27% of Texans Would Vote to Leave U.S.
as Abbott and Paxton Stay Silent on Fad
Capitol Inside
February 8, 2024
A new poll found that two-thirds of Texas voters would vote against the state's secession from the U.S. in a hypothetical referendum that two dozen Republican state House challengers who Governor Greg Abbott or Attorney General Ken Paxton or both are backing have vowed to support.
Conducted for Newsweek by the London-based firm Redfield & Wilton Strategies, the survey determined that 67 percent of the voters here would turn thumbs down on the push to bolt from the U.S. for the sake of becoming an independent country for the first time in nearly 180 years.
The poll found that 23 percent of the Texans who were sampled would favor a break from the USA if they had the chance to express their views on the subject at the polls in a statewide vote. Ten percent didn't know how they felt on the issue.
Ironically - perhaps - 33 percent of the Texas voters actually said they support an independent nation reboot in a separate question in the RWS poll that found only 39 percent actually opposed to such a move. A surprising 21 percent were neutral on whether they wanted Texas to sever ties with the United States of America that most Texans used to claim to love before secession became a fad for the far right here.
But at least 10 percent of the voters who claimed to support secession and the lion's share of those who were indifferent on whether Texas secedes apparently decided that it be would be the wrong move if they had an opportunity to weigh in at the polls.
Texas Nationalist Movement president Daniel Miller had been touting a SurveyUSA poll from 2022 that showed 60 percent of voters here favor the transformation of Texas and other conservative states to a nation that would be independent of the U.S. While the Redfield & Wilton is far more believable, Miller declared the results as a silver lining victory for secessionists.
"Contrary to the opposition narrative that support for Texit is non-existent, this poll shows that support for the issue is strong enough to warrant a public discussion and a vote on the issue," Miller told Newsweek. "Even if one believes the accuracy of this poll, it shows that Texit is polling at the same support level as Brexit and Scottish Independence before their referendums were held. It also shows that the opposition to Texit is far weaker than they pretend."
Brexit is a term that represents the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union in 2017. Despite some similarities on paper, Texit and Brexit are apples and oranges for comparative sake.
Both Abbott and Paxton have been silent on the sidelines on whether they support a remake of Texas as a separate country. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick had been mum on secession lately as well. It probably would be safe to assume that the top Texas leaders would favor a split from the USA because they would be relegated to private citizens without the jobs or the titles they hold now in a new nation. Same goes for U.S. Senator Ted Cruz.
Agriculture Sid Miller and State Rep. Steve Toth of The Woodlands are the only two elected officials at the state level who've signed the TNM's Texas Back Pledge to push for a nonbinding vote on secession.
But Paxton has endorsed 21 Texas House challengers who also have promised in writing to do everything in their power to bring about a statewide vote on secession. Abbott is campaigning with personal appearances for a pair of House candidates in Stormy Bradley of Big Spring and Janis Holt of Silsbee in primary fights with GOP State Reps. Drew Darby of San Angelo and Ernest Bailes of Shepherd respectively.
Sam Houston - unlike the current Texas governor - had the courage to take a stand against secession But the legendary leader was outnumbered when the delegates to a special convention voted 168-8 to leave the U.S.
"To secede from the Union and set up another government would cause war," Houston warned. "If you go to war with the United States, you will never conquer her, as she has the money and the men. If she does not whip you by guns, powder, and steel, she will starve you to death. It will take the flower of the country - the young men."
A total of 30 House challengers have signed the Texas Nationalist Movement pledge. The pro-secession candidates who Paxton supports include Kyle Biedermann of Fredericksburg, Paulette Carson of Apple Springs, Bianca Gracia of Pasadena, Janine Chapa of Georgetown, David Covey of Orange, Jaye Curtis of Palestine, Jeff Fletcher of Mineola, Tom Glass of McDade, Tim Greeson of Sealy, Dale Huls of DeKalb, Mitch Little of Lewisville, David Lowe of Fort Worth, Shelley Luther of Sherman, Joe McDaniel of Kilgore, Daren Meis of Allen, John Perez of Houston, Larrisa Ramirez of League City and Jack Reynolds of Azle.
Abbott and Paxton are both all in on Holt.
more to come ... |
