Post-Primary Senate Race Roundup

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Lawrence Person

Here are the full results on the Republican and Democratic sides.

Here are some random post-primary race tidbits. I’ll probably have a separate post about the mysterious Grady Yarbrough coming up in a day or two.

  • Last night was really two polls, and Cruz is only 3% behind in the most recent one.
  • The extraordinary nature of the runoff.
  • Cruz wants five debates with Dewhurst.
  • Paul Sadler wants in on that action as well. Whoa, dude. You better worry about slowing that Grady Yarbrough juggernaut first…
  • FreedomWorks is thrilled with Cruz’s showing.
  • At the bottom of this story, you can vote on whether Dewhurst’s last-minute amnesty smear was racist or not. Over 83% are currently voting yes.
  • Craig James issues a gracious, classy concession statement.
  • Speaking of James: Well, this isn’t very nice…
  • Even Paul Burka has has wised-up to fake Dewhurst internal polls. “Well, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twenty times, shame on me. The Dewhurst campaign has made too many claims about why a Dewhurst victory was inevitable without backing them up. The only poll that matters is the one that will be taken on July 31.”
  • Speaking of polls, both PPP and UT/TT polls were in the ballpark for the Republican race, but horribly off for the Democratic side. Any ideas why?
  • Sean Hubbard endorses Paul Sadler.
    • Posted in Democrats, Elections, Republicans, Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

    Taiwanese Animators Take on Obama’s Pot-Smoking Choom Gang

    Posted on May 30, 2012 by Lawrence Person

    Finally, the Obama Choom Gang story finally breaks through in the one medium the MSM can’t possibly ignore: wacky Taiwanese animation.

    Again, the issue isn’t that our 44th President used to regularly get baked out of his gourd, the issue is why the MSM was unwilling to investigate and report such stories in 2008, and the hypocrisy of Obama carrying out a futile War on Drugs and imprisoning people for the same laws he used to habitually break.

    (Hat tip: Jim Treacher)

    Posted in Crime, Democrats, Obama Scandals, video | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

    Texas Democratic Senate Race Headed to Runoff Between Paul Sadler and…Grady Yarbrough???

    Posted on May 29, 2012 by Lawrence Person

    The Republican results I understand. The Democratic results I don’t.

    OK, hands up all those who predicted a runoff between Paul Sadler and Grady Yarbrough.

    Now put your hands down, because you’re all damn liars.

    Yarbrough has no website, no Facebook page, no Twitter feed. (I looked. Repeatedly. Hell, I even looked on Bing, just to be sure, such is my dedication.) He might as well be Keyser Soze. And yet he’s in the runoff? Did they think they were voting for the guy from Sanford & Son?

    Can anyone explain this to me? Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?

    (One possibility: He’s the only Democratic candidate who bothered to fill out the Texas League of Women Voter’s Questionnaire.)

    And Sean Hubbard, the guy who’s been running the longest, who stayed in the race when Ricardo Sanchez was The Anointed One, the one who was participating in debates and finally getting press as Sadler’s biggest challenger, came in a distant 4th with 16% of the vote. Ouch!

    Posted in Democrats, Elections, Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

    Cruz, Dewhurst Head to Runoff

    Posted on May 29, 2012 by Lawrence Person

    Returns are still coming in, but the MSM has already said the Texas Senate race will be a runoff between David Dewhurst and Ted Cruz. Right now its Dewhurst 46%, Cruz 33%, with Dewhurst edging down and Cruz edging up almost all night. This is the outcome team Dewhurst has been looking to avoid since he got into the race, and the one the Cruz campaign was hoping for.

    Lots more analysis tomorrow.

    Posted in Elections, Republicans, Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

    Grady Yarbrough Snags an Endorsement!

    Posted on May 29, 2012 by Lawrence Person

    OK, this is funny.

    The most invisible man in the Texas senate race campaign, Democrat Grady Yarbrough, has no website, no Facebook page, and no Twitter feed. But that didn’t stop him from being endorsed by The Austin Villager (warning: 3MB PDF), a local Austin black newspaper. I would love to learn the editorial process by which they chose him over the other three Democratic candidates. Or even just how they chose him over Addie D. Allen…

    (Hat tip: MJJHurta’s Twitter feed.)

    Posted in Austin, Democrats, Media Watch, Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

    Who I’m Voting For Today in the Texas Republican Primary

    Posted on May 29, 2012 by Lawrence Person

    Voting Day!

    After spending the bulk of my time on the Texas senate race, I’ve spent the last day or so trying to get a handle on some down-ballot races. So here’s who I’m voting for in contested races, starting at the top and providing (very) brief explanations. Hopefully this will be of use to other conservative Republican voters looking for information at the last minute. (Hey, people are busy!)

