"Rogers...offers suggestions to Democrats in her new book, Turning Texas Blue...which include finding the right leader, running a whole-state campaign, and spreading the word about what she calls 'Republican extremism.'"—San Angelo Standard-Times
"It’s not easy being blue. It is easy, though, to find Democratic lamentations in Texas politics...Mary Beth Rogers is done with all that...Rogers lists 10 things Democrats might do to turn things around, including this one: 'Assume the role of a Republican strategist.'" —The Texas Tribune
"Rogers has a message for Democrats in Turning Texas Blue: Get smart...what she offers bears attention, whether you’re a Democratic or a Republican strategist." —The Austin American Statesman
"Compelling...Rogers provides a useful road map for how Democrats can help beleaguered Texans reclaim their state from the far right and usher in a politics that can fulfill the untapped potential of the state’s cultural and economic diversity." —Washington Monthly's Political Animal blog
"A blueprint for turning Texas blue, or at least giving Democrats a fighting chance." —Texas Observer
"Rogers takes a clear-eyed look at the mistakes of the Davis campaign and...the painful lessons that Democrats need to learn if they really want to win in Texas." —Texas Matters
"Everyone who seriously wants Texas to become a two party state needs to stop whining and read this book." —Paul Stekler, Director of Emmy Award Winning Documentary, George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire
"There is a certain kind of Texas woman: strong, caring, steady and fun-loving. Mary Beth Rogers is such a "can-do" person and in reading her book,Turning Texas Blue, you will understand the best and worst of Texas politics. You will also learn Texas history and laugh out loud at many of her stories. When you finish you will know that you have been in the presence of an astute political observer, a loyal Democrat and a true patriot." —Bill Bradley
"Will appeal to political junkies on both the left and right. Rogers a veteran political operative and confidante of the late Democratic governor Ann Richards, swiftly and entertainingly recounts Texas political history...She’s a clever, concise writer, unafraid to share her own experience of triumph and disappointment as Richards’s career waned, and brisk and scornful as she indicts 'clowns, crackpots, and Christian crusaders' on the Texas right for choosing small-government ideology over effective governance." —Publishers Weekly
"Rogers draws off the wisdom of a lifetime in Texas politics to write a timely lesson about how in the world we got to this place. Pulling no punches, this is a must-read for anyone doing the hard work to restoring state government that represents all Texans." —Cecile Richards, President, Planned Parenthood Action Fund
"Rogers provides genuinely sharp insight into where the Democrats went wrong [in Texas]...Readers ...who want change should pay attention and get started on the author's to-do lists. She knows the territory, and she wants it back." —Kirkus Reviews
2015-10-14
How to change the political landscape in Texas, "the reddest of the red-hot states, covered by a big bubble that protects the most reactionary, radical, and rabid set of officeholders that much of the country has ever seen." As Ann Richards' campaign manager in 1990 and 1994, Rogers (Cold Anger: A Story of Faith and Power Politics, 1990) watched as the Democrats ignored warning signs and the Republicans took over the state. The Democratic Party was locked in internecine warfare, spewing out grievances dating back to Reconstruction, and Republicans rejected the 1950s-era anti-communist hysteria and John Birch Society as bad for business and moved to the middle. The author explains the strange world of Texas: its complexity, diversity, special interests, and political history. Only with a sense of Texas' sincere hatred of any and all government since the Civil War can one understand how to secure the vote. The author's disappointments, morphing into real bitterness, show throughout the book; she calls Texas the "reddest wacko state in the union." The takeover of the state by Republicans was complete by 1998, when they won every statewide elected office and just about obliterated the Democratic Party. Texas is her story, but the practices and politics used have spread to the rest of the country. The imprint of Texas Republicans can be seen in the leadership of the tea party, gerrymandering of congressional seats, mega donors, tort reform, and elsewhere. When she calms down, Rogers provides genuinely sharp insight into where the Democrats went wrong. She explains how they must copy the successful methods of the Republicans, microtargeting Hispanics, blacks, and cynical whites. She notes that the price of oil plays a large part in party power switching, especially the governor's office, which she considers of primary importance. Readers in Texas—and even nationally—who want change should pay attention and get started on the author's to-do lists. She knows the territory, and she wants it back.