March 24, 2015 4:29 PM

Bearse: Broader Thinking

From the Right: Quorum Report’s conservative Republican columnist Eric Bearse argues that, among other things, doing away with in-state tuition for undocumented students would be extremely short-sighted.

More than half the Texas House has been elected in one of the last three election cycles. For Republicans, that means a good portion of their caucus was elected in mid-term, “wave” elections that could have swept a dead man into office as long as he had an R by his name. Those elected in 2012 benefited from a deeply unpopular president in Texas. For three straight election cycles, the national atmosphere has been ripe for Republican gains, and subsequent consolidation of those gains.

It is conventional wisdom that state offices are decided in the Republican Primary, and most house seats too. The practical effect is more than half of the Republican Majority in the Texas House has been trained to think of issues in the context of Republican primaries, with little incentive to worry about the general election.

This is problematic in two senses: 1) Republicans should not take a laissez-faire attitude about the threats posed in general elections simply because they haven’t been competitive of late; and 2) having the vast majority of elected officials decided in either primary diminishes the ability of representatives to take a statewide view on important issues.

Some of us remember 2008. No one knew Republican Rep. Tony Goolsby was in any kind of trouble. He famously cried out in the final days, “I'm up to my ass in a damn campaign. This is the only job I've got and I'm trying to save it. Obama's got people coming from the rafters.”

By then it was too late.

The complete column from Eric Bearse can be found in the R&D Department.

By Eric Bearse