THE TROUBLE WITH TEXAS TRIBBLES

Looking downtown from SoCo

Living in Austin, I've lost touch with how most people experience Texas politics. I'm walking distance from the capitol. I don't have to worry about parking if I want to testify, participate in a rally, or to just sit in to see government in action. Retail politics, too, has the same immediacy. Watching election returns at a campaign party is a wonderfully social occasion - less so with a losing campaign. Still, I'm used to being in the thick of things if I'm into it at all.

Unfortunately, I've been stricken with what is likely the flu since Sunday. I'd expected it would clear in time so I could head out to a few election events last night. Instead, I decided to "listen to my body." And it said "no, don't go."  So I stayed home and watched the evening 's events unfold from both my TV and my computer. 

As far as the TV's concerned, there wasn't much. I don't have cable, so I had to wait for the returns on the local news. In the meantime, the broadcast schedule droned on as if were any other day. Actually, that's just what it was for most Texans - a day like any other. The vast majority declined to exercise their franchise. Most of what was decided was decided by default.

Texans did their usual - from the Texas Civic Health index

Much to the chagrin of Democrats, their all-out effort to turn non-voters into active participants in our democratic society apparently yielded little in the way of results. The peculiar status quo here in Texas seems sure and steady. We live in a modern industrialized society reaping the benefits of science and technology. However, political control is conferred on those who profess a pre-scientific understanding of the world. The Internet and other communication technologies are used to reinforce these beliefs.

Civic engagement at home

I spent a good deal of time in the evening exposed to another highly touted response to this civic disengagement. I experienced the Texas Tribune as it is meant to be experienced - online. Usually, I go to their in-person events. Here, I had another go at the "Livestream" phenom - various reporters talking about races in-between victory speeches and the like from campaigns. I watched off-and-on while looking for the latest on particular campaigns. How was it? It was bad "live" TV, a notch above the stuff you surf past on local cable access. The "plus" is that the Tribbles actually have something intelligent to say, even if they do better putting their words into type instead.

So this is the answer to civic disengagement? Then I switched to the TV news. They had less to say, but polished it up more. 

Then, this morning, I reconnected with the Trib's Livestream to see the "Post-Primary Debrief," a reporter's roundable. It was a lively talk about who fared well or worse in the horserace. After the reporters had their say, it went to a Q&A. It seems that at least one non-politico made it to the room. He asked about the real-life significance of this news event.

A round table with no table at all

'That was a terrific overview of the politics of the results last night. I would love to hear your assessment of the impact on governance - of the ability of Texas elected officials to come together to address the great problems and challenges that Texas faces."

A momentary pause followed.   

'We're not going to hear much of that until at least November," said Emily Ramshaw, Editor.

 

'....The voice last night was not about governance. That's not what we're talking about at this point....' explained Ross Ramsey, Executive Editor and Co-Founder.

Maybe that explains the pervasive disengagement of the public. Politics, it would seem, suffers from civic disengagement, too. 

   

The hour-long session ended about 10 minutes short for a lack of questions from the audience.

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