Wendy Can Win

[TexasTowelie]

[font color=green]A blog from that liberal bastion of Texas: LUBBOCK! Check out the comments to see the liberals pile on in support of Wendy Davis.[/font]


By Kenny Ketner

Today is the first day of the filing period for the 2014 Primary elections, and Wendy Davis officially filed for Governor in the Democratic Party Primary. Like many others, I’m fired up for Wendy at the top of the ticket!

But can she win? Yes she can, and here’s why.

She is a lightning rod of energy for her supporters

I have been active in Texas Democratic Party politics since 2004. It’s plain to see that Wendy Davis has generated more excitement than any Democratic candidate for Governor in that time, hands down. Tony Sanchez, Chris Bell, and Bill White were all excellent candidates in their own times, but none of them could create excitement like Wendy. In the moment of her successful filibuster, in front of hundreds of thousands watching live, Davis demonstrated that oppression can be resisted, that Texas Republicans can be beaten. She creates interest among the disinterested and gives voice to the voiceless. Existing activists will work harder and new volunteers will join the ranks as well.

Rick Perry and Ted Cruz are national embarrassments

Everything is bigger in Texas, and that is especially true of the political buffoonery of Perry and Cruz. Perry still pretends to run for President, perhaps blissfully unaware that he polls terribly even in Texas. Only three percent of Texas Republicans think Perry should run for President (http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/rick-perry-goes-bat-rick-scott-bobby-jindal-and-hits-iowa-2016-beckons). Ask Americans about Rick Perry, and they remember gaffes, goofy policy ideas, and obnoxious radio ads trying to poach businesses from other states. The only "Texas Miracle" is that Rick Perry is not booed off of every stage he goes to.

Meanwhile, Ted Cruz spent the Summer terrifying American voters as the Senate’s Son of Sam-I-Am. His extremism, obstruction, and McCarthyite tactics have made him the poster child of everything wrong with the United States Congress. Americans are connecting the dots from Cruz back to Greg Abbott, the political mentor of Ted Cruz and the most likely Republican challenger to face Wendy Davis in 2014. It’s no stretch to say that righteous fury against Ted Cruz will translate into national support for Wendy Davis.

The Texas GOP has gone out of its way to alienate women

You know the Texas GOP has a problem relating to women when the highest elected woman in Texas (who happens to be a Republican) tells them so. Texas Comptroller Susan Combs gave an interview that took Texas Republicans to task regarding their attitude toward women. She said:

"Tell me that you give a flip about women’s interests. If all you want to talk about is my biology,
‘Gee what happened to my brain?’ That is my point. It is not all south of the waistline."

Watch the whole 40-second clip for the full effect of her words. Unlike Texas women who have been voting Republican, you won’t be disappointed.

Republicans present no solutions, only hot-button wedge issues

As Texas right-wing pundits pat themselves on the back for their cleverness at referring to Davis as "Abortion Barbie," sensible voters shake their heads and wonder what happened to American political discourse. As Republican leaders push science denial and culture wars in the classroom when Texas schools are still billions of dollars short, Texas parents wonder why Republican leaders refuse to tackle public education every single legislative session. As Texas Republicans rant about sanctuary cities, Texas workers wonder where all the good jobs are. The GOP leadership in Austin has had every opportunity to make progress on the core issues that Texans really care about. But, they would rather punt on jobs, education, and health care in favor of whatever wedge issue is playing on talk radio that week. Wendy can win with straight talk to Texas families about what’s really important in their lives.

Young voters overwhelmingly reject the Republican Party

Expanding on the results of a March RNC report, a June report commissioned by the CRNC concluded that the GOP outreach to young voters sucks. Like really, really sucks. People under 30 reject the Republican worldview, even in red states like Texas. For example, the report asks persuadable voters what words come to mind associated with the GOP: "closed-minded, racist, rigid, old-fashioned" were common responses. The next generations are not voting Republican, and the GOP is running out of demographics to build its base.

All eyes are on Texas in 2014

For the first time in decades, Texas will be a national issue.

The GOP cleaned up in 2010 because the Tea Party movement made a national issue front and center in a Governor election year. Now that same Tea Party movement is eating the GOP alive and turning off American voters. To drive a stake through the Tea Party vampire’s heart, Democrats need to win Texas. This is well-understood nationally; making Texas a battleground state is therefore a top priority. Money and volunteers from outside of Texas will flow into Texas Democratic campaigns, not the other way around.

I feel pretty confident about my first steak dinner bet (with my friend and co-host Wade Wilkes of AM580 of course) of this election cycle: Wendy can win in 2014.

Election Day 2014 is already less than a year away. What will you do to turn Texas blue?


