minimum. Face it, most conservative activists are heavily involved in the process from the ground up.
If you want to see change you — that would be the person staring back from the mirror — must do something beyond the norm. We all carp about how little time we have but that’s rarely a good excuse.
If you don’t have a candidate now that you are that excited about, you’ll have a chance to get excited Saturday. Don’t miss the opportunity.
The same is true for those who tend Republican, though as I noted they already do better than their Democratic counterparts. This is your opportunity to know some of the people you will vote for.
I would go a step further. I suggest that even those who are die-hard, never-gonna-vote-Republican Democrats go to Republican campaign events if you can. Republicans should do the same thing with Democrats.
I do not suggest heckling or interrupting. In fact, I specifically urge you not to do anything of the sort. That sort of behavior only makes our political environment worse. Still, that doesn’t mean you can’t ask reasonable questions.
Here are some questions I would ask any candidate for the legislature and most candidates for the executive branch:
• Nearly 300 people were killed a year ago when Texas’ power grid crashed. Tell me as specifically as you can what steps could be taken to see that this is unlikely to happen again.
• Texas’ abortion law allows no exceptions for any reason. If those who voted for the law did not intend to put the lives of mothers in jeopardy, what might be done to protect those who face real medical emergencies during pregnancy?
• Gun laws now allow for the open carrying of firearms in Texas. Do you see any way for Texans to protect themselves and their families in public outside of carrying a firearm themselves? If so, what might that be?
• Critical Race Theory became an issue during the last legislative session and the teaching of CRT in public schools has been banned. Should the state be exerting such educational mandates to every district in the state? If so, what other topics do you think should be banned by law or required by law?
• In a similar question, should the state legislature really be involved in selecting the individual titles in school libraries? If so, what books would you like to see taken from the shelves?
Those are serious questions, and they are only a few that candidates need to answer. You can probably think of at least a half-dozen others that need to be asked. It can all be done in a civil manner, as long as the candidate is willing.
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Yes! It's important to visit with candidates: to listen to them and for them to listen to voters.