This is the first of several articles that will talk about how the Democrats can fight their way back to relevance in Texas. Though this is intended as being tailored for Texas, quite a bit of it will have relevance for the rest of the country.

In writing these articles, I'm making several assumptions:

1. That things will not get appreciably better by the time the next election rolls around. The reason for this is simple: If I thought things were going to improve under Republican control, I'd have voted for the Republicans. I don't believe that they will, and I want to be able to take advantage of that.

2. That the voters will be responsive to a message that resonates with them. Texas is a Republican-dominated state, but they're not a majority. A significant number of voters still identify as independent, enough to ensure that plurality is the best either party can do. Texas is an open primary state, so you can't count party registrations.

3. That this whole exercise isn't hopeless. 'Nuff said.

The first article will talk about what kind of progressive message could work with voters in this mostly conservative state. The second will talk about turnount. The third will talk about some specific targets to aim for.