Deep South Texas, particularly the Rio Grande Valley, has traditionally remained on the Democrat side of a very Republican Lone Star State. For those who have not followed the politics of Texas, a member of the GOP holds every statewide office from Governor downward. A Republican majority even leads the House and Senate of the Texas State Legislature.
However, travel down the Gulf Coast of the state and a strange thing happens. That Republican majority fades away to nothing. You have now entered a thin ribbon of counties that have remained a Democrat stronghold for decades. In a region of the state that boasts in excess of 80% Hispanic population, local, county and congressional offices are heavily populated with the winners of elections that often did not even involve Republican challengers.
There is another interesting outcome to this blind Democrat loyalty. The counties of Deep South Texas rank among the poorest in Texas and across the United States. They have remained far behind the national curve in healthcare, employment, education and other quality of life issues. They are among the last in the state to receive either statewide or national bounty.
For example, U. S. Representative Solomon P. Ortiz (D. TX.) has repeatedly been reelected to his seat which snakes down the coastline from Corpus Christi to Brownsville more than 240 miles to the south. This fiscal year Ortiz has managed to snare $60 million in pork barrel funding for his district. It ranges from almost $20 million for new training aircraft at the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station to $4.5 million for solar panels at NAS Kingsville and $800,000 to pave streets in the Ortiz home base of Robstown. Not one of his earmarks traveled down the coast to Raymondville, Harlingen, San Benito or Brownsville.
Ortiz was also a strong advocate for the Obama healthcare plan. The bill still remains in disfavor nationally, even though it was rammed through Congress on party line votes. The South Texas constituency was so upset with the bill they held numerous town hall meetings where people expressed their anger to an empty chair…because Ortiz refused to meet with them.
Still, Ortiz sailed easily back into office during the last election and expects to win again in November. Many say this will happen because of the Lemming Effect that seems to touch the Hispanic voting block.
There is a myth that when Lemmings migrate, they will follow their leaders over cliffs, where they fall into the water and drown. The reality is Lemmings do migrate in mass, but if they come to a cliff they stop. Those who fall into the water below are really pushed by the large mass of Lemmings behind them who, unaware of the danger keep moving forward.
Still, the Lemming Effect remains a popular explanation for large bodies of voters who keep sending failed people back to Washington and expecting different results during the new term of office. Deep South Texas has been the locale of the Lemming Effect for decades. The heavily weighted Hispanic vote has regularly gone to the Democrat candidate…who has regularly won his or her office…. and regularly led those same Lemmings over the cliff.
