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."

The Weekly Wrangle

The Texas Progressive Alliance is imagining a world in which John Lennon would have lived to see his 70th birthday as it brings you this week's roundup.

Off the Kuff published interviews with Democratic candidates Jeff Weems, Hector Uribe, and Hank Gilbert.

BossKitty at TruthHugger is disgusted again. This is a very serious election, but America is the deer in the headlights and appears to be frozen. So the last thing he wants to hear is "its a TRUCK"! This election is all spin and conspiracy (not that previous elections haven't been) but this one is critical because it's hinting at rolling back what progress has been achieved. Israel is sliding, America is sliding and the radicals are ready. This is NOT the choice American's should face.

Matthew Dowd, a Bushbot, longs for the glory days of the Bush presidency and envisions Rick Perry as president. That sound you hear is CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme retching uncontrollably.

Bay Area Houston says that during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Americans are truly a sick bunch of people.

nytexan at BlueBloggin is beyond irritation at the continual hypocrisy of Congress and the Republican agenda of NO. The latest example is Senators Coburn and Brown Take Pay Raise and Say No To Federal Employees. It's stunning that the US Congress can continue to give themselves pay raises every few years and then claim that federal employees are overpaid. Tom Coburn believes "we need to expect more, and we need to pay less".

The Texas governor is apparently going to finish the 2010 campaign much the way he started it: remaining cowardly, and trying to get re-elected based solely on his good looks.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson posts (again) on the failure of our state's leadership: Public school finance continues to be a problem.

WhosPlayin writes about why it is so important for Texans to log on to www.donatelifetexas.com and check the status of their organ donor registration, and sign up if they haven't already.

Neil at Texas Liberal attended the Governor's race debate on the topic of education that was held in Houston. All the candidates were there ... except the incumbent.

Sunday Funnies

"Don't f*ck with Todd Palin. He will make you an offer he can't pronounce. You mess with Todd Palin, you could wake up with a horse's ass in your bed, like he does everyday." -- Bill Maher, on Todd Palin firing off an angry email full of grammatical errors to Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller

Geek fighting on Facebook

This was one of my friend's - no, one of my real friends -- FB status updates today.

Regarding the mosque near ground zero, I say let them build it. But across the street, we should put a topless bar, called "You Mecca Me Hot". Next to that, a gay bar called "The Turban Cowboy" and next to that, a pork-rib restaurant called "Iraq o' Ribs"? And a check cashing center called..."Iran out of... money"

This is my response:

This is a great idea! But we could just get the strip club that's already there to change its name (from the Pussycat Lounge). And the Thunder Lingerie and More sex shop ('more' looks like peep shows and dildos) could rename itself "72 Virgins". Talk about Meccan me hot...

Within three blocks of Ground Zero, there are 17 pizza shops (one slice of Meat Lovers, extra sausage, for my Muslim buddy over there on the corner), 18 bank branches (Iran Outta Money is perfect), 11 bars, 10 shoe stores (I like "Duck, Bush!" personally) and 17 separate salons where a girl can get her lady parts groomed. How about "Brazilians by Chileans"? Allah Akbar!

Not to mention at least ten churches, three synagogues, one Buddhist community center, a Hare Krishna facility and an existing Muslim prayerhouse that, on its website, denies any connection to "any other organization trying to build anything new in the area of downtown Manhattan".

I'm not making any of this up (except the renames, in the spirit of the OP). Just Google 'ground zero strip club' and click on the NY Daily News link. It should be the second one from the top.

You know what I like best about this suggestion? Morons like Newt Gingrich may finally stop calling GZ 'sacred ground'.

"Christ, Patrick, don't try to kiss me .."

"Can't you see we're in church, you moron?!"

Remaining cowardly (Perry as well as the state media)

This ad calls the governor out yet again -- and since it no longer contains that word that offends the Houston Chronicle's Jack Sweeney, it appears in that newspaper, and 40 others across the state.

