Last week on Twitter was focused primarily on the continuing protests and riots in response to the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. Most of the demonstrations were nonviolent, but there were still bad actors who traveled to U.S. cities to cause pandemonium.

However, it seems that the progressive left is using social media to capitalize on the buzz surrounding the #BlackLivesMatter protests to push their agenda in a state they have trying to win over the past few years: Texas.

Democrats Use #BlackLivesMatterTX To Push For A Blue Texas?

Several high-profile leftist individuals and organizations are using the hashtags #BlackLivesMatterTX in conjunction with #TurnTexasBlue to raise money for the Democratic Party’s campaign to flip the state in their favor. Star Trek legend George Takei tweeted his support for the effort. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think we’d raise this much to #TurnTexasBlue,” he wrote. “Just 4 hours left, and we’re closing in on $1 million! We just need $100,000 more.”

Filmmaker Rob Reiner, a vocal critic of President Trump, also joined in. He tweeted: “Let’s get to this $1 million goal so we can #TurnTexasBlue and win it all in November!”

Comedian Sarah Silverman posted a tweet with a link to the campaign’s website where it collects donations. She wrote, “If Texas registers 2 million votes, we will #TurnTexasBlue. Let’s crush this $1M goal.”

Is It Possible?

One might be tempted to think that the Democrats’ effort to flip the Lone Star State is a fool’s errand. After all, Texas has remained solidly red for decades. But the Republican Party would be wise to take heed. Several elements are showing that a Democratic victory in Texas isn’t as farfetched as it might seem.

During the 2018 midterm elections, former presidential candidate Beto O’ Rourke came close to defeating Republican incumbent Ted Cruz during the senatorial race. The Democratic contender enjoyed overwhelming financial support from outside of the state. But as a Democrat, he should have been handily beaten by Cruz, who held the seat since the days of the Tea Party.

Last year, the Christian Science Monitor noted that while “no Democrat won statewide in 2018,” the fact remained that the party “had its best election in decades.”

But there is also the fact that President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden are in a statistical dead heat in Texas, with the incumbent enjoying a slight two-point lead. The fact that #BlackLivesMatter protests garnered a significant level of support in Texas cities is also another indicator that the state might be on a slow lurch to the left.

It’s worth pointing out that while the Democrats have certainly made inroads in Texas, it is not likely that they will turn the state blue this year. However, if the GOP wishes to retain control of the state, they must redouble their efforts to ensure that their outreach efforts are practical.

As the demographics of the state continue to evolve, the Republicans must expand their campaigning to other groups of Americans. Otherwise, the Democrats might finally realize their dream of flipping the state, which could have dire consequences for the GOP in future presidential elections.

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Read more from Jeff Charles.