TX: 1948 Senatorial Democratic Runoff Election Result

[RI]

New Election: 1948 Texas Senatorial Democratic Runoff Election Results
   
   

[Hash]

I know this isn't related to the matter at hand, but what's with that old Democratic stronghold in West Texas? It lasted for quite a while, but now it's like the most Republican area in the country. McGovern won one county in that area, and it voted 72% for McCain.

eg;

[Landslide Lyndon]

Stevenson carried Houston and Dallas but Johnson prevailed. Interesting.

And wasn't Johnson the Liberal choice?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

We've had questions on this subject before. I think it was something to do with who settled the area and it being very remote and thinly populated.

[Sam Spade]

So why did LBJ perform so horribly in Gillespie County (where he was born).  He performed fine in Blanco County, where he grew up.

[Torie]

So why did LBJ perform so horribly in Gillespie County (where he was born).  He performed fine in Blanco County, where he grew up.

Gilliepie County is very conservative as you know, in the German hill country, and Blanco isn't, or wasn't, so much. And back then as you know, most folks voted in the Dem primary, and there were shoot outs between the "progressive" and Tory wings of the party, and LBJ was the "progressive."

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The strange part there though is how well (for a Democrat) LBJ did there later on. Though that might have been more a 'boy done well' vote as owt else.

[RI]

If you don't know about this election, I suggest that you, at the very least, read this article.

[Sam Spade]

So why did LBJ perform so horribly in Gillespie County (where he was born).  He performed fine in Blanco County, where he grew up.

Gilliepie County is very conservative as you know, in the German hill country, and Blanco isn't, or wasn't, so much. And back then as you know, most folks voted in the Dem primary, and there were shoot outs between the "progressive" and Tory wings of the party, and LBJ was the "progressive."

Well, Blanco County is certainly in the Hill Country, so that really doesn't matter.  Also, this is before the fight between the progressives and conservatives - that's the 1950s.

I think the key difference is that Gillespie County was uniformly German (and Republican) at that time (it still is, really), whereas Blanco has a lot more English types and less Germans.  Which is odd, because I knew plenty of Germans in Blanco (but that was towards the western part of the county.

[The Mikado]

Never seen a map of this race before, thanks.

This race is one of my favorite stories.  Fascinating stuff.  The "Landslide Lyndon" stuff is driven home when you see that the margin was 50.00% to 50.00%.

[Torie]

So why did LBJ perform so horribly in Gillespie County (where he was born).  He performed fine in Blanco County, where he grew up.

Gilliepie County is very conservative as you know, in the German hill country, and Blanco isn't, or wasn't, so much. And back then as you know, most folks voted in the Dem primary, and there were shoot outs between the "progressive" and Tory wings of the party, and LBJ was the "progressive."

Well, Blanco County is certainly in the Hill Country, so that really doesn't matter.  Also, this is before the fight between the progressives and conservatives - that's the 1950s.

I think the key difference is that Gillespie County was uniformly German (and Republican) at that time (it still is, really), whereas Blanco has a lot more English types and less Germans.  Which is odd, because I knew plenty of Germans in Blanco (but that was towards the western part of the county.

Yes, that is why I said Gillespie County was more "conservative."  I didn't say "Republican" (because they were a pro Union island in a rebel sea), because we were talking about a Dem primary.

[Torie]

Never seen a map of this race before, thanks.

This race is one of my favorite stories.  Fascinating stuff.  The "Landslide Lyndon" stuff is driven home when you see that the margin was 50.00% to 50.00%.

If you have not read Caro's book on this period of LBJ's career, you should. It is a very engrossing read, and covers the stuffed ballot box affair in Duval County (Caro actually interviewed the guy who stuffed the box). The radio station affair is also fascinating (which after LBJ essentially stole it pulling strings with the FCC in DC, he then used it to funnel bribes to himself via corporations buying ad time on the radio station). You will never think of LBJ the same way again.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Never seen a map of this race before, thanks.

This race is one of my favorite stories.  Fascinating stuff.  The "Landslide Lyndon" stuff is driven home when you see that the margin was 50.00% to 50.00%.

If you have not read Caro's book on this period of LBJ's career, you should. It is a very engrossing read, and covers the stuffed ballot box affair in Duval County (Caro actually interviewed the guy who stuffed the box). The radio station affair is also fascinating (which after LBJ essentially stole it pulling strings with the FCC in DC, he then used to funnel bribes to himself via corporations buying ad time on the radio station). You will never think of LBJ the same way again.

Do you like LBJ?

[Torie]

Regarding my opinion of LBJ, I rank him as the worst President in US history, and that aside, probably the one who got away with more felonies without anyone laying a glove on him. But yes, Libertas, I did favor the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act.

[bgwah]

Neat map, though I notice you accidentally have Stevenson as a Republican.

[RI]

Neat map, though I notice you accidentally have Stevenson as a Republican.

Sorry, I forgot to change that when I uploaded the results. It's fixed now.

[Хahar 🤔]

I've always wanted to see a map of this race.

This interests me:



It's clear that the red is larger than the blue, but the margin of the election was so close that the difference shouldn't be visible on a pie chart of that size.

[Bo]

Why did LBJ do extraordinarily well among Latino voters? Because he was more liberal?

[Хahar 🤔]

Would you be able to put the first round map up?

Why did LBJ do extraordinarily well among Latino voters? Because he was more liberal?

He paid their leaders.

[King]

For you what-if timeliners, Stevenson defeats Johnson would be an interesting shift in American history.

[The Mikado]

Why did LBJ do extraordinarily well among Latino voters? Because he was more liberal?

In before Sam Spade guts this kid.

[jimrtex]

So why did LBJ perform so horribly in Gillespie County (where he was born).  He performed fine in Blanco County, where he grew up.

Stevenson was from Kimble County.  When he was a teenager he started his own freighting company (by wagon) and was self-educated reading by his campfire light.

[jimrtex]

Why did LBJ do extraordinarily well among Latino voters? Because he was more liberal?

Stevenson was extremely honest, and he refused to appoint a particular corrupt DA in Laredo.

POLITICAL NOTES: The Duke Delivers

[Nym90]

Interesting. Johnson certainly seems to have done best in what would later become the traditionally Democratic portions of the state, and Stevenson in the Republican portions.

Worth noting, of course, that machine politics was the rule rather than the exception back in the day, and Stevenson certainly benefited from fraud as well. In an election that close in that era, trying to determine the true winner is an exercise in futility.

Not that it excuses what happened in south Texas, but just saying.

[Torie]

Interesting. Johnson certainly seems to have done best in what would later become the traditionally Democratic portions of the state, and Stevenson in the Republican portions.

Worth noting, of course, that machine politics was the rule rather than the exception back in the day, and Stevenson certainly benefited from fraud as well. In an election that close in that era, trying to determine the true winner is an exercise in futility.

Not that it excuses what happened in south Texas, but just saying.

One difference is that any fraud committed in Stevenson's behalf was not orchestrated by him. LBJ was the conductor on the ballot box stuffing affair. He filled the role of Nixon in ballotgate.