While the national media can analyze the national health care debate daily and endlessly, it's like there's nothing of substance to talk about in Texas- and no, I'm not counting finger pointing between Rick Perry and "The Internet" over a botched webcast as substance. So I'm taking this time in the political doldrums to add a special comment (of immeasurable substance) to get the juices flowing.
It's a month past Labor Day. What the hell?
Are we that incapable of making decisions, campaigning, and developing messages (or fielding candidates) until Sen. Hutchison graces us with a decision on when or even if she's going to resign from the U.S. Senate to run for Governor? Sure, it's frustrating, but why are we ceding Hutchison the power to control everyone's political future? I'm not even convinced that she's ever going to resign until that Senate seat is declawed from her cold dead hands. And that only makes our Democratic Duet of Houston Mayor Bill White and former Comptroller John Sharp all the more sad while we're playing the world's smallest violin.
So let's talk about that race between White and Sharp...
Is it even a race?
I was clearing out my YouTube queue last night and literally had to stumble across a new web ad that was apparently put out by the John Sharp campaign. Well, it was put out two weeks ago so I'm not sure that qualifies as new. And even though it was on the front page of John Sharp's "new" website, it's only had 150 views, half of which came from a Dave McNeely rehashed 6-month old Sharp messagecolumn, so it makes you wonder how that was never pushed around online. After all, it's only the 3rd thing ever posted to Sharp's YouTube channel (compared to a dozen videos in the last month on White's channel which is just a fraction of the over 50 posted to date).
But hey, at least that Sharp video was posted on his website- good thing, it's the only content that's been added to the front page or blog for the entire month of September. Bill White had three blog posts...yesterday alone- not to mention a half dozen media hits or press releases linked from the last week. Oh, and White has a push for end of quarter donations since the deadline is tonight, something that is distinctly absent from the Sharp campaign. And given that it had a negative fundraising quarter last report, I'm sure they could use it, unless of course that big red arrow pointing down on contribute button on Sharp's site really is pointing out the direction his contributions are going.
That's all to say- where is the John Sharp campaign? When you're being outpaced in media (and possibly fundraising) by Tom Schieffer or Hank Gilbert over in the Governor's race, you know something is wrong. There are only so many retired or soon to be retired journalists that are willing to regurgitate and reiterate the "Sharp Strategy" that "running for statewide office several times gives [you] a considerable head start over candidates who haven't" and that you've "been on statewide ballots in five separate election years from 1986 through 2002, and already have organizations in counties all across Texas."
Where's the beef, because that sounds like a lot of bun- Does 1984 need to give us a ring? How about from right here?
I heard a rumor the other week that the Sharp and White campaigns might be talking to each other again about...
A) if one of them would kindly drop out of the Senate race so the DSCC could finally gear up and help Texas (for once) like it actually wants to (which is a real thing), or
B) figure out who was going to run for Governor and/or other state executive offices if Sen. Hutchison chooses to keep playing Two-Face and not resign.
We need to stop betting on the future of Texas with the same old chips, especially when Hutchison holds the dice and refuses to roll.
