Not surprisingly  our August cover story on the rising tide of Texas Democrats brought about a flood of feedback. Even noted lawmakers joined the fray. San Antonio mayor (and cover boy) Julián Castro garnered national attention from BuzzFeed and the Huffington Post after batting down a troll who’d tweeted a racist comment about the cover. And Republican senator Dan Patrick, from Houston, had a little fun with Photoshop, swapping out “Game On?” with a “Game Over?” and sharing his redesigned image with fans and followers.

And now, a sampling of feedback from our readers:

Color Me Mad

Three pretty faces and a pair of pink tennis shoes do not turn a red state blue [ “The Life and Death (and Life?) of the Party” ]. There seems to be a lot of wishful thinking on the minds of the outs and a lot of overconfidence on the minds of the ins. Let the voters decide, now that our long-term governor has stepped aside.
Gerald Skidmore, Huntsville

So what models of good governance do Battleground Texas and Wendy Davis have to offer us Texans? Detroit? Chicago? California? New York? Most Texans, regardless of race, creed, or gender, will say thanks but no thanks.
Michael Klatt, Austin

In case you don’t know what happened, the pro-life conservatives won! And the vast majority of Texans are behind them! So why do you have losers on your cover?
Janet Turner, via email

Love, love, love the current cover. The shoes, the blues, the up-and-coming Castro bros, the no BS, and a totally smokin’ Texas state senator. Well done, TM.
Jay Blackburn, Santa Rosa, California

@WendyDavisTexas’s filibuster is even more impressive now that I know she had one hard-boiled egg for breakfast.
@Ashleyschapitl

Robert Draper should move out of Washington, D.C., and back to Texas so he can write objectively about the state. The reason Texas is a red state has less to do with race and socioeconomic status than political ideology. Texas is fiercely independent. We don’t need government to exist. When this belief changes, Texas will be a blue state. And it will then die a slow death, just like the rest of the blue states.
Jon Klement, Mission

I can remember local elections in my hometown where, if you wanted to get elected, you ran as a Democrat, even if you were very conservative. But the thing Texas never was, and never will be, is a liberal state. The reason Texas has become a Republican state is that Democrats are leaning so far left.
Autonoe, via texasmonthly.com

If the good people of Texas ever think there’s a bright future in hitching their wagons to state senator Wendy Davis—a woman whose notoriety is almost exclusively based on her obsession with making the murder of babies easy—then may God have mercy on their souls.
Mark S. Peterson, Verona, Wisconsin

Good article. It gives one hope that there might be an alternative to moving out of the state.
Bob Sudela, via email

If yammering on for seventeen hours de manding the “right” to abortions after twenty weeks is what the Democrats view as a ro ad to success in Texas, they’re in worse shape than meets the eye.
Scottinva, via texasmonthly.com

Great article! Wendy gave us Dems the kick in the pants we needed! Nice to know Battleground Texas is there to keep it going.
@becca_atx

The Democrats don’t have a shot in h—. But please put a lot of effort and money into trying. That way, your disappointment will be twice as bitter. I wish all Dems external hemorrhoids and ingrown toenails.
Kenpuck, via texasmonthly.com

The Flaw West of the Pecos

As well-written and informative as this article is, I am disgusted by the tone [ “The Best Little Checkpoint in Texas” ]. Al Reinert broke a law. He paid a measly fine and was somewhat inconvenienced. Willie Nelson broke a law, paid a measly fine, and was somewhat inconvenienced. The rest of us follow the law in all of our bourgeois ignorance and wonder about those who find the law so inconvenient. Thank God the vast majority of this country believes that “law abiding” is a duty. Now, there’s a concept for you, Al: duty. It means that we as a collective society have a responsibility to others. I know: If only I understood. If only I weren’t so uninformed or uptight. If only you could be left alone to do as you pleased. If only no one placed any expectations on you and others who are scofflaws. It’s all so tiresome.
Plumbago, via texasmonthly.com

It’s the duty of our lawmakers to construct laws that are rational and sensible. Penalizing someone for possessing and/or using marijuana does not make sense to the vast majority of thinking adults. Society will eventually realize that consumption of tequila is a far bigger problem; only then will this huge waste of time, money, and manpower be eliminated.
Superwittysmitty, via texasmonthly.com

Dell-ete

I have to admit, a certain smirk crossed my face reading your article on the travails of Dell [ “Dell and Back” ]. I think one day business school students will study the rise and fall of Dell as a case study in hubris. Consider the basic Dell computer: for years it was littered with dozens of cut-rate trial versions of software, Dell-specific hardware drivers and control panels, and memory-sucking utilities. The consumer was assaulted with technical jargon, frustrating errors, viruses, incompetent technical support, and noise, simply to get email and surf the web.

Overwhelmingly, the unwashed masses never wanted a PC in the first place. Consumers always wanted ease-of-use and mobility. And with the rise of tablets and smartphones, consumers finally have the product they’ve wanted all along. 

Oh, and if you think playing catch-up is easy, ask BlackBerry.
Devin York, Houston

Beachy Keen

Thank you, texas monthly, for the awesome article on South Padre Island [ “Come Padre” ]. Having grown up in the Valley, I have spent many a day basking in the sun, fishing,