Swan Song for once powerful Texas Establishment Republicans at Dan Branch 2014 July 4th picnic. 'This is a very nostalgic time,' said Kay Bailey Hutchison-Dallas Morning News

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7/7/14, "Dan Branch’s July Fourth picnic becomes a swan song for establishment Republicans," Dallas Morning News, Gromer Jeffers, Jr.

"Want to know where you can still find the once-dominant Texas establishment Republican?

Last Friday, many of them attended Dan Branch's final Fourth of July picnic in the Park Cities. Branch, who represents the area in the state House, has thrown the bash for eight years. It’s generally filled with the state’s power elite.

On Friday, the crowd was still elite but no longer so powerful, as Branch began the process of saying goodbye to his friends and constituents.

Branch, the influential lawmaker and ally of House Speaker Joe Straus, lost his bid to become GOP attorney general nominee to Sen. Ken Paxton of McKinney [64-36%].

Paxton is heavily favored over Houston lawyer Sam Houston in the November general election to replace Greg Abbott.

As people stood in the Hamburger Man line, they offered several theories on how Paxton beat Branch. Just a few years ago, establishment Republicans had an easy time with tea party Republicans. 

They lamented a takeover by staunch conservatives and negative campaigning that suppressed voter turnout, alluding mostly to the Chart Westcott/Morgan Meyer race to replace Branch in the House.

But that contest, which Meyer won, was contained to one district.

When Branch addressed the crowd, he signaled what he thought the problem was in modern Texas Republican politics: Average Republicans just don’t vote. In fact, most people don’t vote, especially in primaries.

By most measures, Texas ranks dead last or next-to-last in the country in voter participation.

“Our turnout hasn’t been so great here in Texas,” Branch said. “I felt that very personally.” Turnout was pathetic for the May 27 runoff, where Paxton easily beat Branch [64-36%]. Of more than 13.6 million registered voters in Texas, fewer than 736,000 voted in the GOP attorney general race.

“We have the second-worst voter engagement, behind Hawaii, in the nation,” Branch said. “That’s not something we should be proud of.”

Of course, there are other reasons why mainstream Republicans in Texas are losing.

The party’s most conservative and sometimes fringe activists are as influential as ever. They have been part of the Texas process for years, even when star Republicans like Branch, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst were winning elections without much worry.

But now, the activist factions of the regular GOP have organized under the tea party banner. They know whether or not an elected official is part of the club.

Paxton had tea party credibility, so he won easily. It was all he needed to distinguish himself in a contest where Branch pounded away at his qualifications and ethical lapses.

In 2009 Gov. Rick Perry, a top-notch retail politician, understood, or perhaps gambled, that the tea party movement would flourish in response to the election of President Barack Obama.

He went to Tax Day rallies across the state. Other establishment Republicans took a pass.

When they finally realized the tea party passion’s power in low-turnout primaries, it was too late to join the club. The velvet rope was up.

So Branch’s final holiday picnic served as an ode to the once-mighty GOP establishment.

And several prominent Republicans praised him for his service, including Hutchison, who lost a 2010 governor’s race to Perry.

“This is a very nostalgic time,” Hutchison said. “We think you are fabulous.”"...


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