That's my feeling too. A democratic governor of Texas is a pipedream. Kinky could pull the anti-Perry Republican vote because of his libertarian leanings. But, there is this added confusion as to what everyone's strategy should be in getting Perry out. If Bell dropped out of this election, Kinky would have a better chance of winning than Bell would if Kinky dropped out.
I honestly believe that they both are siphoning many more votes from Bell than from Perry. If you look at Perry's approval ratings, they're right in line with the polls...typically in the mid 30's. Strayhorn seems to be splitting between Rep and Dem, with help from Ben Barnes. Kinky #'s are leaning more Dem. Hypothetically, if one of the independents dropped out and endorsed Bell, he should win convincingly. The latest poll I saw had Perry at 36%, Bell at 26% and rising, Strayhorn at 16%, and Kinky at 15% and dropping. Yes, this was from likely voters and Kinky's targeting students and those that don't typically vote. I am of the opinion that no vote is a wasted vote. If you don't want a particular person/party to get your vote, don't vote for them. I do think that Kinky or Grandma dropping out would be for the greater good...getting rid of Perry. Hell, if Bell dropped out and endorsed Grandma or Kinky, I'd certainly vote for them. If they don't, so be it. It's just going to be a shame that Perry could likely win with a total in the 20's.
Nice post. Please post here more often! I think along similar lines. What is interesting about Kinky is that he is appealing to so many people who would normally vote Democratic, although he's pretty conservative (something I find highly ironic!) in some respects, and voted for Bush in '04, when he should have known better, imo. The biggest surprise, to me, has been the poor showing of Strayhorn. She's been in Texas politics for years. Strayhorn was elected mayor of Austin 3 times. (and largely responsible for Austin's participation in the Nuke boondoggle, something Austin taxpayers are still shelling out money for... to be fair, no one expected it to be as big a disaster as things turned out) The following is from Wikipedia: She was the first woman elected to the Texas Railroad Commission and the first woman elected as comptroller. She also was the first woman to serve as president of the Austin school board and as president of the Austin Community College board. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carole_Keeton_Strayhorn She has a huge amount of experience in state government, certainly more than Perry, and much more knowledge of education issues than the other candidates. Strayhorn's biggest problem has been her endless ability to be abrasive. She is hell to work for, from people I've talked to, because she's so demanding, and doesn't suffer fools lightly. Now, a lot of folks would say that's a good quality, considering her job, but she's been that way with Perry while serving as comptroller. Perry is a fool, and she's not suffered him lightly, lol! She made an enemy of him, and things went downhill from there. Perry got the Texas Performance Review (something similar to the Sunset Commission, in a way, although not as important), that she had created, and was very proud of, moved to the LBB (the Legislative Budget Board), through surrogates, and that well and truly pissed Strayhorn off. I think it was behind her decision not to run for reelection as comptroller, and to take on Perry. Most of you don't know what the hell I'm talking about, do you? Anyway, she's done far worse than most political observers expected, and did badly in the debate, going toe to toe with the Kinkster for the title of "blew big chance to make a splash!" Keep D&D Civil.
I personally know several Republican conservative businessmen who are voting for Kinky, mainly because of the new business tax in Texas. They refuse to vote for Perry primarily because of the tax, can't bring themselves to go Democrat and vote for Bell, and dismiss Strayhorn as incompetent. I suspect they are not alone among Republicans in Texas, although Kinky is also getting substantial support from students, Democrats who are sick of Chris Bell, disenchanted voters, and people who usually do not vote.
More than that, Chris Bell has promised to increase the business income tax, isolating himself from the largest group of anti-Perry voters.
Anyone know the procedure for a lost voter registration certificate....my wife can't find hers. Argh!
i believe all you'll need is your drivers license. edit: http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/pamphlets/faqs.shtml Voting Without a Certificate - Voting Early - Election Day Voting Q: I can't find my voter certificate/card. Will I be able to vote without it? A:If you are a registered voter and you have lost or misplaced your voter certificate, you may vote without your certificate by providing some form of identification (see list below) and signing an affidavit at the polls. This is the procedure to follow if your voter registration is still current and your name appears on the voter rolls in your county of residence. You may also contact your county voter registrar to obtain a replacement certificate. Acceptable documents are: 1. a driver's license or personal identification card issued to you by the Department of Public Safety or a similar document issued to you by an agency of another state, regardless of whether the license or card has expired; 2. a form of identification containing your photograph that establishes your identity; 3. a birth certificate or other document confirming birth that is admissible in a court of law and establishes your identity; 4. United States citizenship papers issued to you; 5. a United States passport issued to you; 6. official mail addressed to you, by name, from a governmental entity; 7. a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address; or 8. any other form of identification prescribed by the secretary of state. 9. You must vote for Kinky.
yea, Chris Bell can fall off a bridge. I saw a Chris Bell bumper sticker the other day in the parking lot, I considered keying his car...but I decided to key the guy instead.
Early Voter Numbers Wed. Day 3:Harris County: Last governor's election = 5,087 (14,393 cumulative) This year (Wed) = 9,312 (27,579 cumulative) For the 3 days that is an increase of 91.6%
I am typically one that votes on the first day of early voting. I usually know well in advance who I'm voting for. It also helps me just be able to sit back and enjoy the last minute mud slinging (this years is especially fun). I haven't gone yet becasue I still haven't decided on my governor. I'm still leaning towards Bell because I believe he has the best chance of beating Perry. There are some things that bug me about him. I'm trying to want to vote for Kinky, but someone who voted for Bush twice is a big no-no to me. It's one thing to vote for him in 2000. It's another when you do it again in 04 after knowing what we knew then. I like Strayhorn, especially her education policies, but her attitude just grates on me. Would her attitude prevent her from accomplishing anything? I'm probably going to decide over the weekend and vote on Monday.
looking at the latest numbers posted by oomp, 91% increase, i think, has to highly favor kinky. the numbers don't show what part of that is first time voters, or people who sat out the last election, but unless there is a significant drop in the increase then i think it points to him. Tarrant County (Fort Worth), is 18% higher. Bexar County (San Antonio), is up 59%. El Paso County (El Paso) the numbers are up, though it didn't give a percentage. Brazos County (College Station) numbers are up as well. i couldn't find any numbers on travis, dallas, or a few other larger counties.
the numbers are still up across the board, indicating that new voters are coming out, and not just the likely voters coming out early.
I finally made up my mind and went with Kinky. Bell was starting to bother me with some of the things he's said and done. Yes, it is.
