|
If you had the opportunity to watch the "Belo" Republican Governor's Debate, you know it was bad. The setup bad, the format bad, the panel bad, except for the Houston representative, Len Cannon. It was a one hour debate and it seemed the panel questions and their videos chewed up about 1/3 of the time. Did we really need Wayne Slater's "attitude" when asking questions? How about five more minutes on Roe v. Wade? Of course, it's federal law and Texas alone can't get rid of it and the Governor has little impact on its repeal. Instead, maybe they should've asked about our costly and failing education system, or runaway property taxes as well.
TCR is still waiting for a real debate on issues we are facing in Texas.
What The Scott Brown Win In Massachusetts Means For Texas Conservatives
Now that we have had a chance to absorb the meaning of Scott Brown's win in the Massachusetts Senate race, let us share it with you.
First and foremost, Scott Brown was a fresh face, running on Massachusetts conservative issues. Second, his opponent was a veteran politician who didn't do her homework. Third, the electorate is tired of overexposed politicians who don't listen. So for the GOP, it meant a win. Fourth, Brown was a candidate who was willing to stand up to the Establishment. Fifth, voters are punishing candidates who cling to government and parties as usual. Sixth, in Massachusetts, 51% of the voters said they were independent. They won't join political parties, but will force political parties to join them.
In Texas, it's a little different picture. Our candidate for Governor, whoever he or she may be, will be someone on the public scene for a long time. The presumed Democratic candidate Bill White has had a public profile in the Houston area for six years but statewide, none, so he will be the freshest face. Texas is still a center right state and he'll run as a center candidate who cut taxes/we know (barely!) in Houston.
So in essence, the dealigned electorate means we will have to work hard to win independents so we can win in November, we can't coast to victory this time.
Robert Mosbacher, Sr. RIP
We have lost a giant of a man, Republican, and citizen in Robert Mosbacher, Sr. Your Editor had the pleasure of knowing and working with him. Not only was he a great businessman at Mosbacher Energy, he was an elite political fundraiser for President George H.W. Bush and other GOP leaders, and he was a leader for free trade as Secretary of Commerce. Finally, he was a class act. He is a great loss for all who knew and loved him.
What Is The White Campaign Saying This Week?
TCR Note: This is an official White email on 1/25/10 - it tells you what they are thinking. Most instructive.
Polling: Our polling looks very strong at this stage of the race. According to an independent Rasmussen poll released earlier this week, of all the candidates, including both Perry and Hutchison, Bill has the highest percentage of likely voters who view him "very favorably."
Perry has been on the statewide ballot for 20 years and has spent millions in advertising. By contrast, Bill has never run statewide and has not yet spent a dime on TV advertising in this race. Yet, according to Rasmussen, Bill is only behind Perry by 10%.
In the coming weeks, Senator Hutchison will continue to pound Perry. According to Rasmussen, Perry could be forced into a runoff. So we are in a great position.
Once people learn about Bill, they favor him. Our work introducing Bill across the state is paying off, and we have a solid plan to catch and then pass Perry in voter support by November 2.
In Texas and throughout the country, voters are increasingly disenchanted with incumbents and both political parties. We've seen that at least 30% of likely Texas voters consider themselves Independents. This is great news for us. Bill appeals to Independent voters because of his fiscally responsible approach and track record of bringing people together to get things done.
TCR on the Air
Red, White & Blue, featuring TCR Editor Gary Polland and liberal commentator David Jones on Houston PBS Channel 8 at HoustonPBS.org. Next up: Attorney General Greg Abbott. Coming soon: Houston Mayor Annise Parker, Karl Rove and many other exciting guests. As a new fun feature, visit Red, White & Blue on the Houston PBS website, where you can see after-show commentary about the show and its guests by Gary and David.
About Your Editor
Gary Polland is a long-time conservative and Republican spokesman, fund-raiser, and leader who completed three terms as the Harris County Republican Chairman. During his three terms, Gary was described as the most successful county Chairman in America by Human Events - The National Conservative Weekly. He is in his thirteenth year of editing a newsletter dealing with key conservative and Republican issues. The last eight years he has edited Texas Conservative Review. Gary is a practicing attorney and strategic consultant. He can be reached at (713) 621-6335.
|
RSS Feed
