The Wendy Davis Campaign
Just a heads up for those of you upset with the Wendy Davis campaign or upset with me for being upset with the Wendy Davis campaign. Here ya go.
There has been massive squandered time and opportunity but it appears that things have a chance of turning around.
Let us hope that someone who knows what they are doing, as opposed to the guys who have lost every damn statewide race in Texas and spent millions and millions of dollars doing it, steps up and knows how to (1) get out Democratic votes in off-year elections, and (2) knows how to get out Hispanic votes.
Texas is not a Republican state – Texas is a non voting state. The one thing the article misses is that you can have the best damn field operation ever invented, but if your message is this centrist crap the consultants keep trying in Texas, the base stays home. For the first time ever, the Texas Democratic Party has a field operation with hired and trained staff all over Texas. Use it.
Just let Wendy be Wendy and Democrats be Democrats. We’ll be fine.
Keeping my fingers crossed . . .
1Don’t read the comments under this article link. Good grief, our country is full of eejits.
2Like the reporter for Texas Monthly, I’m a New Yorker. Every year on Election Day, I despair at the low turnout in NYC (at least in my neighborhood, where plenty of people call themselves politically active). The only time turnout is high is every four years when we vote for President. Since NYC (and state, for that matter) is very reliably blue (apart from the aberration that was the mayoralty until DeBlasio), our votes for prez don’t even really count. Candidates only come here to raise money. I wish I could throttle my neighbors for being absent in so many primaries and generals, but I’m non-violent, and violence in any case would not inspire people to get to the polls.
I shouldn’t complain; it’s much worse in places like TX, where the majority of the voting population sits out every election. I never take the privilege for granted, but that’s probably because I carried petitions door-to-door as a teen, working to get 18-year-olds the vote. I, along with all the others who worked tirelessly, succeeded. I turned 18 in 1972, and have been voting ever since. I wish I knew how to motivate Democrats. I don’t.
3Thanks, JJ, for ALWAYS being the Voice of Reason I can turn to. I have a confession to make; couple of weeks ago, when future Texas Gov Ms. Davis announced her support for open carry, I shot a hasty and angry email to her campaign. Then, the following week, when you pointed out that Ms. Van De Putte was against it, I immediately regretted my comment. I try my best to take advantage of Early Voting, because unlike my Bro in frozen Michigan, there is no such thing!! Today, I cast my vote for these two incredible women, and ALL the democrats on My ballot. And, like the link to Texas Monthly pointed out, the turnout has been disappointing, according to the nice ladies at the Corpus Christi area early voting place I proudly cast my Right, told me. One of them asked me to put the word out, and I promised her that I would…
4Yes, my parents were quite certain that voting was both a privilege AND an obligation! Bless them both even when I disagree with them! I’ll deliver their ballots anytime!
5As a relatively new American citizen, I take my obligation to vote very seriously. Even before I could vote, I made sure that my husband and kids voted when they were eligible. It is sad that people don’t vote, thinking that their one vote would not change anything, but it often does. If Democrats won’t get out and vote, and Republicans do, then we have Republicans representing us. That is pretty simple, and sad. I at least can complain because I voted; those who don’t vote don’t really have the right to complain when their choice is defeated at the polls!
6This is the headline from the local paper this morning.
The “activists” group that “State Officials” are going after is….
Battleground Texas …..(which is doing voter registration.)
http://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/State-officials-investigating-Democratic-activists-5257110.php?cmpid=hpbn
James O’Keefe and his video cams are at it again.
It’s isn’t going to be easy to turn Texas blue, but then nothing worthwhile ever is.
7This all sounds so familiar! I’ve known many a campaign that went through such shake ups and even won. I recall how Bill Clinton had a bit of a hiatus in his presidential primary campaign but it worked out his way. Hang your horse shoes the correct way, nurture a patch of four leaf clovers, etc. Keep fingers and toes crossed, then uncross all such digits and get to the polls!
8First thing I noticed in that article was the separate offices.
I had an office with a door that closed exactly once in my life, and I *hated* it. Fortunately I found another job rather rapidly, as I hated the job with the office for *many* reasons. (Obviously this was back in the good old days when you could *get* a new job…..)