Kenny Ketner is the Lubbock County Democratic Party Chair. Follow him on twitter @lubbockleft or email him directly at [e-mail]

http://lubbockonline.com/interact/blog-post/lubbockleft/2013-11-09/wendy-can-win

[NYC_SKP]

1. I want Wendy in the White House!!!

Right?

[onestepforward]

3. We need her here in Texas first,

then we'll let her go to the White House!

[Thinkingabout]

2. I worked a precinct in Harris County last week, we had a pitiful turn out on election day

Of 163 voters out of 5692 registered. Harris County went Democratic in 2012 and was happy to see different ethnic groups turning out in large numbers in 2012. Again last week there was great turnout in couple ethnic groups but we need more. I was happy to see a great portion of younger and older black voters in my precinct coming to vote. I did not know what to expect on the IDs but the voter records has matched with TDL. We only had a slight problem with one voter's id and registration and the precinct judge was able to determine the name registered and with filling out the proper form to change the registration to match the TDL we did not have any hang UPS. Our problem is going to be GOTV with our Democrats. I am pulling for Wendy and my hope is she will be the next governor of Texas.

[RussBLib]

4. we HAVE to have a big Hispanic vote

A woman on the ticket is not quite enough, as there are quite a few Republican women, sadly. If we could get one of the Castro brothers to run for Lieutenant Governor, that could certainly help pull out the Hispanics.

[Snake Plissken]

5. "Ted Cruz spent the Summer terrifying American voters as the Senate’s Son of Sam"

Ted Berkowitz ... classic

[freshwest]

6. That IS a thing of beauty, that article. Texas will turn blue! Thanks, TT.

[w8liftinglady]

7. Tarrant County Democrats are getting ready

I think the win will occur because of three things.
1. The Hispanic vote is POWERFUL.I visited with a couple of candidates Saturday who are good Catholic folks who have stayed in The Old Neighborhood. They are very motivated,and have gotten their communities registered and active.
2.Republican Women will make the cross-over....at least for Wendy. They may split their ticket,but they WILL vote for Wendy.
3.The young vote... we are really pushing the 18-21 year old registration and GOTV.We have UTA,Texas Wesleyn, and TCU very engaged.

The important thing is to stay focused,on message, and Repeat,repeat,repeat.

[Major Nikon]

8. Those who say Wendy can't win don't understand Texas politics

Even Ted Cruz admits Texas is trending heavily Democratic and will be a blue state if the Republicans don't change their immigration stance and that doesn't seem likely.

[Dopers_Greed]

9. Not to get negative here

But I would say that she likely won't win, rather than can't win.

Even if the state is trending more democratic, it's still insanely right-wing. I know that Perry has a low approval, but the reason for that is conservatives think he's an idiot who is making their party look bad. So they still support his policies, but just think he is a bad messenger for them. Throw in another contender in his spot (Abbott) and the negatives of Perry and Cruz go away.

[TBF]

10. Abbott is hardly a contender -

the guy can't keep his foot out of his mouth. I think she has a chance simply because Abbott is weak.

[Gothmog]

11. I know Greg and he is not that smart and he is mean spirited

Greg and I were are the same downtown law firm in the 1980s. He is not that smart

So far Greg has been running a mean spirited campaign so far. Greg is a nasty person who enjoyed cheating widows and orphans out of recoveries from insurance companies while suing an insurance company for his own injury

[Dopers_Greed]

12. I totally agree

Although, Abbott is getting the benefit of the doubt only because he is a "generic republican candidate." His positives are really high right now in polls, if only because people don't know that he'd make them miss Perry if elected.

[Major Nikon]

13. Most Texans don't know much if anything about Abbott

I think the more they learn the less they are going to like. He comes across as an asshole with zero charisma and he just doesn't have any significant political accomplishments. He politicized the AG's office more so than anyone I've ever seen anywhere. I don't think the public is going to approve when they find out he spent all his time chasing his own political aspirations rather than protecting the legal interests of the people. His opposition to ACA is also going to bite him on the ass when public disapproval of it evaporates. His support of voter ID laws isn't going to win him any friends with moderates.

[Gothmog]

14. I have not been impressed with Greg's campaign to date

Greg's ads to date have only featured old white people and no young people or non-whites. I think that this is going to be be Greg's strategy. This strategy may have worked for Perry/Goodhair but Goodhair had a personalty. I do not think that he can duplicate Goodhair's campaign strategy without exposing his personalty or lack thereof.

Both Goodhair and Greg are mean. Goodhair has been very effective at attacking his opponents. Look what he did to Kay Bailey Hutchinson and Bill White. Goodhair never seemed to be mean in his attacks and so far Greg has been coming off as nasty. The tweets and comments about "abortion Barbie" are good examples.

I know Greg and he really does not have a winning personality on a one on one basis. People who have met Goodhair thinks that he is charming in person and Goodhair does have some good hair. I am hoping that Greg's personalty will come through in the election and the debates.