Before Texas Democrats went to the polls one day last week, they witnessed one of the bitterest political campaigns in Texas' history. In the runoff primary for governor, between Governor Allan Shivers and Austin Lawyer Ralph Yarborough, the big issue was clear-cut: Yarborough, representing Democrats who stayed with the national party organization in 1952, charged that Shivers committed political treason by swinging Texas to Dwight Eisenhower.
In speech after speech, Yarborough told Texans: "You know during that campaign the poor old Democrat donkey got kicked all over Texas, and the person kicking him...