Last night, Republicans gave Texas Democrats a rallying cry and someone to rally around. The Filicluster made stars out Senators Van de Putte, Watson and, of course, Davis. It made villains of Senate Republicans, especially the Republican women like Senator Campbell who was apparently demanding DPS clear the gallery. Finally, it exposed just how out of touch Republican statewide leaders are and, more to the point, it made Dewhurst look like an ineffectual mook.
Let’s be real here for a second for those of you who think this is mere hyperbole… can any of you, with a straight face, claim that Governor Bullock would have allowed this breakdown?
Harold Cook has what is probably the best write up on the events of the last few days and so I’m not going to rehash what he’s already done far more artfully than my meager skills would have allowed.
The most stunning thing to come out of last night was the public interest in the events at the Capitol. Hundreds of thousands of people around Texas watched the show last night in real time until the feed was cut. Those people will not be silenced, they won’t go away and their mobilization spells disaster for the Republican Party of Texas and it’s candidates. While they may get through their primaries next year by voting for these hateful bills, many of them will not survive the general election.
Make no mistake, the long slumbering beast is awake and it’s ready to block walk, register voters and write checks.