I agree with the article that it causes a “dearth of flow and mind-meld.” But I guess a campaign has got to take what it can get. I sure hope they turn things around.
9http://www.forwardprogressives.com/horrifying-song-ted-nugent-released-1981-nobody-seems-talking-video/
I find it appalling that the hypocritical republicans would question Wendy Davis parenting, but cheer for Ted Nugent.
10No self respecting republican should stand beside this man. Oh…..
It’s an O’keefe video it is heavily edited to favor his POV. Did he dress up as pimp man again? His videos against Acorn were all thrown out as edited garbage.
11Gail Collins might be on our side: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/22/opinion/collins-texas-strikes-again.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&_r=1
12djw-dumb bass p doesn’t have quite the ring as dumb bass dubya. Doesn’t do much compared to Hitler Weasel Bush the first,either. Wonder if he wears thwe same string of pearls as Grandma Bush does?
13Republican-Lite is a failed campaign strategy. It is not going to ever work in Texas. Bringing in the non-voters and recognizing that Texas is majority-minority are the key ingredients for changing things here.
14Having trained field staff around the state is something the TDP has done in the past.
15JJ said: “The one thing the article misses is that you can have the best damn field operation ever invented, but if your message is this centrist crap the consultants keep trying in Texas, the base stays home.”
Thanks for that article. I totally agree. As a distant observer here in snowy NYC, I have to say that one message I’ve seen coming from Wendy’s campaign over the past few days is about how Ted Nugent is a “predator” and therefore Abbott should not be associated and campaigning with him. Okay. But what about the comment by Nugent last week that Obama is a “sub-human mongrel”? I received several emails from Wendy’s campaign and read quite a few tweets from her after that, and I didn’t see any messages calling Nugent and Abbott out re: that Nazi-level comment about Obama. My conclusion is that Wendy’s campaign is afraid to stand up for Obama because it would be deeply unpopular in Texas. Maybe, remaining silent about true white supremacist Nazi rhetoric will not bring out the base. If ever they had a chance to highlight the differences between the GOP and the Dems, that would have been a golden opportunity, but Wendy’s campaign managed to miss it because they are busy trying to distance themselves from Obama. That is not a winning strategy with respect to turning out the hardcore Democratic base, IMO. I hope they can pull this together and find a winning stategy going forward.
16Low voter turnout and Republicans win. When people get out and vote, Republicans lose.
17I certainly hope things are changing for Wendy’s campaign. Not sure I agree that Battleground Texas knows how to get out the vote. I’ve been signing up to volunteer pretty much since they opened shop, and have explained in numerous emails that I have time but no money. Of course they read that to mean I’m never available and have oodles of cash, judging from the upside down subjects in my inbox. It infuriates me that Wendy has so very many people thrilled at her candidacy, yet has a team that thinks the word is spelled with multiple I’s. Greg A-butt has practically handed the election to her with his far right pandering and fellow panderers, and still I don’t see Wendy’s name up in lights. What are they spending all her hard-earned campaigning on? Light a fire under ’em, JJ!
18This is exactly the angle I wanted to see — but unfortunately never saw — coming out of Wendy’s campaign after Abbott, Perry, Cruz and others basically glossed over Ted Nugent’s patently white supremacist/Nazi remarks calling Obama a “subhuman mongrel” last month:
PoliticusUSA: Republicans who praise Ted Nugent should be regarded as Nazi sympathizers
http://www.politicususa.com/2014/02/22/republicans-praise-ted-nugent-regarded-nazi-sympathizers.html
Wendy and company need to start hitting a lot harder. They’ve got A LOT that they can bring up about the GOP, but they can’t be afraid to call it by its name like this article does.
19Wendy’s campaign looks and acts gassed. I they don’t pick up the pace, Wendy, and by extension, other Dem potential Governor candidates will have an uphill battle in 4 years. And the rest of us will have to endure 4 years of ANOTHER GOP knucklehead governor. They should campaign like it’s life or death. Because it is.
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