TX-Gov: Tom Schieffer Picks Up South Texas Endorsements

It is WAY early (0.00 / 0)

Granted, I'm biased since I'm for Hank. As you pointed out, the Senate race is VERY different from the Governor's race.

In this race, it really is premature disclosure. Why roll these now when no one is really paying attention and when you don't know what endorsements your opponent had rolled up?

It's a tactical blunder this far out from the primary. It's trying to give the illusion that something is happening without actually doing anything.

Meanwhile, still nothing on an eduction plan from Schieffer.  

---

by: McBlogger @ Tue Oct 06, 2009 at 19:53:26 PM UTC

not too early (2.33 / 3)

if your campaign is dying a slow death like schieffer's.

they are desperately trying to convince us that he doesn't suck and isn't losing. a handful (or fewer) of people have been trying to suck start this "campaign" from day one. it has yet to work.

but you are wrong, mcblogger, this isn't a "tactical blunder"...it should say "another tactical blunder".

i respect some of the folks on that list, but they are jumping in a little early AND getting on the wrong ship. if we nominate another establishment guy that no one has ever heard of and is bush's best friend, the whole ticket will go down in flames.

at least hank and kinky have name ID and personalities. we'll both those things and money to get folks excited and to the polls.

we don't need the repubs in november. we can win this thing with just the Dems and some Independents...if we get them wound up.  schieffer couldn't electrify a dead battery with jumper cables and a bolt of lightning.

he would be settling and i think we all know that.

Please refer to KT's signature.

---

by: colin @ Tue Oct 06, 2009 at 21:43:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's dumb (2.50 / 4)

Gilbert's statement about Schieffer's endorsements may be the dumbest I've seen in a long time. Is that what we can expect the next five months? Every time Schieffer does anything or anyone supports him, we'll be reminded - and of course dutifully shocked and horrified - of his past association with George Bush?  The bumpkin's sad campaign keeps getting sadder.  

---

by: politicsforjim @ Wed Oct 07, 2009 at 13:01:17 PM UTC

not dumb, accurate (1.00 / 2)

first of all, Hank isn't a "bumpkin". wearing a cowboy hat, working a farm, living in a rural area is what Texas was, and is, all about.

second, the only thing you need to know about schieffer is he supported bush over richards, bush over mauro, bush over gore, bush over kerry and bush over the world, common sense and the bill of rights.

i guess it might also be helpful for some folks to know that HE STILL DEFENDS ALL OF BUSH'S ACTIONS (sorry for the caps KT!). not a "friend" of bush with a "past association", he's the guy that made bush rich, enabled his run for gov, financed his campaigns for gov and pres.  he is a bush apologist.

how do you get past that??? schieffer is a nonstarter.

if you are interested i can also tell you that he was a horrible state representative loathed by dozens for his arrogance. or i can tell you about how he abandoned our party for a generation. let me know.

Please refer to KT's signature.

---

by: colin @ Wed Oct 07, 2009 at 14:51:45 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Bush (3.00 / 1)

Schieffer's proud to call Bush a friend and business partner. I don't see why it would be a problem mentioning that. I mean, Bush is certainly very popular with Democratic Primary voters.

Speaking of sad little campaigns, what's Schieffer been doing? Heard the staff had a rough go of it up in Parker County this past Saturday. That's a shame... it's always sad when a campaign runs into NO GRASSROOTS SUPPORT. Well, that and an absentee candidate.

Let's see, he's been running for 9 months and he doesn't have the baseline support Gilbert has managed to gin up in a couple of weeks. He has no real presence online or apparently any kind of response apparatus for hitting the Republicans. He's gained no momentum while Hank continues to roll rapidly ahead.

The bumpkin is kicking the Bush loving old man's butt pretty squarely. Sorry if that irks you, but it's reality. He's now, pretty clearly, an also ran. One wonders why he doesn't just drop out and go make some money.

---

by: McBlogger @ Thu Oct 08, 2009 at 01:44:42 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thanks for the hard hitting facts and lack of spin /sarcasm (3.00 / 1)

So it's too early to announce endorsements because no one is paying attention and yet you want an education plan?  I think that's contradictory.  

Here's the thing, I think Schieffer knows he has some damage control to do based on his service in the Bush administration. (See Colin's comment)  Announcing endorsements from respected Democratic elected officials especially this early could be intended to make those of us who are paying attention, and skeptical, either take another look or reframe our emotional reaction to Schieffer.  That way hopefully he pushes his negatives down and can start making an argument about why he should be the nominee when the campaign really begins.

Another reason would be if you were a candidate in a crowded field perhaps you'd want to announce these things early to convince others to run for another office, and m make the argument and apply public pressure to other candidates that they should run for other offices.  Especially if those candidates had previously announced intention to run for other office, told you as much and then went back on their word. (Sound like anyone you know?)

