The David Frum Show Can Democrats Actually Win in Texas?
30 snips
Mar 11, 2026 
Samuel Fleischacker, a philosophy professor and Adam Smith scholar, and Beto O'Rourke, former Texas congressman and organizer, join to discuss Texas politics and Smith’s legacy. They debate why Democrats struggle statewide and strategies for turnout and persuasion. They also explore Smith’s moral ideas, the invisible hand, and what he might make of modern American economic policy.
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Policy Backlash Creates Democratic Opening
- Republican policy choices and Biden/Trump-era actions have made the political environment in Texas more favorable to Democrats.
- O'Rourke cites tariffs hurting farmers, ICE raids, Medicaid cuts, and presidential unpopularity in Texas as contributing factors.
Register Young Voters Then Stay In Touch
- Do both registration and sustained follow-up: register young voters and maintain contact to convert registration into turnout.
- O'Rourke's Powered by People focuses on staying in touch because Texas has a turnout, not registration, problem.
Persuasion Must Complement Turnout
- Winning Texas requires persuasion and turnout; both matter because previously reliable Democratic constituencies have become persuadable.
- O'Rourke notes the Rio Grande Valley shifted toward Republicans and exit polls show those populations are now open to persuasion.
