devil21
01-13-2010, 03:49 AM
Here we go.
http://www.star-telegram.com/242/story/1888975.html
Texas viewers have a decision Thursday night.
The Texas Debates — or Grey’s Anatomy?
By the time U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Gov. Rick Perry finish their dust-up in Denton, KERA/Channel 13 viewers may be left reeling. Or, if the two Republican front-runners pull their punches, viewers will wish Channel 13 had skipped the whole thing in favor of another rerun of Lawrence Welk.
The third candidate onstage — the only one who is not a former college cheerleader — might become either a star or a sideshow.
In Wharton County, Debra Medina’s predecessor as that county’s Republican chairman says he expects the latter.
"She couldn’t get elected dogcatcher in Wharton County," said Phil Stephenson, still spitting over the 2004 election when Libertarian-leaning supporters of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul dominated the small local primary and elected Medina the county chairwoman.
"We’re dumbfounded here that she’s running for governor. She’s from a radical group in our party. I’m really surprised that she got into the debate."
Born Debra Parker in the South Texas farming town of Orangedale, Medina is a nurse and a businesswoman who was the state coordinator for Paul’s 2008 presidential campaign.
Paul drew 66,000 votes in the Texas primary that year. If Medina can bring half that many voters in the March 2 primary — voting begins Feb. 16 — she will probably force a runoff between Perry and Hutchison and win 7 or 8 percent of the vote.
Now, Medina talks about fiscal responsibility and about repealing the property tax in favor of an expanded sales tax.
(I devoted an August column to her campaign and views.)
But in Wharton in 2004, Stephenson said, she talked about only one issue: abortion.
"She was all about pro-life, period," said Stephenson, a Wharton accountant. "I think she wanted to have a litmus test for candidates. She called us all 'country-club Republicans’ — just because I believe there’s room for different views in our party."
Clippings in the Wharton Journal-Spectator show that Stephenson and other Republicans have criticized Medina over the way the county party office was run during the 2008 presidential election.
Critics complained that there was no place to pick up John McCain campaign signs, and Stephenson accused Medina of not supporting the presidential ticket. Medina responded that the party was setting up a "mobile" office that would move from town to town to promote "our message of conservative government."
Medina also wrote a letter in 2007 endorsing Paul and saying that the government and church should be separate but that America should act "in accord with the Scriptures by recognizing and adhering to the principles established by God."
Stephenson said he’s a fiscal conservative and wants to see more conservatives elected. But not like Medina, or Paul.
"It’s going to be just like when Ron Paul was in the debates," he said.
"The other candidates will look at her and say, 'OK, go ahead, you’ll get your 1 percent.’ "
The question is what voters will say.
The attack machine starts the minute you start getting any mainstream attention.
http://www.star-telegram.com/242/story/1888975.html
Texas viewers have a decision Thursday night.
The Texas Debates — or Grey’s Anatomy?
By the time U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Gov. Rick Perry finish their dust-up in Denton, KERA/Channel 13 viewers may be left reeling. Or, if the two Republican front-runners pull their punches, viewers will wish Channel 13 had skipped the whole thing in favor of another rerun of Lawrence Welk.
The third candidate onstage — the only one who is not a former college cheerleader — might become either a star or a sideshow.
In Wharton County, Debra Medina’s predecessor as that county’s Republican chairman says he expects the latter.
"She couldn’t get elected dogcatcher in Wharton County," said Phil Stephenson, still spitting over the 2004 election when Libertarian-leaning supporters of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul dominated the small local primary and elected Medina the county chairwoman.
"We’re dumbfounded here that she’s running for governor. She’s from a radical group in our party. I’m really surprised that she got into the debate."
Born Debra Parker in the South Texas farming town of Orangedale, Medina is a nurse and a businesswoman who was the state coordinator for Paul’s 2008 presidential campaign.
Paul drew 66,000 votes in the Texas primary that year. If Medina can bring half that many voters in the March 2 primary — voting begins Feb. 16 — she will probably force a runoff between Perry and Hutchison and win 7 or 8 percent of the vote.
Now, Medina talks about fiscal responsibility and about repealing the property tax in favor of an expanded sales tax.
(I devoted an August column to her campaign and views.)
But in Wharton in 2004, Stephenson said, she talked about only one issue: abortion.
"She was all about pro-life, period," said Stephenson, a Wharton accountant. "I think she wanted to have a litmus test for candidates. She called us all 'country-club Republicans’ — just because I believe there’s room for different views in our party."
Clippings in the Wharton Journal-Spectator show that Stephenson and other Republicans have criticized Medina over the way the county party office was run during the 2008 presidential election.
Critics complained that there was no place to pick up John McCain campaign signs, and Stephenson accused Medina of not supporting the presidential ticket. Medina responded that the party was setting up a "mobile" office that would move from town to town to promote "our message of conservative government."
Medina also wrote a letter in 2007 endorsing Paul and saying that the government and church should be separate but that America should act "in accord with the Scriptures by recognizing and adhering to the principles established by God."
Stephenson said he’s a fiscal conservative and wants to see more conservatives elected. But not like Medina, or Paul.
"It’s going to be just like when Ron Paul was in the debates," he said.
"The other candidates will look at her and say, 'OK, go ahead, you’ll get your 1 percent.’ "
The question is what voters will say.
The attack machine starts the minute you start getting any mainstream attention.