A great deal has happened in America’s politics through the years but that is especially so the past six months. President Donald Trump was impeached on a party-line vote in the House of Representatives.
He was acquitted by the Senate with only one Republican voting for one of the two Articles of Impeachment.
The first in the nation Iowa Democratic caucus was a disaster, leaving Democrats running for president in a much-publicized “muddle.” The nation is separated more than ever by the political partisan divide.
On this week’s Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall, Mark Jones, Ph.D., a fellow in Political Science at the Baker Institute at Rice University, said the partisan divide is not likely to close any time soon.
“Congressman Will Hurd who is the most moderate Republican congressman in the Texas delegation isn’t running for office,” Jones said. “And the most moderate Democrat, Henry Cuellar is being heavily challenged by a far-left Democrat. That is the moderates being eaten from within their own party.”
Brandon Rottinghaus is a political science professor at the University of Houston and says the Democrats have divisions in their own party that will hurt their chances in November.
“The party’s trying to battle for its own soul and if they can’t figure it out then the winner will be Donald Trump,” he said. “He’s the only one who can step back and say, well look at this chaos, I’m the only one who can give you a clear vision.”
Jones and Rottinghaus lead the discussion about the current political mess and what’s next, including the lies and untruths being told by politicians that are making our polarization worse.
Politifact Website: https://www.politifact.com/texas/
Media Polarization-Pew Research: https://pewrsr.ch/2SxQBC8
Texas leads nation in uninsured children
More than 800,000 children in Texas are uninsured, a figure that leads the nation. More than 200,000 children are uninsured in Harris County, which is one of the reasons the Ronald McDonald House Mobile Clinic is on the road taking medical services into the communities where it’s needed. Tanya Gee is the executive director of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Houston Galveston and talks about the need for that program in our community.
Well-known mural artist “Donkeeboy” is also a guest and talks about the gigantic mural he and his mother created to call attention to the health inequities in our community.
Metamorphosis conference prepares to change lives
Pastor Mia Wright is co-pastor at the Fountain of Praise Church in Houston. She said she woke up in the middle of the night with a vision. Now twenty years later, she is the Executive Director of Metamorphosis and the conference by the same name that has been changing lives.
“Just teaching women how to walk out their change, what their desires are, to focus on something, to find something better for their lives and then drives their actions and activities toward that really became a driving passion for me.” The 20th annual Metamorphosis conference is scheduled for March 20 and Pastor Wright is guest this week to talk about what to expect.
Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall airs Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
More information
Mark Jones, Ph.D., Baker Institute Fellow in Political Science, Professor, Rice University
- Website: http://bit.ly/323GMz9
- Phone: 713-348-2107
- Email: mpjones@rice.edu
- Twitter: @RiceUniversity
Brandon Rottinghaus, Ph.D., Political Science Professor, University of Houston
- Website: http://bit.ly/39NQ5pN
- Phone: 713-743-3925
- Email: bjrottinghaus@uh.edu
- Twitter: @UHouston
Tanya Gee, Executive Director, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Houston/Galveston
- Website: https://www.rmhcghg.org
- Phone:713-465-2053
- Email: tgee@rmhcghg.org
- Twitter: @RMHChou
Alex Roman, “Donkeeboy” Mural Artis
- Website: www.donkeeboy.com
- Twitter: @donkeeboy
Mia Wright, Pastor, Founatain of Praise, Executive Director Metamorphosis
- Website: www.metamorphosis.org
- Contact: http://bit.ly/37tNcsC
- Twitter: @metaconf