| Today, the campaigns announced the candidates have agreed to debate again before the July 31st runoff. On Monday at 6 p.m., Ted Cruz and David Dewhurst will meet in Houston for a televised debate hosted by the King Street Patriots, an extreme right-wing group dedicated to suppressing the minority vote.
It makes an abundance of sense that both candidates want to duke it out again. Dewhurst had a very solid debate this week and has more work to do to change the perception that Cruz has all the mo'. A second strong debate showing helps that cause much more than ads alone do. Cruz needs to keep moving forward, and a final, strong performance on stage with Dewhurst could help finalize the campaign for him.
Yesterday, Dewhurst announced the "Veterans for Dewhurst" coalition to highlight his military background along with a video featuring military brass praising Dewhurst. It's a solid video that does the seemingly impossible: humanize Dewhurst. Cruz is bragging today about well-known clown Glenn Beck saying the race is "the biggest sign of the Tea Party's power" in the 2012 election. "If Texas can't do it, nobody can do it," Beck said. Beck has been promoting Cruz on his program for months.
The Texas Tribune reports:
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz have both agreed to a third televised debate on the first day of early voting in their hotly contested GOP runoff for an open U.S. Senate seat.
The King Street Patriots, a Houston-area Tea Party group, and Fox 26, a Houston-based affiliate, are scheduled to host a televised debate in front of a live audience Monday at 6 p.m. Details on airings statewide weren't immediately clear.
Both campaigns confirmed they would participate in Monday's event.
The two Republicans have already participated in two televised debates, both in Dallas. The first one, in June, was hosted by KERA, the Dallas public television affiliate. The Texas Tribune was a partner in that event. The second debate was on Tuesday and hosted by Belo.
Update: King Street Patriots Public Relations Director Logan Churchwell emailed BOR in response to this post:
SUBJECT: Quick suggestion from King Street Patriots - Texas Senate Showdown: Candidates Will Debate Again
Ben:
If you must swing your hatchet at grassroots organizations and call it journalism, at least get your groups straight. King Street Patriots, a 501(c)(4) is co-hosting the Cruz-Dewhurst debate with KRIV FOX 26 Houston. KSP is not "dedicated to suppressing the minority vote." True The Vote, a separate 501 (c)(3) organization, is dedicated to promoting election integrity which actively liaises with both major political parties to get volunteers working at the polls.
Please correct your sentence to read: "Today, the campaigns announced the candidates have agreed to debate again before the July 31st runoff. On Monday at 6 p.m., Ted Cruz and David Dewhurst will meet in Houston for a televised debate hosted by the King Street Patriots, a [sic] extreme right-wing group."
All the best,
Logan C. Churchwell
Public Relations Director
King Street Patriots
7232 Wynnwood Lane
Houston, TX 77008
Mobile: 432-935-3840 (Preferred)
Phone: 713-401-3550 x 814
Logan@kingstreetpatriots.org |
