I agree that Dewhurst basically doesn’t deserve what happened to him, but if I was going to shed any tears for any Republicans this cycle they would be for John Carona. But instead I’m going to reserve my tears for myself after seeing who will (in all probability) be our new statewide leaders, since I’m going to need them.
Look, there are undoubtedly 5 billion or so people on this Earth more worthy of my sympathy than David Dewhurst (who will undoubtedly go back to a mega high paying private sector job if he loses).
But look at the record: he is the ONLY Republican of any note that the Tea Partiers have had any success against! They’ve had almost ZERO success in ousting anyone else. And it’s NOT as if he’s particularly unpopular among conservatives.
David Dewhurst already lost to the Teapartiers. He was Governor Rick’s anointed one to succeed Kay Bailey Hutchison–“The Sane Texas Republican Senator” for many years. But Ted Cruz beat him in the primary.
At least John Cornyn won the primary against a Teaparty challenger. After Cruz coyly denied to say he’d vote for his senior colleague. So Cornyn retains the “Sane Republican” title. I’ll keep voting Democratic & hoping for the future. But the fact that not all of my states Republicans have gone 'round the bend is a small comfort…
Of course, Cornyn is cool with us torturing people in our custody.
Dewhurst was a terrible candidate. He deserved to lose to Cruz. One reason the Tea Party did so well in some places is because the party leadership tried to foist bad candidates on us. This time around the party leadership is doing better, in part because of a backlash against Tea Partiers, but also because they know enough not to give us unprincipled toadies like Dewhurst.
You do realize there’s no third option in the GOP’s bag any more?
Dan Patrick (AKA Daniel Goeb) is a dipshit (His ad on “if Sam Houston, Steven Austin, and Jim Bowie were alive today, Texas wouldn’t have all this illegal immigration” shows he is a complete dumbass). My worry is Abbot becomes governor, Patrick rides his coattails as Lieutenant Gov, then he is in line to become governor soon.
Come to think of it, did Mexico ever issue them green cards?
Wow. That is 10 pounds of derp in a 5-pound bag.
Austin and Bowie, yes. Houston, no. Houston was the epitome of all the bad things attributed to illegal aliens today.
But, remember, Mexico had an immigration plan at first. Then they went all hard-line on illegals and look what happened.
“The village has been settled by Mr Stephen Austin, a native of the United States of the North. It consists, at present, of 40 or 50 wooden houses on the western bank of the large river known as Rio de los Brazos de Dios… It’s population is nearly 200 persons, of which only 10 are Mexicans, for the balance are all Americans from the North with an occasional European. Two wretched little stores supply the inhabitants of the colony: one sells only whiskey, rum, sugar and coffee; the other rice, flour, lard and cheap cloth. The Americans…eat only salted meat, bread made by themselves out of corn meal, and home-made cheese. To these the greater part of those who live in the village add strong liquor, for they are in general, in my opinion, lazy people of vicious character. Some of them cultivate their small farms by planting corn; but this task they usually entrust to their negro slaves, whom they treat with considerable harshness…In my opinion the spark that will start the conflagration that will deprive us of Texas will start in this colony.”- Jose Maria Sanchez, Mexican surveyor on expedition to the border of Mexico, 1828.
So, not much has changed?
A CNN profile of Leticia Van de Putte, the Dem candidate for Texas Lt. Gov.: http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/22/politics/van-de-putte-texas/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
Apparently, the national Democratic party has given up on Wendy. She isn’t happy about it, but the party sees no reason to throw bad money after good in an election she can’t win.
As for lieutenant governor… ah, there the Democrats will actually have a chance, assuming the moronic Dan Patrick wins this month’s runoff. While Leticia Van de Putte has almost nothing going for her, Dan Patrick is more than capable of saying dumb, offensive things that drive away even people inclined to vote Republican.
If David Dewhurst manages to win the runoff, he’ll win the general election in a walk. But if Patrick wins (and I think he will), he’d better have plenty of aides gagging him. Because he’s even stupider than Clayton Williams and is liable to make several of his own “if rape is inevitable, lie back and enjoy it” type quotes.
So, who are they backing instead?
No one, presumably. There’s a whole countryful of other races to fund.
They’re going to continue supporting Wendy, officially. They just aren’t going to invest any money or real effort in helping her, since they think she’s a loser, and they figure it’s smarter to spend money in tossup states where they can win.
A practical decision, if perhaps a disappointing one. Change is coming to Texas, the right fears it but is powerless to stop it, the left craves it but is powerless to make it happen faster.
The odds on flipping Texas from deep dish red to blue in one swell foop are daunting. And its been red for so long, it would be less of a win for the left than a disaster for the right. But they get better odds pressing for the close ones in other states rather than spending a whole bunch of money trying to land a haymaker.
Ah, well, maybe Perry will trip over his own feet between now and November . . . though it does not appear to be the sort of thing he does very often . . .
Perry is not running. It will be Greg Abbott, who is a big upgrade over Perry.
Ronald McDonald would qualify, if those are the criteria.