Debates ... more or less
HoustonChronicle.com - Perry, Sanchez to debate here, but time not decided
Looks like something's in the works for Gubernatorial Debates this year. Also on a bright note, Sanchez is up to allowing TWO debates. While I understand fully that there's a political motivation to each side wanting to have X number of debates (let's not kid ourselves into thinking its because one side is for talking about issues and the other has something to hide). Its merely a matter of comfort level, telegenics, and how polished one speaker is and the other isn't.
Personally, I think Sanchez is hurting himself by keeping his lips sealed. Why not just let him? It would seem that the best thing for Sanchez, albeit in a backhanded way, would be to get even more debates in, let people see him, hear him ... and reap in even more Hispanic voters than he's already going to get.
(Disclosure: Greg will be voting for Sanchez, but not enthusiastically ... its because I hate Perry. Besides, John Sharp is the real guy who's gonna run the state anyway)
Comments
I think you mean David Dewhurst will be running the state...
Well, at least I hope he will be.
Posted by: Owen Courr?ges | September 11, 2002 04:57 PM
lol ... all in due time. Shall we make the standard Burns/Flanders wager of 'a coke' over it?
Posted by: Greg | September 11, 2002 05:08 PM
Sure. Dewhurst is up in the polls now, but if any Democrat wins a statewide office, my gut says it will probably be Sharp. Although I'm a fervent Republican, I have to admit that Dewhurst is our weakest candidate (Perry isn't too great either, but he's got pretty hair and his opponent looks like a big mouth bass).
Posted by: Owen Courr?ges | September 12, 2002 12:49 AM
I think any race John Sharp is in will be one of those 50-50 races unless he's running as the incumbant. The guy is from the old school of Texas Democrats (whether that's a good thing or a bad thing to anyone), so he can still get votes in East Texas as well as the traditional areas. The irony is that with the "dream team" ticket, Sharp stands to gain the most as he has Sanchez working the hispanic vote for him, Kirk motivating black voters for him, and all the while, HIS voters are probably far less likely to switch over for either of those two in return. but hey, Sharp was the one who put this thing together, so I guess he's entitled to reap the benefits.
Perry and Sanchez ... that'll go down to the last few weeks of the race. Sanchez is gonna spend what he needs to spend. He'll get his message out one way or the other. Granted, that message may only be that he has the endorsement of his daughter (woo-hoo ... she's back in the will!), but he'll get that message out there. Perry won't be hurting for money, but he obviously has to work harder for it. I think both candidates have a handy set of strengths to get them a plurality of votes. The only thing I could see putting Sanchez over the top is that he's working hispanic areas rather stealthily without going all over Texas as "the hispanic candidate." Will a massive voter reg drive in South Texas do it for him? Why speculate now ... its a lifetime between now and November. Perry just has to hope that 2002 isn't the year that demographics come back to bite the GOP in the butt.
Kirk-Cornyn ... I like Kirk (as a candidate, dunno about the win), even though I was a Bentsen guy. I don't think he has the look, feel, vibe, whatever-you-want-to-call-it of a US Senator, but hey, who does nowadays? Gimme another poll about a month from now and I'll pick that one. My hunch is that Kirk peaked too soon, though.
Statewide, below that ... I have a hard time seeing Dems winning much of anything unless something major impacts the race along partisan lines. I don't see anyone else above them developing coattails unless someone ends up with a dead body in the trunk of their car, or an intern missing for days on end.
Posted by: Greg | September 12, 2002 01:25 AM