  • United States Senator: Ted Cruz, for the many reason I list here.
  • United State Representative, District 31: Incumbent John Carter. Though not perfect (he was late getting on the anti-SOPA bandwagon), I like Rep. Carter personally, and he’s generally been a very good (and very conservative) Representative.
  • Railroad Commissioner: I’m leaning toward Roland Sledge, who’s solidly conservative, if a bit goofy. Former Rep. Warren Chisum is also a solid choice. I don’t trust Christi Craddick, who seems to be running on her father’s reputation.
  • Railroad Commissioner, Unexpired Term: Possibly the toughest race to pick, as both incumbent Barry Smitherman and Greg Parker strike me as very solid conservative choices, and each has picked up some Tea Party endorsements. I lean slightly toward Smitherman based on his impressive array of endorsements.
  • Texas Supreme Court Place 2: Incumbent Don Willett, a solid conservative with solid endorsements.
  • Texas Supreme Court Place 2: Incumbent David Medina, endorsed by Texans for Lawsuit Reform.
  • State Board of Education, District 10: Jeff Fleece, based on endorsements from Holly Hansen and YCT.
  • Texas State Senate District 5: Charles Schwertner, for the reasons I list here.
  • Texas House District 136: Tony Dale, who has picked up a solid list of conservative endorsements.
  • Williamson County District Attorney: John Bradley. The fact that Jana Duty has made so much hay from one trial makes me quite suspicious of her. Once again, Holly Hansen provides needed insight on the race here, here, and here.
  • Williamson County Attorney: Dee Hobbs, mainly because Jeff Maurice ran as a Democrat as late as 2009.
  • Williamson County Tax Assessor Collector: Incumbent Deborah M. Hunt. When your opponent can’t be bothered to put up more than a Facebook page…
  • Williamson County Sherrif: Incumbent James R. Wilson, who has done a good job. His opponent sounds like Grandpa Simpson yelling at a cloud…
  • 425th District Judge: Incumbent Mark Silverstone, based on Rick Perry’s endorsement.
  • Williamson County Commissioner Precinct 1: Incumbent Lisa Birkman, for reasons outlined here. Holly Hansen also provides compelling arguments why you should favor Birkman over Seitsinger here, and here.

    Other Sources of Information

  • Williamson County Ballot
  • The List of Young Conservatives of Texas Endorsements
  • Texans for Lawsuit Reform Endorsements
  • Texans for Fiscal Responsibility Endorsements
    • Posted in Crime, Elections, Republicans, Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

    Texas Senate Race Update for May 28, 2012

    Posted on May 28, 2012 by Lawrence Person

    Since tomorrow is election day, here’s a final Senate race roundup. You might want to take time today to find your voter registration card, locate your polling place, and figure out who you want to vote for.

    Since it’s possible people who haven’t been following the race until now are tuning into this blog, you might want to take a look at:

  • My endorsement of Ted Cruz.
  • Previous senate race posts.
  • Websites of the 2012 Texas Senate Candidates, which is a pretty comprehensive list.

    • Now today’s update:

  • Ted Cruz gets some love over at Big Government.
  • Cruz says he’ll beat David Dewhurst decisively in a runoff.
  • Cruz on Memorial Day.
  • Dewhurst on his father and Memorial Day.
  • Ramparts 360 calls the amnesty smear Dewhurst’s Lowest Attack.
  • More on the Amnesty charge.
  • Peggy Fikac’s roundup of the race. Including this: “Retired teacher Addie Ratliff tossed a verbal grenade at Dewhurst. ‘He’s trash,’ said Ratliff, 74. ‘I just don’t like him. I think he’s a RINO,’ a Republican-in-name-only.”
  • Cruz has picked up six times as much money in donations from Midland as Dewhurst has.
  • Somehow I missed the fact that Dewhurst picked up the endorsement of Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma back on May 18. I think they would have trumpeted that more, since it brings the total of sitting Senators who have endorsed Dewhurst to [long pause while Your Humble Narrator counts on his fingers for dramatic effect] one.
  • Dewhurst squeezing potential donors?

    One source familiar with Texas politics who supports Cruz says that he knows “a number of significant donors” who also have business interests in the state and have been “told by their lobbyists in Austin, ‘Don’t dare give money to Ted, don’t endorse Ted . . . because if you do you’ll never get anything else through in Austin.’”

