Texas Shorts

I couldn't stand reading the phrase "bloggers in their Cheeto-stained underwear" any longer. So I went out and bought some Cheetos.

-- Color me amazed and astounded: the Dallas Morning News endorsed Barbara Radnofsky for Texas Attorney General. Just read this:

Abbott, 52, has joined a legal brief supporting Arizona's fatally flawed immigration law. He has sued the Environmental Protection Agency for daring to expect Texas to abide by the same, much-needed clean-air rules that apply to all 50 states. He is trying to block federal regulation of greenhouse gases. And when the Obama administration made the necessary decision to temporarily halt deepwater offshore drilling, Abbott filed yet another legal challenge – rather than focusing his efforts on how another disaster could be averted off our shores.

Meanwhile, there's plenty of work that needs to be done in the Texas office of the attorney general.

...

(A)fter eight years of Abbott, Texas can go no farther down this path.

Democratic challenger Barbara Ann Radnofsky offers a viable alternative. She's a smart, hard-nosed attorney who rightly suggests that the incumbent has done a poor job of picking battles. ...

... Radnofsky earns our recommendation. She's well prepared for the job and would back off from battles the state can't win – and shouldn't be fighting. Voters should not give Abbott another four years to tilt at Washington's windmills.

-- More endorsements from all over for Jeff Weems: the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Amarillo Globe News, Texas Fred (that's right; he of the Rowlett Tea Party) and the Sierra Club. That's about as broad spectrum as endorsements get.

-- There will be a debate between Hector Uribe and Jerry Patterson, the Land Commissioner candidates, tomorrow in Austin.

-- What Kuffner said about Sharon Keller skating. I'm just too revolted to add any more vitriol to the last chapter in this sordid saga. Grits has a take as well.

-- Sci Guy Eric Berger and the Texas State Climatologist, on climate change:

You may have noticed a recent AP story (picked up by USA Today here) on my announcement that Texas temperatures were rising and that triple-digit temperatures would be the norm within a few decades, as the story put it. I'd like to provide a little context about the story itself and about future Texas climate.

First, here is some helpful context that I received by email from an anonymous email account, here quoted in full with a tiny bit of character substitution: "hey you pathetic lying scumbag everybody is laughing at you and the al gore scam. what a stupid poiece of scum you are. professer mt a**. try dumba** al gore a** kisser."

Maybe you'd like some different context? Good.

And it gets better and more 'sciencey' from there.

Berger writes the best blog at the Chron (no disrespect to Dwight or Kate or J.R., who are almost indispensable themselves). During the hurricane season just passed, I didn't look at teevee once for storm information. Just Eric's posts and Stormpulse.

-- Here is last week's Harris County Clerk candidates' debate, between Ann Harris Bennett, Stan Stanart, and Don Cook.

The longest ballot in history?

That's what they keep saying.

If it seems like that Harris County ballot you got in the mail is long, it is. Veteran election watchers say it is the longest they can recall.  The ballot is so long that it requires 61 cents to mail in your vote. Harris County Democratic Party Chairman Gerry Birnberg joked, "We're real close to a poll tax here."

Harris County Clerk Beverly Kaufman recently gave a vivid demonstration of the daunting list voters face Nov. 2 by unfolding a ballot that extended to nearly her height.

Voters are "overwhelmed," said the Houston-area League of Women Voters president, Nancy Parra. The League's executive director, Christina Gorczynski, said the office never has received so many calls. A fire that destroyed nearly all of the county's voting machines has people clamoring for information about how to vote early, she said.

Keep in mind that if you vote early (EV starts next Monday the 18th and runs through Oct. 29), you can only vote electronically on a borrowed e-Slate. If you vote on Election Day you can ask for a paper ballot.

For the first time in several elections, I'll be voting on Election Day.

University of Houston political science professor Richard Murray said this year's ballot is the longest he has seen in the 44 years he has lived in Harris County and speculates that it may be the longest one in the nation this year.

"It's almost certain it's the longest ballot in the history in the state because we're by far the biggest county," Murray said.

No Harris County voter has all 252 candidates and 142 election contests on his individual ballot, but every one starts with 72 judicial contests.

Harris County Republican Party Chairman Jared Woodfill said the party's response to the lengthy ballot is simply to promote straight-ticket voting. Woodfill said the phone calls, door hangers, radio spots and mailers all will emphasize voting for all Republicans with one sweeping vote. In the 2008 presidential elections, 62 percent of Harris County voters cast straight-ticket ballots.

LOL, Jared. Democrats out-voted the GOP in straight ticket votes in both 2006 and 2008, and I don't believe the Tea Party likes some of the Republicans on your ballot. Besides that there are many, many Republicans splitting their ticket starting with the governor's race.

Kaufman notes that the Libertarian Party has fielded dozens of candidates in congressional and state races, lengthening the ballot by a few names on any individual ballot.

The Libertarians will suck away a minimum of 5% of the usual GOP tally, probably more like 7 or 8.  It's really a shame Kathie Glass isn't drawing off more of Goodhair's base; she's plenty kooky enough for the Teas and the Medinaites and even some of the Kay Bailey primary voters. We already know that a lot of moderate GOP are breaking for White.

The Greens also have a handful of candidates, mostly at the statewide level. Again, because the Dems did not field a Comptroller candidate, Edward Lindsay carries the torch for future Green Party ballot access in Texas. As Neil notes, if he gets 5%, they'll qualify in 2012.

The League of Women Voters has help for voters. To get voter guides and a ballot for your precinct, visit www. onyourballot.vote411.org. The League's paper voter guides should be in local public libraries by Wednesday. The county clerk's website, www.harrisvotes.net, has information on early voting locations, how to obtain a mail-in ballot and which races are on individual ballots. 

The League and Murray advise voters to do their homework and write down whom they intend to vote for before they enter the voting booth.

Straight-ticket voting does assure that bottom-of-the-ballot candidates get their share (many voters who split their ticket get tired of the long ballot and stop before they get to the end). But because there are frequently issues with straight-ticket voting at the top of the ticket -- and with Harris County using e-Slates from many other places, the likelihood of voting on a compromised one is increased -- the League's and Dr. Murray's advice is well-taken. From the Snopes link:

The best advice to ensure your votes count as you intend is to study a sample ballot in advance, read the ballot and voting instructions provided to you at the polling place carefully before casting your vote(s), and ask a poll worker for assistance if you are unsure about any aspect of the voting procedures. If you think you may have spoiled your ballot, do not hesitate to report the situation to a poll worker.

Another thing to keep in mind is that some political parties may not field candidates for every single partisan office on a ballot, so by selecting a straight ticket you may end up not voting at all in some races. Therefore, if you plan to vote a straight ticket, you might want to review your ballot first to verify that your party has a candidate running for every partisan office listed (and also be sure to cast votes for non-partisan offices not included in the straight ticket selection process). As they say, "If you're going to take the time to vote, take a few extra seconds and make every vote count."