In Texas the big election is all over but the shoutin'

By Bud Kennedy

bud@star-telegram.com

If you spent last week glued to the La-Z-Boy, watching cable and popping Chick-fil-A nuggets, I hate to break this to you.

But here in Texas, the election is over.

Unless they need money, President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney won't campaign any closer than El Paso or Kansas City.

With Texas securely in Romney's column and Ted Cruz riding along, the only suspense here involves one local Texas Senate matchup, unless another race picks up steam.

"Our fate is affected by what happens elsewhere," wrote Matthew Wilson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University.

Texas' elections have never been in doubt since 1994, when Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock, Attorney General Dan Morales and others were the last Democrats elected statewide.

Two years earlier, Republican President George H.W. Bush of Houston had defeated Democrat and eventual President Bill Clinton by a close-on-paper 3 percentage points and 200,000 votes, with Texan Ross Perot running third.

But by 1996, Bob Dole -- not a Texan -- beat Clinton by 5 points. Republicans had taken charge.

In 2008, Obama lost the state to John McCain by nearly 1 million votes.

"Democrats keep talking about a day when there will be genuine two-party" competition, Wilson wrote.

"That day's not here."

Texans won't even see many TV commercials except on national networks.

When President George W. Bush ran in 2000 and 2004, he rarely campaigned here except on his way home on election eve.

Democrats often campaign as close as Louisiana or swing-state New Mexico, although this year both campaigns will stay mostly in states such as Ohio, Virginia and Florida.

At TCU, political science professor Jim Riddlesperger said our campaign season really never began.

"Legislatures -- both Democratic and Republican -- have gotten so good at redistricting that incumbents are rarely successfully challenged," he wrote by e-mail.

"Few districts are actually competitive."

He mentioned the lone exception: Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis' even-bet matchup against Republican state Rep. Mark Shelton.

Shelton is challenging Davis not only to represent Fort Worth and Arlington, but also to deliver Texas Republicans an extra Senate seat and a chance at a secure two-thirds majority.

If you don't know them now, you will by November.

Bud Kennedy's column appears Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 817-390-7538

Twitter: @budkennedy

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