A Triblive discussion with three freshmen legislators gave a good snapshot of what a conservative state government run by moderates looks like in a liberal national political cycle.
When asked about first impressions and surprises, the two conservative Republican freshmen on the stage, Donna Campbell and Scott Turner, both gave answers that indicate disorientation.
Campbell started by saying that she realized when she got to Austin that one vote matters less than she thought it would on the campaign trail. Then she talked about being hazed when she introduced her first bill. She was asked to recite the Texas State fight song before she could proceed.
Scott Turner talked about “drinking through a firehose”, referring to the massive amount of information he’s had to process in a short amount of time.
Both freshmen had a noticeable “I’m trying to be a good member” undercurrent to their comments. You could see their wide eyes and feel their lack of equilibrium.
The Democrat freshman Gene Wu was different.
Wu was all smiles. He talked about how pleasantly surprised he’s been with all of the harmony, and with legislators not voting the ‘party line’. Wu said he was surprised after the more contentious 2011 session. He looked at home.
It was a perfect snapshot of what happens when moderates get the upper hand in a conservative government, something that is even easier in a liberal national political cycle.
The conservatives are confused and the Democrats are grinning ear-to-ear.
Campbell and Turner won their elections on “fix the mess” fuel. That is, their districts, like so many across the nation, don’t like what government produces.
But governments don’t produce an unpopular legislative product on accident, or out of clumsiness, or because they love being reviled.
They do it because special interests run capitol towns, fund campaigns, and want things done in a way that makes politicians reviled.
And capitol towns like Austin are streamlined to reform firebrand reformers into special interest legislative factory hands.
On the ground it looks just like high school peer pressure. It’s a bunch of people either ignoring the reformer altogether, or saying things like, “be a team player”, “who do you think you are?”, “look at that idiot – he’ll learn”, “look, we have to live together”, “you’re not the only person here who wants to improve Texas, ya know?”, “quit preening for the cameras, show-off” and many other such gems.
These gems are all designed to create in the reformer a much better opinion of the legislative sausage factory than voters have, and to discourage the legislators from standing on principle.
Wu was right about the 82nd Legislature. It was more contentious than usual. Far from being bad for Texas, it was good.
This is because the special interest legislative factory was stormed by general interest legislators, by patriots.
The result? Oh, just the most conservative legislature in anyone’s memory, that’s all. And it still included a bevy of special interest budget gimmicks and corruption.
Incredible pro-life legislation passed, the establishment assault on the budget and rainy day fund were largely repelled, crony gambling was stuffed, and much else besides.
There should be no confusion. When an institution streamlined to do bad things disguised as good things is pressured to do actual good things, there will be blood.
A wise man once said that our political system allows for political civil wars to be fought every couple of years so that real civil wars don’t have to happen.
It is for this reason that Texans should fear capitol city peace and quiet.
The good news about Campbell and Turner is that they still don’t look comfortable in this town. Good for them.
Comfort for politicos in capitol cities comes only one way – by working for special interests. The more honest a sellout is with himself about what he is doing, the more capitol city comfort he will enjoy.
Here’s to the brave ones who ride the bull.
–Triblive video