Bob Ray Sanders: Rain Couldn't Put Out Fires That Bell Lit

by: Matt Hardigree

Wed Oct 18, 2006 at 09:18 AM CDT

Rain couldn't put out fires that Bell lit
By Bob Ray Sanders
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

At a campaign event in Fort Worth on Sunday afternoon, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Bell was all wet -- from the beginning of his speech to the end.

And he and his audience loved every minute of it.

The scene on the south side reminded me of another historic moment in Fort Worth history.

I hesitate to mention it lest I be accused of outrageous exaggeration or deliberately overdramatizing a happening that others might describe as insignificant in the overall scheme of big-time state politics.

State Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, had sent out invitations for Tarrant County residents to meet the Democratic nominee for governor. He scheduled the event for the new Evans Avenue Plaza, an outdoor venue that beautifully recounts the history of African-Americans in Fort Worth.

It was clear from the starting time (4 p.m.) that organizers had checked whether the Dallas Cowboys game would be early or late that day, ensuring that football fans would have at least an hour for the political rally.

Unfortunately, the weather forecast is not as certain as the NFL schedule, so there was no way rally planners could know that it would rain much of Saturday night and into Sunday morning, the rain becoming a gentle but steady downpour by Sunday afternoon.

On Sunday, I kept expecting a call that the Bell campaign event was canceled or postponed or, at the very least, moved inside.

But that call never came. So I went, expecting to find the place empty except for a few local politicos. But as I approached the plaza, I noticed that cars lined both sides of the street. Then I saw a sea of umbrellas.

As Bell was introduced to the cheering crowd, he was obviously buoyed by their enthusiasm and affection. He was also obviously surprised, but delighted, that so many were willing to stand in the chilly rain to hear him.

Immediately, I was reminded of a rainy day back in November 1963.

President Kennedy looked out the window of his Hotel Texas suite that morning and was amazed to see more than 2,000 people -- many of them working-class men in their uniforms -- standing in the rain waiting to see him. The president was said to have been moved by that sight.

More after the jump:

No, I'm not trying to compare Bell to Kennedy, and I'm in no way suggesting that there were 2,000 folks on Evans Avenue on Sunday afternoon. It was probably closer to 200, but a large crowd nonetheless, considering the weather.

A candidate most Texans had never heard of until a few months ago, an energized Bell took the stage sounding like someone who really thought he had a chance to win.

Only a few weeks earlier, some pundits had predicted that he would come in last among the four major candidates.

But fresh from the only televised debate appearance with opponents Gov. Rick Perry, Carole Keeton Strayhorn and Kinky Friedman, Bell exhibited a confidence that came across well with his rain-soaked audience.

He was clearly the winner of the debate, and his performance instantly produced a $1 million campaign contribution from a wealthy lawyer -- a donation that Perry has criticized but Bell proudly advertises.

"There's nothing like a $1 million check to warm up the heart," he told the cheering crowd.

Noting that the governor is producing commercials that mention him by name, Bell said he welcomed the fact that Perry had spent "$1.3 million advertising me."

Bell, who knows he still has to build name recognition to have a chance, says he was helped by the debate, which was scheduled on a Friday night, when many Texans were at high school football games or out on the town.

But, Bell said, more than 1 million people watched the showdown, and the program was the top-rated show in Houston, Austin and San Antonio.

"Change is on the way," he told his Fort Worth audience, promising to "take back Texas for the people."

As early as March, Bell said during a Fort Worth visit that he felt the stars were aligning in his favor. It takes a plurality, not a majority, to win election, he reminded supporters then.

He is seeing those stars fall into place, feeling more convinced than ever that victory is possible.

And it was apparent from the reaction of the people who listened to him that rainy Sunday afternoon that he has made believers out of many who were once doubters.