  • Rick Perry’s endorsement of David Dewhurst is all about Rick Perry.
  • Dewhurst says Cruz hasn’t met a fighter like him before. Maybe, but when was the last truly competitive race Dewhurst ran? 2002? And his last contested Republican primary fight was against Jerry Patterson for Land Commissioner in 1998.
  • Speaking of candidates with one notable sitting congressman supporting them, here’s Rep. Michael Burgess on Tom Leppert:

  • The Tea Party is anti-Big Government, not anti-incumbent.
  • A hand-wringer piece about all the uncertainty redistricting has wrought in Texas selections, focusing on Sylvia Romo vs. Lloyd Doggett in CD35, as well as the Senate race.
  • National Journal offers up the obligatory what to look for on election night piece.
  • Craig James predicts that he’ll be in the runoff. Also predicts that Rob Schneider will take home next year’s Oscar for Best Actor.
  • Paul Sadler cements his standing as the MSM anointed Democratic candidate, snagging the endorsements of The Austin American Statesman, The Dallas Morning News, The Austin Chronicle, and The San Antonio Express-News.
  • The Democratic Senate race is a much more low-key affair. “Sadler has raised less than $80,000, Hubbard less than half that with $30,000.” Also this: “‘I’ve talked to people who have said, “Get through the primary and we’ll make sure you have money to work with,”‘ Hubbard said.” Psst, Sean, hate to tell you, but those people are lying to you. Chances are good they said the same thing to Ricardo Sanchez, and look where it got him…
  • Sadler and Hubbard also appeared on WFAA:

    • Posted in Elections, Republicans, Texas, video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

    Mailers. I Get Mailers.

    Posted on May 28, 2012 by Lawrence Person

    If you’re wondering what this election year is like in Williamson County, I’ve saved all the political flyers I’ve gotten. As usual, click to embiggen.

    The most mail I’ve gotten has been for the Lisa Birkman vs. Lee Ann Seitsinger race (which is going to be very close), and the Seitsinger piece comparing Birkman to Obama is probably the most ridiculous attack mailer I’ve received (unless I get one from Dewhurst pushing the amnesty lie tomorrow). Next would probably be Jana Duty vs. John Bradley for the Williamson County District Attorney race, and the State Senate District 5 (Charles Schwertner vs. Ben Bius) and House District 136 (Tony Dale vs. Paul Matthews) all ranking ahead of the U.S. Senate race. I don’t think I’ve received a single flyer from Tom Leppert or Craig James.

    Posted in Austin, Elections, Republicans, Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

    One More Reason to Vote for Charles Schweitner Over Ben Bius

    Posted on May 27, 2012 by Lawrence Person

    I’ve already mentioned that, despite having voted for Ben Bius against Steve Ogden in 2010, I wasn’t inclined to vote for Bius over Charles Schwertner in the Senate District 5 race. However, even if I weren’t so inclined, the news that Schwertner supports Governor Perry’s Budget Compact, while Bius opposes it, would be enough for me to vote for Schwertner over Bius.

    I don’t want to oversell the budget compact. Getting Republicans to agree to it is the first step of a long (and no doubt frequently painful) process to get it implemented, and I don’t imagine that it will be the absolute “game changer” some have made it out to. And even if passed, it could all be undone in a single legislative session (especially if Democrats ever get their act together in Texas). But if it doesn’t yet create the ratchets for long-term control of the state government’s size, budget, and growth rate, it at least lays the groundwork for those ratchets to be implemented.

    For that reason, among many others, I will be voting for Charles Schwertner (who Perry has endorsed) over Ben Bius in the Senate District 5 race, and urge any readers in SD5 to do the same.

    Posted in Elections, Republicans, Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

    LinkSwarm for May 27, 2012

    Posted on May 27, 2012 by Lawrence Person

    Woke up entirely too early this morning, so here’s a big old bag of randomness:

  • Wisconsin Democratic recall candidate Tom Barrett manicuplated crime figures as Mayor of Milwaukee. (Hat tip: Jim Geraghty.) Shades of Tom Leppert. Or Tommy Carcetti.
  • I wonder if the “Choom Gang” VW Microbus our 44th President and his friends used to habitually smoke pot in also had tools and rakes and implements of destruction in it.
  • The UAW is broke.
  • America is defying the demographic doom befalling other nations.
  • “Non-Partisan” redistricting commissions aren’t.
  • Do liberals actually expect this patronizing, passive-aggressive condescension toward Judge Roberts to work? I’d like to believe that treating the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States of America as though he’s as easy to manipulate as an insecure teenage girl would be counterproductive if it weren’t so transparently laughable.
  • Huge land swindle/ponzi scam out near Manor. And where was the Statesman for this huge story in its own backyard? “No results found for “Natalia Wolf” site:statesman.com.”
  • Today’s amusing hashtag #MovieswithObama.
  • Remember when every car bomb in Lebanon was front page news? Now a bomb that kills 100 isn’t.
    • Posted in Austin, Crime, Democrats, Jihad, Media Watch, Obama Scandals, Uncategorized, unions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment