USA Today Plays the Texas Blues

Asks USA Today this morning, more or less: Why has Dallas County’s color scheme gone from red to purple to kind of blue? “Urban flight, a growing minority population and an influx of Katrina Democrats from Louisiana have contributed to the shifting mood in urban centers such as Dallas, Republican strategist Chris Turner says.” (I believe that’s the same Chris Turner who worked Bush-Cheney ’00.) But the reason Turner doesn’t see Texas going all blue: “There’s been a re-energizing of the Republican base almost solely on Sarah Palin.” I will now spend the rest of the day listening to Miles Davis. –Robert Wilonsky