Results of a University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll were released yesterday, and unfortunately the last person we want to win the Democratic Primary Election for U.S. Senate is in the lead:
Yikes, indeed. These numbers aren't as bad as they initially appear though:
Voters are largely unfamiliar with those candidates; 74 percent initially expressed no opinion before being asked how they would vote if they had to decide now.
So 74% appear to be persuadable, and that's a good thing. Time to educate more voters.
In an article that would be funny if the stakes weren't so high, Jonathan Tilove rather convincingly demonstrates that Kesha Rogers has the dubious distinction of being more outrageous than Rep. Steve Stockman, who is primarying Sen. John Cornyn:
That is Kesha Rogers, the follower of Lyndon LaRouche - the by-now grand old man of conspiracy-mined, so-far-left-he's-right, or so-far-right-he's-left American politics. This is the Kesha Rogers who prefers her images of Barack Obama adorned with a small Hitler mustache and who makes Steve Stockman look mealy-mouthed in her foursquare support for impeaching the president.
[...]
Now listen to the real deal in her answer to Question 1 on the League of Women Voters' Voters Guide: "What measures should the Senate take to stop the gridlock that has crippled Congress."
Rogers' unflinching reply:
My own Democratic Party must convict Obama on real impeachment charges, then vote up a bipartisan Glass- Steagall Act to crush Wall Street's power over our economy, and use federal credit to fund strategic nationwide jobs programs in water infrastructure, nuclear power, space exploration, and similar high production areas. This will stop gridlock over partisan nonsense.
Done and done. Steve Stockman, eat your heart out.
Of course, Rogers is not and has never been a Democrat—she just pretends to be one every two years when running for office.
So Gilberto Hinojosa, Chair of the Texas Democratic Party, sent out an email today with a directive in the subject line: "Don't Vote for Kesha Rogers." Here it is (emphasis original):
Dear [voter],
Kesha Rogers is one of the candidates on the ballot for U.S. Senator in the Democratic primary -- but do not be fooled. Kesha Rogers is not a Democrat.
Ms. Rogers is part of the “LaRouche Movement,” which has a history of violent rhetoric. The focus of her campaign is impeaching President Obama. Rogers has even paraded around Texas with a poster of the President with a Hitler mustache.
Rogers believes that the U.S. economy is secretly controlled by London financial institutions and she has advocated for colonizing Mars. That’s not what real Democrats stand for.
The Texas Democratic Party does not support the candidacy of Kesha Rogers or anyone that aligns themselves with the LaRouche Movement. Our State Democratic Executive Committee even issued a resolution against her campaign. Do not vote for Kesha Rogers in the primary.
Rogers’ candidacy is a insult to our Party, our President, our state, our Democratic values, and to all the work you are doing to move our state forward.
Do not vote for Kesha Rogers.
All my best --
Gilberto Hinojosa
Chair, Texas Democratic Primary
I'm definitely not going to argue with Chairman Hinojosa's case
against voting for Rogers, but clearly it would be better if voters took the next step and cast a ballot for one of the actual Democratic contenders.
Here are the campaign sites for the top two candidates in terms of funds raised and endorsements, respectively: David Alameel and Maxey Scherr. And Houston-based blog Off the Kuff provides a comprehensive list of endorsements (with links) for contested Democratic primary races.
ACTION: I'm asking for everyone's help here. While canvassing during the past few weeks, I've found that many voters just don't connect Kesha Rogers' name with her platform of impeaching President Obama and her posters depicting President Obama with a Hitler mustache, and they're grateful for the information. Remember that 74% appear to be persuadable, but the reality is that early voting is already in progress for the March 4th Primary Elections.
So please use email and Twitter and Facebook to pass the word to every Texas Democrat you know: "Don't Vote for Kesha Rogers."