When I was in college in Texas, I was in a Celtic band. At first, it was a pleasant and earnest trio. It ended up being sort of a cross between the Pogues and circus school. It was an absolute blast from start to finish. I played some guitar, a little mandolin (I guess there isn’t any other kind, really), sort of sang sometimes, though I was frequently offered an extra cut to not sing.
Anyway–from trio to megaband, Tir Na Nog also included Kevin Murphy, a talented guitarist and singer who wasn’t afraid to rally the rabble at the risin’ of the moon, invoking a sort of Lone Star Irish pride that got us gigs at places that no doubt regretted the booking later, like the North Texas Irish Festival in Dallas. (Though, to be fair, we did get invited back there 4 times, and played to some pretty big audiences as a result.)
So now my old friend Kevin is rallying for a different cause: turning the Texas State House blue. He’s running as a Democrat for the Texas House of Representatives District 29. The district overlaps significantly the old stomping grounds of everyone’s favorite exterminator, Tom Delay. And there’s even some overlap with Ron Paul’s district. So we’re talking pretty deep red territory.
But this ain’t 1994. This year, we have an Obama Wan Kenobi (don’t know what’s with me and Star Wars allusions lately), a national candidate who understands how them internet tubes work. One who is our only hope at keeping some vague sense of sanity in the Supreme Court and, you know, not turning into a police state and all.
The enthusiasm of young voters and voters who’ve been fed up with Republicans but found voting in Texas a futile exercise seem to be giving candidates like Kevin Murphy a real shot. The Obama campaign understands that a 50-state strategy is the way for Democrats to finally turn the ship of state downwind, and races like Kevin’s are getting the kind of attention they deserve.
So anyway, before I step in another pile of metaphors–I chatted with Kevin this afternoon for a good while, and he told me a lot about the state of the Lone Star State. It was heartening to hear about the enthusiasm he’s seeing. I’ve invited Kevin to partake in a little back and forth via the blog, and this interchange will likely turn into a Valley Advocate story as well. So follow me down to the comments below, where our conversation will continue.
First, a question for Kevin to start things off. Earlier, you said something I think our non-Texan readers will find remarkable: "People weren’t ready for a Democrat to knock on their doors." Yet it seems discontent with the state of the nation is so high that Democrats, even in deep red states, are boldly knocking on doors, and getting some surprising results (though in Kevin’s case, I’m sure his wit and his bow tie have helped). Could you tell us about some of that face-to-face experience? How have you been received as a Democrat in the land of Delay?
