Delayed via a busy weekend ...
Charlotte Coffelt ... color me surprised on this one. The Chron's been pretty harsh towards redistricting (and good for them on that count), so methinks this is the driving force here.
Jim Dougherty ... a slight surprise, although I felt it might be 50-50 odds of him getting it. The knock on Wong is damning in its simplicity: "The incumbent, Rep. Martha Wong, supported the cuts in children's health insurance and continues to defend them." Likewise, the read on Dougherty is a study in contrast. Call it perhaps the strongest endorsement of the bunch.
Scott Hochberg ... no surprise here. Rumors are that Ann was so underwhelming at the Chron and other side-by-side events that she has called off any appearances where potential voters have a chance to compare the candidates, even going so far as to not show up for a Channel 13 appearance that she'd previously committed to.
Talmadge Heflin over Hubert Vo? ... make of it what you will: a sop to one incumbent GOP type; a reaction to Vo's inability to come across favorably in settings such as the editorial interviews demand; or the belief that an incumbent chairing the Appropriations Committee is always a good thing to have nearby. I tend to go with the second one.
Also ... Congressional Endorsements:
Richard Morrison ... very little shock.
Nick Lampson ... slight surprise.
John Culberson ... the Chron splits the difference on rail, not accepting DeLay's newfound love of pork, but firmly believing in Culberson's stated desire.
Al Green ... no shock.
Mike McCaul ... marginal surprise.
UPDATE: DA Style ...
WOW ... ok, maybe not that big of a shock, but still a nice pick by the Chron in giving the nod to Reggie McKamie over Chuck Rosenthal for District Attorney. (Hat tip to Kuff)
Comments
No surprise here at the McCaul endorsement. The Chron doesn't endorse third-party candidates, and a write-in candidacy is close enough to that for them. They might have non-endorsed the race, and I suspect they would have if a whackjob like Devine or Streusand had won, but McCaul is the kind of bidnessman Republican they're comfortable with.
Posted by: Charles Kuffner | October 18, 2004 12:18 PM