Voters not singing praises of extremist bloc (SBOE)

[sonias]

AAS 3/4/10
Voters not singing praises of extremist bloc
The State Board of Education bloc that pushes an extreme fundamentalist Christian agenda took a hard hit to its solar plexus in Tuesday's balloting, but while down, they're not completely out.

The bloc is usually referred to euphemistically as "social conservatives." In reality, they are religious extremists bent on injecting their worldviews into the public school curriculum. Don McLeroy, a Bryan dentist who is a leader of the bloc and who served two yearsas board chairman, was defeated in the Republican primary by Thomas Ratliff of Mount Pleasant.

(snip)
The McLeroy faction currently occupies seven of the 15 seats on the education board.The Tuesday primaries, combined with the voluntary retirement of Cynthia Dunbar — who declared that President Barack Obama sympathized with terrorists plotting another attack on the U.S. — takes three of the seven-member bloc out of action come January.

The potential exists, however, for the faction to recoup two seats should Brian Russell, an Austin lawyer aligned with the now sprained McLeroy wing, prevail in the runoff and defeat Democrat Judy Jennings, an Austin educator, in November. He is in a runoff with Marsha Farney of Georgetown. Farney calls herself a "common sense conservative."

Texas Observer 3/2/10
State Board of Education Races: Running With the Wingnuts
UPDATED AT 12:25 a.m.: It seems the State Board of Education has taken a turn back toward the mainstream tonight.

Of the four key races, the social conservatives have lost two, with one more headed for a runoff. If the current results hold up, the Christian-conservative bloc will hold, at most, six seats on the 15-seat board -- and perhaps as few as five seats, depending on the outcome of the runoff. (The districts are ultra-partisan, so it's unlikely any of these seats will flip in the general election.)
(snip)
As I wrote below, the wild card is George Clayton, a largely unknown candidate who was poised to upset Dallas incumbent Tincy Miller late tonight.

Miller was a moderate (not too crazy) R on the SBOE.

Texas Tribune 3/3/10
The SBOE, Revised
The most prominent symbol of Christian conservative power on the State Board of Education, former chair Don McLeroy, lost his seat Tuesday by a razor-thin margin, and with the loss, the board likely won't be quite as much of a Christian Conservative flash point any more.

What it will be, however, is anybody’s guess.

In addition to McLeroy’s defeat, longtime member Geraldine "Tincy" Miller was defeated by a political unknown in a race almost no one had been watching.

The board's balance of power is delicate. Though it’s had ten Republicans and five Democrats serving, seven socially conservative Republicans formed a reliable voting bloc that, with the swing vote of Democratic member Rick Agosto, gave them the power to advance a socially conservative agenda.

Thank God Rick Agosto didn't run again. Michael Soto will be a sane Democrat on this board.

Texas Freedom Network P/R 3/3/10
TFN President: Voters on Tuesday Rejected "Culture War" Battles on Education Board
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 3, 2010

Voters made it clear on Tuesday that they are tired of seeing the State Board of Education threaten the future of Texas schoolchildren with unnecessary and divisive "culture war" battles over curriculum and textbooks, the president of the Texas Freedom Network said today.

TFN President Kathy Miller noted that three of five far-right social conservatives lost election contests on Tuesday. A fourth was forced into a runoff. One of the defeated candidates was Don McLeroy, whom the state Senate refused to confirm for a second term as board chair in May 2009.

"Don McLeroy was right when he said this election was a referendum on what the board has done over the past four years," Miller said. "Voters sent a clear message by rejecting the ringleader of the faction that has repeatedly dragged our public schools into the nation’s divisive culture wars over the past four years. Parents want a state board that focuses on educating their kids, not promoting divisive political and personal agendas."

The Republican primary between McLeroy and challenger Thomas Ratliff of Mount Pleasant had the highest profile of all the state board contests. In addition to McLeroy’s defeat in District 9, Randy Rives of Odessa lost his race against incumbent Bob Craig of Lubbock in the District 15 Republican primary, and Joan Muenzler lost her District 3 GOP primary against fellow San Antonian Tony Cunningham. Both Rives and Muenzler were backed by far-right groups such as WallBuilders and the Texas Pastor Council.

:)

It's not over until November. I'm hoping we still have a chance to flip one or both of these seats - SBOE-10 and SBOE-5

[mbperrin]

1. I actually crossed over to vote against Rives for SBOE and for

Medina for governor. My Medina strategy didn't work, but Rives is out! Woo-hoo!

[sonias]

2. Yes I've learned that Craig is a sane R

So thank you for taking part fending off the real wing nut Rives.

It really is too bad about Medina. Oh she would have been so much fun if she had made the run-off.

[texastoast]

7. Rick Perry took care of her

And got her out of the way. He and Beck are buds. It just wouldn't be right to call them bedfellers.;-)

[sonias]

8. I agree that the Beck interview was a setup

Perry was so quick with his p/r denouncing her that day.

He plays dirty because he's a lying sack of shit.:puke:

[tanyev]

3. I had the great privilege of voting against McLeroy!

It's worth it to have "Republican" on my registration card for two years just to see that man go. Ratliff seems pretty rational on his website. I don't even know if he'll have an opponent in the general.

[sonias]

4. He has no Democratic opponent

But there is a Libertarian running. Ratliff is sure to win in November.

SBOE Texas Tribune 2010 Election database
District 9
* McLeroy, Don (R) *
* Ratliff, Thomas (R)
* McGee, Jeff (L)

[sonias]

5. SBOE - Not State Board of Evangelicals

I missed this quote from the Statesman article and TFN just sent it out in their Daily Clips

Don McLeroy's faction had its way because people were either indifferent or afraid to challenge them. Joe McCarthy traded on indifference and fear to perpetuate his power. His grip was broken when people finally had enough. Democrats and Republicans should reinforce Tuesday's message in November: SBOE stands for State Board of Education — not State Board of Evangelicals."

-- The Austin American-Statesman, in an editorial noting that the defeat of some religious extremists on the State Board of Education in Tuesday's primary isn't the end to their power and influence on the board.

:rofl: Good one!

[sonias]

6. George Clayton Interview

Postcards From the Lege blog AAS 3/4/10
New SBOE member says he brings "voice of reason"

(snip)
Clayton said he realized the board needed a "voice of reason" last year when the board members became mired in the discussion of the teaching evolution in the science curriculum.

While the State Board of Education was re-enacting the Scopes monkey trial, Clayton said, he was dealing with the real problems that educators face every day.

"I had one thing that (Miller) didn’t have and that is experience in public schools," Clayton said.

Given the board’s delicate balance, the question on many people’s minds is whether Clayton will ally himself with the board’s conservative bloc or the more moderate faction. Miller has often voted with the moderates on the sharply divided board.

(snip)

"I want to be the leveler," Clayton said.

Well I hope that means he will be a moderate too.