“Rick Perry again proved what a coward he is by stiffing Texans and skipping out of Sunday’s gubernatorial debate. With a looming $21 billion budget deficit and the recent scandals showing Perry’s willingness to sell out our state government to campaign donors, it’s no wonder he’s afraid to face the people of Texas.

“Texans are tired of long-time career politicians like Rick Perry, who hides from voters in his $10,000-per-month taxpayer-funded rental mansion and refuses to be held accountable for his record.

It's a remarkable list of of accomplishment, isn't it?

There's yet another media poll out today ...

With election night now less than a month away, the new KHOU-Belo Texas Poll shows incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Perry is backed by half of all surveyed Texas voters; indicating he has built a commanding lead over Democratic challenger Bill White.

The poll shows Perry is supported by 50 percent of surveyed voters, compared to White's 36 percent.  Another 9 percent of voters were undecided, while Libertarian candidate Kathie Glass picked up 3 percent. 

Perry has led almost every poll conducted during this campaign, though not always by such a wide margin. But the governor breaking the 50 percent barrier in an independent statewide poll is a dramatic development in a campaign in which even White himself concedes he's the underdog.

The survey indicates Perry's support is not only wider than White's, it's also deeper.  Pollsters at Public Strategies Inc., the Austin-based firm that conducted the study,  suggested that Perry is ahead, not only because Republicans outnumber Democrats, but also because they're more likely to vote this November.  

That's an inevitability narrative. Too bad the poll is even more seriously flawed than last week's. Matt Angle at the Lone Star Project released this statement to the press earlier this afternoon:

The recent poll commissioned by Belo and reported by KHOU Channel 11 in Houston and WFAA Channel 8 in Dallas, however, appears to be distorted to the point that it should not be considered an accurate measure of the current political atmosphere in Texas. Specifically:

*The interview “screen” used to determine which individuals to include in the poll distorts the make up of the voter sample to the point that it cannot be an accurate reflection of the likely make-up of the 2010 General Election electorate in Texas. Typically, those surveyed in political polls are asked the question, “Are you likely to vote in the next general election?” The Belo poll asked a very different question. Its screen asked if the respondent voted in "most" or "all" school, local and primary elections.

*Screening to require that respondents vote in "most" or "all" local and school elections eliminates a large pool of voters who will in fact vote in a highly publicized General Election like the ongoing race for Governor in Texas and in many hotly contested local Legislative races. It is not unusual for turnout in local and school elections to be half or less than the turnout in a General Election.

*Further, voters in city elections and local school board elections are typically higher income, more likely to be homeowners, and more likely to support or “lean” towards supporting Republican candidates than a General Election electorate voter from the same area.

Bottom line:
The voter screen used in the Belo poll eliminates many likely Bill White voters before they are even asked a substantive political question. This poll shows the race favoring Rick Perry to a much higher degree than any other poll because it is unintentionally skewed to favor Perry. I am hopeful that Belo will cease reporting the poll as a fair measure of the current race for Governor in Texas or make clear to viewers and readers that the sample does not reflect the turnout normally expected in a contested General Election race.

Despite his having ignored every editorial board, and even the personal challenge from the most conservative daily in Texas,  the state's media conglomerates -- Hearst newspapers, Cox newspapers and TV stations, and now Belo (newspapers as well as TV stations in the top four Texas markets) continue to flog the Perry campaign line. Maybe it's an accident.

("It is inevitable" is a message to the opposition, of course: don't bother voting, you can't win, it's already over. Precisely designed to counter the surging Democratic wave I wrote about here ... and of which you're already beginning to see some national reporting.)

I certainly think Rick Perry is leading, but the race is much, much closer than the newspapers and TV people are saying, and it will all depend on who gets their voters to the polls. The deadline to register for this election was yesterday; early voting begins week after next on the 19th, and Election Day is four weeks from today.

What are you going to do?