You provide no facts to your contention about "baseline" support.  do you have a poll?  share it please. we'd all be interested.

Also no facts to back up this so called "momentum" that Hank has and where he's rolling rapidly too.  what are you talking about? are his fund raising numbers through the roof?  what metric would you suggest measuring this by?  You making unsubstantiated snarky posts isn't momentum.

Frankly, I've been a little offended by Hank's campaign.  His tempest in a teapot attack on Schieffer over education and claiming that it was "his" plan, really pissed off those of us that have been working long and hard for years on progressive policy at the legislature.  That he would feel entitled to propose a pay raise, and universal Pre-K, and smaller class sizes as if he just though of it this morning and no one else had ever proposed it, and we haven't been fighting for those things for the past decade at the capitol.  Without his help I might add.

And his response to the endorsement announcement, we get it Schieffer worked for Bush. Its still probably worth mentioning, but if that's going to be his entire response strategy, I'm already tired of it.  He could have said: It's early, I just announced, I plan on offering a better option than a bush lackey and I hope those officials would have had the courtesy to meet with me before they endorsed in this race, and I hope I can convince them of their error over the course of this campaign"

I would have received that response a lot better.

The response as it is is meritless and obviously see through spin.  No one is wondering why he announced these endorsements this early but the Hanky-Panky's trying to spread that as a legitimate question.
There is no evidence his campaign is stalled, he just picked up endorsements from MORE elected officials.

Bush=Bad, I get it. but until Hank and Vince can get past running this campaign like a flame war on a blog thread, I'll remain unimpressed.

---

by: pol_wol @ Thu Oct 08, 2009 at 14:23:10 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

primary (0.00 / 0)

I'm not going to fault Hank for believing Tom Schieffer made for a lackluster candidate at the top of the ticket. Many candidates have switched gears to other races early in cycles. The fact that he felt he ultimately provided a more exciting alternative to lead the way (and potentially help our 4 East Texas reps, as well as many other downballot slots across the state) is fine by me. The more the merrier. Primaries are great.

Wouldn't the fine folks at the Cap be pumped to have a candidate extolling the virtues of universal pre-K, teacher raises and smaller class sizes? Having a governor in the mansion who is on the same wavelength as the people fighting the good fight in the Lege would be awesome, yeah?  

---

by: B-Dub @ Thu Oct 08, 2009 at 18:08:34 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

OK... (0.00 / 0)

so you have one candidate in the race with actual plan to push forward with something you've been fighting for... and you're still working with the other guy who can't be bothered to put anything in writing?

And yeah, he did rip off some of the key points in Hank's published plan immediately after it was released.

As for the baseline support, to my knowledge no one has any kind of polling data. Yet every event Hank attends he's pulling in more and more support. Ask folks in Parker County who they are supporting.

As for the response, most of the endorsements Schieffer has put out were secured before Hank even entered the race. It's not momentum... it's a stall.

---

by: McBlogger @ Thu Oct 08, 2009 at 19:19:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Disappointing negativity from Hank Gilbert's campaign (3.00 / 2)

I thought his strategy was to focus on the Republicans.  Why is he going so negative on Schieffer over a simple endorsement announcement?  I'm getting discouraged now ... The primary could be too bloody.  I still plan to vote for Gilbert at this point, but what if Schieffer wins?

---

by: jfung79 @ Thu Oct 08, 2009 at 09:06:06 AM UTC

I'm will be voting for the Democrat... (0.00 / 0)

...period. However, there are a lot of people, pol_wol aside, who are going to have real problems supporting a guy who thought voting for Bush was a good idea. Four times.

---

by: McBlogger @ Thu Oct 08, 2009 at 19:49:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Off topic (0.00 / 0)

Did he raise that $100k?  I remember getting an email from the campaign saying he was going to raise $100k by Sept 21, it was in all the news stories about the campaign launch as well. I don't remember seeing if he reached that goal, did it ever happen?  If so, that's a pretty good way to show momentum.

---

by: Joe @ Thu Oct 08, 2009 at 21:47:35 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

yes (0.00 / 0)

I believe it was $106k, but I could be wrong.

---

by: B-Dub @ Thu Oct 08, 2009 at 21:53:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

awesome! (0.00 / 0)

Hopefully having well funded candidates can stop the Perry/KBH bloodfest from sucking all the oxygen out of the room and gin up some excitement on our side.

---

by: Joe @ Thu Oct 08, 2009 at 23:08:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Nope, You're right (0.00 / 0)

$106K in the first few days I understand.  Still needs more though.  I've kicked in a few bucks -- probably time to send him a little more.  

---

by: Texas_Kat @ Fri Oct 09, 2009 at 04:52:19 AM UTC

[ Parent ]