And from the Wayback Machine ...
Sunday, May 06, 2018
Thursday, May 03, 2018
A debate, finally
On a Friday night. Before Mother's Day weekend. Nice going, schedulers.
This will work to Average White Guy's advantage, as Valdez -- I don't care for Gadfly's play on words w/r/t her name -- has demonstrated repeatedly she is not up to the task of running for statewide office. She's not even able to defend her record adequately (whether or not it can be defended is a different story). For that, just read Tilove's piece in the Statesman from Monday. I'm excerpting from the middle so you might want to click over for the question she was answering in context.
I can appreciate her candor and naivete', but the sad truth is that the Valdez campaign is a rocket that has exploded on the launching pad repeatedly. Almost every single time it's been placed there.
Still ... no way I'll vote for White. The 2018 gubernatorial race was not, has not ever been about winning; only about limiting the damage elsewhere. White brings nothing to the table in terms of boosting blue turnout downballot, which is all Valdez can hope for in November. More significantly, if the statewide ticket reads Beto O'Rourke, White, Mike Collier, Justin Nelson, Kim Olson, and a few token black and brown faces from there, then the over/under for Texas Democrats (other than those named Bob) moves from around 38% four years ago to about 35% six months from now.
Big Jolly's interview with Collier seems to recognize the lite guv challenger to Dan Patrick will have some ability to poach -- a word I like better than 'crossover' or 'split ticket', and a hell of a lot better than 'siphon' -- whatever exists of a moderate GOP persuadable caucus. That aside, there are targets for the Donks that don't involve attracting so-called moderate Republicans (an oxymoron, IMHO): Olson could over-perform, especially with some party help, against Sid "Jesus Shot" Miller, and Nelson, were he to say something out loud about Ken Paxton's latest legal action, could start to move Latin@s in his direction. But by holding their convention in Fort Worth (the most conservative urban area in the state, and the site of their 2006 conclave, which produced the second in a long line of losing streaks) Texas Democrats are happily giving the finger to the progressive base. They're essentially trying to smother the state's left movement in its crib. Having knocked the Greens off the ballot in 2016, there's no place for Lone Star progressives to go but for the lonely Democratic Socialist here and there. (More on this later, when my carpal tunnel eases.)
There's more pain than just in my forearm over the past few weeks.
Lupe Valdez, Andrew White set to debate May 11 in Austin https://t.co/nbVTST1VIs pic.twitter.com/qsrxTWxdbQ— Texas Politics (@DMNPolitics) May 3, 2018
This will work to Average White Guy's advantage, as Valdez -- I don't care for Gadfly's play on words w/r/t her name -- has demonstrated repeatedly she is not up to the task of running for statewide office. She's not even able to defend her record adequately (whether or not it can be defended is a different story). For that, just read Tilove's piece in the Statesman from Monday. I'm excerpting from the middle so you might want to click over for the question she was answering in context.
Of course, look at me, I’m going to fight for as much immigration as I can.
One could fairly hear Abbott strategist Dave Carney’s YEEHAH! echoing from his lair in Hancock, New Hampshire, off Skatutakee Mountain, the 1667 miles to Austin, Texas, above the low hum of Abbott Oompa Loompas working through the night to churn out a new line of 100 percent cotton T-shirts with an image of Lupe Valdez and the words, Of course, look at me, I’m going to fight for as much immigration as I can.
It’s not just that that’s not a policy. It’s that it’s exactly what Texas Republicans think, or their leaders would like them to think, is the actual Democratic thought process on immigration – fight for as much immigration as possible to help turn the state blue over time.
Two weekends ago, the last time I saw Valdez in Austin, she introduced her Abbott tracker to the crowd and then, after brief remarks, had this to say in answer to a question about debates.
Asked by a Democratic activist at a campaign event at North Austin brewpub Black Star Co-op on Friday night if she was going to debate White, Valdez replied, “I’m open to any kind of debate, but my staff are the ones who are going to take care of all of that.”
Pressed for a firmer answer, Valdez said, “You know there’s only certain decisions that they let me make, and most of them have to do with policy. … I can’t even tell you where I’ll be in the next few days. They’ll tell me. So they’re taking care of that.”
I can appreciate her candor and naivete', but the sad truth is that the Valdez campaign is a rocket that has exploded on the launching pad repeatedly. Almost every single time it's been placed there.
Still ... no way I'll vote for White. The 2018 gubernatorial race was not, has not ever been about winning; only about limiting the damage elsewhere. White brings nothing to the table in terms of boosting blue turnout downballot, which is all Valdez can hope for in November. More significantly, if the statewide ticket reads Beto O'Rourke, White, Mike Collier, Justin Nelson, Kim Olson, and a few token black and brown faces from there, then the over/under for Texas Democrats (other than those named Bob) moves from around 38% four years ago to about 35% six months from now.
Big Jolly's interview with Collier seems to recognize the lite guv challenger to Dan Patrick will have some ability to poach -- a word I like better than 'crossover' or 'split ticket', and a hell of a lot better than 'siphon' -- whatever exists of a moderate GOP persuadable caucus. That aside, there are targets for the Donks that don't involve attracting so-called moderate Republicans (an oxymoron, IMHO): Olson could over-perform, especially with some party help, against Sid "Jesus Shot" Miller, and Nelson, were he to say something out loud about Ken Paxton's latest legal action, could start to move Latin@s in his direction. But by holding their convention in Fort Worth (the most conservative urban area in the state, and the site of their 2006 conclave, which produced the second in a long line of losing streaks) Texas Democrats are happily giving the finger to the progressive base. They're essentially trying to smother the state's left movement in its crib. Having knocked the Greens off the ballot in 2016, there's no place for Lone Star progressives to go but for the lonely Democratic Socialist here and there. (More on this later, when my carpal tunnel eases.)
There's more pain than just in my forearm over the past few weeks.
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