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Mon Apr 26, 2010 at 10:00 PM CDT
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The campaign for TX-17 looks as though it will go a full twelve rounds, but Democratic Congressman Chet Edwards told Politico that he is ready for a fight.
"Every year the [RNC] predicts my demise. I'm lean and mean and have earned the support of Republicans and independents, as well as Democrats."
As Left of College Station reported last week, Edwards is facing a Republican opponent who recently won a divisive and expensive primary and runoff. While the Edwards campaign has been gearing up for reelection, the Flores campaign now has the challenge of transitioning from primary to general election campaign mode. While the district is predominately Republican it takes more for a candidate to win an election here than an R next to their name in the ballot box. Edwards has spent ten terms in Congress, and has faced well funded Republican opponents before. Like these previous campaigns the Flores campaign is attempting to paint Edwards as a liberal, and to connect him to President Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
"Texans across the 12 counties of this district are chomping at the bit to vote out Chet Edwards and fire Nancy Pelosi, as evidence by more people voting in the March 2010 GOP primary than did for the GOP nominee in November 2006."
More Below the Fold... |
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| Flores campaign manager Matt Mackowiak attempted to tie Edwards to Pelosi, and comparing the voting turnout in the 2008, Texas Republican primary which was boosted by a highly competitive gubernatorial campaign, and the 2006 midterm election which are historically consistently low turnout elections. However, before Mackowiak implements this particular campaign strategy, perhaps he should look no further than the Flores Republican primary and runoff opponent. Rob Curnock spent much of the primary trumpeting the fact that he only lost to Edwards in the general election by 7 ½ points, and he did it while using the same strategy that the Flores campaign is currently using. While the Flores campaign may have not taken note of how the Curnock campaign strategy failed, they may be finding out the headache the Curnock campaign was in the primary may being continuing in the general election.
Confidential sources close to the campaign reveal that Curnock is encouraging his supporters to not support Flores. Apparently Curnock is attempting to convince his supporters that Flores is unable to defeat Edwards in the general election, and that he is planning to run for congress again in 2012. Flores received a significant amount of criticism from conservatives during the Republican primary. Conservative bloggers expressed concern that he is not conservative enough, and local Tea Party activist supported Curnock during the runoff. If Curnock and others are working behind the scenes if could make what is already going to be a difficult campaign for Flores even more complicated. What Flores is experiencing is playing out across the country to relatively moderate Republicans, although, Flores could really only be considered a moderate in a congressional district like TX-17. However, the Edwards campaign seems to be taking advantage of this weakness and is ready for a campaign tactic that is the same old Republican song and dance.
"That's just the same old kind of failed negative tactic they've used before."
Political and Social Thought...
to the Left of College Station |
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