Ok, here's the thing...

I am deeply disturbed by the poll posted at DailyKOS that purports that an astonishing 35% of Texans think Texas would be better off as an independent nation.  A poll that uses 600 likely voters to represent the 14 million plus Texans of voting age is absurd. Even if you assume that only half of them vote, I still have problems.  I know that a statistical sample is supposed to represent the larger number but there are so many ways this can be slanted and misused that it boggles the mind.

I am NOT accusing DailyKOS or Research 2000 of bias. I just have problems with polls.  I don't trust them. 

But if we assume for the sake of argument that the pollsters were diligent in acquiring a cross section of the state's voters, then that means that over 5 million Texans think secession is a good idea.  5 million of my fellow Texans think that the Texas would be better off without the US to provide interstate roads or fund military bases or pay their social security checks.  When you look at the break down of who voted which way, it's even more disturbing.  48% of Republicans, 39% of men and 40% of the Independents approve of the idea.  In fact, the Republicans are split 48/48 with 4 percent, the margin of error,  being unsure.  So if 4,479,328 Republicans voted for McCain does that means 2,150,077 of them want to secede?  That leaves 3 million but the poll says only 15% of Democrats want to secede so....see why I don't like polls? I can never get the numbers to add up. 

Whatever the reality is, I think it's safe to say that secession is a really monumentally stupid idea.  The last time this was tried we got the Civil War.  No one who claims to support the idea of secession acknowledges this little fact.  

Now we've got the Texas legislature considering issuing a "cease and desist" order to the federal government. There's already a resolution by the Texas house that reiterates the state's authority granted by 10th amendment that Perry backs. Unfortunately, my state representative agrees. I wrote her complaining about HCR 50 and hoping to find a kindred spirit in Austin. After all, she is a Democrat.  Instead I get a lovely letter that states, in part:

"It is imperative that Texas maintain control of its authority as granted by the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, The erosion of state's rights can have a detrimental impact on not only the states, but upon our nation as well.

HCR 50 states, 'The scope of power defined by the Tenth Amendment means that the federal government was created by the states specifically to be an agent of the states.' As your State representative, I take very seriously the duty of serving the people of Texas. Any attempt to diminish the role of state government should not be taken lightly."

Sounds like she agrees to me.  Agrees with the idea that Texas has the right to tell the federal government what to do.  The cry of "states rights" was one of the heralds of the Civil War.  In fact one of, if not the, key causes of the war.  Are we headed down that road again? And isn't it ironic that the party of Lincoln should be the ones hell bent on destroying the Union this time around?

As a Democrat in a Red State, I've not been very involved in local politics aside from voting.  I think its time that changed. It's one of the reasons I've added a list of Texas-based left leaning blogs to the sidebar.  The first step is being informed.  Next, will be getting involved in a more direct manner.  Not sure what that will be just yet, but I'm damned sick and tired of the Republican trash talk that comes out of Texas.  And more than tired of the inept response of our state democratic party.  I checked out the Texas Democratic Party website today. No mention of HCR 50 or secession talk.  

And that is just wrong. Deeply, deeply wrong.