Television has burnt the image of a cowboy walking through the streets of Dallas. He wears tight blue jeans, a tucked in flannel shirt, an oversized belt buckle, and snake-skin boots. The Chuck Norris wannabe does not shave his beard, and walks with a self important jaunt past a Starbucks or a group of teenagers listening to their mp3 players. This man has not changed his political views since LBJ was in office. Women and blacks are always startin’ up a ruckus about civil rights. He thinks Darwin is the Devil ‘imself, global warming is a bunch of dang phooey, and them Jews oughta do some learnin’ about Jesus already.

This man is in the White House, or so the world has been convinced. And in the process, millions of Texas Democrats have been silenced. People who believe in evolution and a woman’s right to choose do not exist. Blotted out by an electoral college that labels red states and blue states and leaves selection of the next President in the hands of a select few midwestern states.

What should a secularist living in Laredo, Texas do? Move to Ohio. Move to Florida. Move to Pennsylvania. Or resign himself to having his political voice rendered mute. Republicans and Democrats and MTV speak reverent volumes about the power of one vote. A Texas Democrat has no power. At least not at the national level. A Texas Democrat has two choices: leave or lament.

And so I lament.