By Carolyn Shore Aresu as Libby Shaw.
Texas voters have witnessed more than our fair share of Rovian scorched earth politics and personal character assassination campaigns that serve to anger, bore and frustrate most of us during election cycles here. During the Republican primary election in March we were psychically numbed by the issues free ads. Most of the candidates essentially said "Vote for me because I hate the President the most."
We've also had more than our fair share of the lowest of the low in terms of beyond the pale cases of misogynist attacks in the gubernatorial race between Democratic candidate Wendy Davis and her Republican opponent, TX. Attorney General, Greg Abbott.
Please follow me under the orange croissant to read about the bad, the really bad and the ugly in Texas Republican politics.
Cross posted on Texas Kaos.
In the Republican run-off race for Lt. Governor between incumbent David Dewhurst and his opponent, state Senator Dan Patrick, the proverbial politics is the blood sport poop that girds Texas politics, hit the fan. This time it blew the poop back into the face of the poop slinger.
A campaign surrogate for David Dewhurst,Land Commissioner and former candidate for Lt. Gov., Jerry Patterson, leaked the 30 year old mental health records of Dan Patrick to the press. During his younger years Senator Patrick had suffered from depression that required hospitalization.
Needless to say, outrage and consternation broke out on all levels when the newspaper reports appeared. This is going too far, most of us cried. Even those of us who think any cartoon character would serve Texas better than the far right extremist, Dan Patrick, agree that long term and overcome past struggles should not be fair game in politics. Most of us should know by now that depression is a disease. It is not a character flaw. But hey. This is the ruby red state of Texas. The Texas GOP refused to accept federally expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Health Care Act that would help so many in Dan Patrick's former shoes. But as an anti-government candidate, Dan Patrick can be counted upon to rail against big, bad and evil federal access to mental health care.
Of course, Republicans here do not run to serve Texas. Most run to serve themselves and their corporate and ideological masters. The struggle for power is monumental.
Seeking a "pathway to wellness," as Mental Health America calls it, is already fraught with enough barriers. Questions of access and funding make it difficult enough for Texans to find the mental health treatment that they need. The last thing our state should hear is a political megaphone lambasting a man for doing the right thing.
Patrick's campaign acted judiciously when it responded to the desperate attacks by stating that, yes, he sought treatment decades ago for depression and exhaustion. It is a sign of strength that Patrick did not avoid the issue, but addressed it straight on. He has set a proud example for the thousands, if not millions, of Texans who suffer in silence.
It is also a sign that this political fight is about anything but the actual issues facing our state. We still believe that Patrick's skills and worldview make him the wrong candidate to lead the Texas Senate. Dewhurst remains our choice.
David Dewhurst is running on behalf of corporate interests. He said he tried to stop Patterson from releasing Patrick's health records. Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't. Dan Patrick is running on behalf of the Texas Taliban. Both camps have a lot of money and influence in the state of W. and Rick Perry. Everything is fair game in Texas politics, apparently.
Abortion Barbie.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott is an interesting Republican candidate to observe. He is known to trot out the most controversial surrogates known to women and men alike, i.e. Ted Nugent and Charles Murray. That and one of his money pacs is called Boats 'N Hoes.
When the public objects to "hoes" type tactics and characters like Nugent and Murray, one a known child molester and the other a believer in the supreme intelligence of men over women, Greg Abbott will disappear into thin air. He goes into hiding, hoping Texas voters have short memories.
This could work but alas Mr. Abbott cannot seem to stop, denounce or hide his other surrogates and supporters that wear hatred on their sleeves.
Wendy Davis got a rude welcome by supporters of Republican opponent Greg Abbott in advance of a Los Angeles fundraiser – life-sized posters depicting her as “Abortion Barbie.” The posters showed Davis’ face on a scantily clad barbie doll with a plastic baby in her belly. The Davis campaign called on Abbott to denounce the posters. Abbott and Davis face each other in the race for Texas governor.
Naturally Greg Abbott's campaign manager feigned outrage.
Abbott campaign spokesman Matt Hirsch said: “It’s not affiliated with our campaign and we find it appalling.” The campaign said it didn’t know who put up the posters.
To the campaign manager I say, I have oceanfront property to sell you in Midland.
Abbott supporter Kathryn Stuard of Midland donated to conservative street artist Leonard Sabo to help create the poster. The amount was not disclosed. Stuard is a conservative blogger who promoted her involvement in producing the poster on her Twitter site, where she describes herself as a patriot who likes ”to play tennis and shoot guns. But not at the same time.” She said the Abbott campaign was not involved. “I’m conservative. I love my country. I want my country back to constitutional values. If we’re going to have abortion, can’t they just be safe?” The San Antonio Express-News first reported Stuard donated to help produce the poster. Sabo earlier produced a poster of a shirtless, tattooed Ted Cruz with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, which were posted around Los Angeles in advance of a Cruz appearance in Hollywood in March.
Texas Republican politics is a blood sport with more than a little poop to go around. The Texas GOP is long on Karl Rove tactics and very short on issues that matter to most of us.
Thanks to Democratic candidates like Wendy Davis and Leticia Van de Putte and the state's Democratic field teams, the Texas Democratic Party and Battleground Texas, change is on the horizon. This is a ground game that requires thousands of boots on the ground. Battleground is currently recruiting summer fellows and is expanding throughout the state.
We are phone banking, canvassing and registering voters. Every week. Two and three times a week. Please join us if you can. If you cannot join us please consider contributing a $5.00 donation to Wendy Davis, Leticia Van de Putte, the Texas Democratic Party or Battleground Texas.
Voters deserve some semblance of normalcy and issues based campaigns during election cycles here. Let's work hard to get back to that place.