San Antonio Judge changes political party

Week #7 Article #2

Moravec, Eva Ruth (2013, October 22) Court-at-law judge switches to Democratic Party. San Antonio Express News

http://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Local-elected-official-to-switch-parties-4913137.php

Category of problem: Politics

Level of problem: Local

This article concerns:

A court-at-law judge in Bexar County changing the political party he identifies with from Republican to Democratic.

Importance/affect on families/individuals:

This is important to families and individual because this party member’s change of party is a sign of a gradual shift of parties not only in San Antonio, but other areas of Texas.

My input:

I think that the change of party for former Republican Carlo Key is one of the many examples of the shifting political views of Texans. The Republican party is taking a lot of heat lately, especially after the whole government shutdown ordeal. Many American Republicans are using this as an opportunity to step back and reassess the party that they identified with at once. The Republican party's impact on the government shutdown made them the center of everyone's attention during these long 16 days. And in these 16 days, the stubbornness of the party got them into a lot of trouble. I think that the statement Judge Carlos Key made on his change of heart was a great way to put how many Americans are feeling lately. He stated "Make no mistake, I did not leave the Republican Party, it left me. My principles have led me to the Democratic Party, and I only hope that more people of principle will follow me." And more people may indeed be following in his steps. According to a CNN poll, more than half of the public oppose the party's control of the house, and more than 6 in 10 people think that House Speaker John Boehner should lose his job. This one individual is not the only one to change parties, either. I really do hope that this is just the beginning of a shift of many other Texans. Just in the last election, although Mitt Romney won all 38 of Texas's electoral votes, he won 57% of the popular vote, leaving Barack Obama with 41% of the popular vote. That may not seem like anything to brag about for Texas Democrats, according to the popular vote in the 2004 elections, the number of Texas Democrats is definitely growing.