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Sean Cunningham's book "Cowboy Conservatism: Texas and the Rise of the Modern Right" delves deeper than political party rivalries to explain how Texans make their voting decisions.
Written by Sherrel Jones
According to Cunningham, campaign tactics and unforeseen factors could cause another political shift similar to the 1960s and 1970s.
As the Texas gubernatorial election approaches, Gov. Rick Perry thinks he is a shoo-in, but a Texas Tech professor said the red-state tide may be washed over by a blue wave.
“Cowboy Conservatism: Texas and the Rise of the Modern Right” explains the process of political shifts. Multiple elements play a role in shifts among parties, said author Sean Cunningham, and it can be hard to decipher causes because politics are not black and white. Also, it focuses on Texas politics in the 1960s and 1970s and the change from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party.
“There are many different themes throughout the book,” Cunningham said. “Aside from Texas politics, a predominant theme is the role of public relations and political marketing in politics.”
While similar books interpret intraparty friction, Cunningham’s book goes beyond party rivalries to explain how political parties position themselves in the minds of voters.
On November 22, 1963, the U.S. faced tragedy with the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Loyally Democratic Texans felt obligated to support successor Lyndon B. Johnson because he was a Texan and Kennedy died in Texas, Cunningham said.
Texans had a change of heart in the 1972 presidential election and abandoned Democratic candidate George McGovern. He was perceived as the choice of the far-left wing and, as a result, lost the election.
“Many factors played an important role in this shift,” Cunningham said, “including loyalties and traditions. People no longer felt compelled to cast their votes based solely on partisan loyalty.”
Future results of the gubernatorial election are difficult to predict, he said. Since the 1990s, Texans have primarily voted Republican. But, unforeseen factors and successful campaigning can cause another shift.
“Cowboy Conservatism: Texas and the Rise of the Modern Right” is scheduled for release in June.
5 Responses to “From Red to Blue: Professor Explores Political Shifts in Texas”
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Sean Cunningham is an assistant professor in the Department of History in the College of Arts & Sciences.
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June 22nd, 2010 at 1:34 pm
For the love of God, I hope not. If anything, Texas needs to return to a more conservative posture.
June 23rd, 2010 at 5:42 pm
I doubt very seriously any democrats win this year. Liberalism has ruined this country. Enough already. Time for another revolution.
June 24th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
Texas needs to get its head from under the right wing. Conservatism is a respectable position but not to the point of Louie Gomert, Joe Barton, Randy Neugebauer, Michelle Bachmann, or Steve King. The last thing Texas needs to do is to go further to the right. Ignorance is not bliss. Being conservative is one thing but having a narrow view of the world is quite another. As a progressive/liberal, I am proud of the contributions we have given to society such as paying attention to the poor, encouraging education, attempting to make health care more affordable, and abstaining from contemptible positions such as secession. I do differ from my fellow liberals on abortion. Take Care.
June 27th, 2010 at 12:10 am
Now, let it be known that I have no idea what Prof. Cunningham’s political affiliations are. Nor have I ever met the man or spoken with him. That said, the question that jumped into my mind after reading this synopsis was this: Is Prof. Cunningham just another one of the many academic liberals educating us? It’s no secret that academic liberals, Democrats, if you will, have gravitated to our educational system for many years, and many young minds have been influenced by them. I am not disputing that Texas was Democratic before or that a political shift could happen again. I would ask, however, if this book is an attempt to hasten such a shift. Additionally, I wish a better conservative than Rick Perry would run for governor and beat him. Conservative, Liberal, Libertarian, or Communist, too many terms in office foster less change in either direction and more complacency, because they all begin to think they entitle to the job. Okay, maybe I should sign for one of his classes this semex and get to know him!
July 16th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
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