After negotiations that seemed like they might drag on longer than those anti-nuke talks between Donald Trump and the North Koreans, the U.S. Senate competitors finally agreed to debate.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, and the Democrat trying to unseat him, U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of El Paso, have settled on three one-hour debates, before live audiences, in Texas’s largest cities:
• Dallas – Friday, Sept. 21, at Southern Methodist University;
• Houston – Sunday, Sept. 30, at the University of Houston;
• San Antonio – Tuesday, Oct. 16, at a yet-tobe named TV studio.
They’ll discuss domestic policy in the first two debates, and domestic and foreign policy in the third.
O’Rourke in April had suggested six debates, two in Spanish. Cruz, said he wouldn’t debate in Spanish – O’Rourke is fluent; Cruz isn’t – but dallied three months before proposing five debates — all on Fridays, all in English.
O’Rourke’s campaign opposed the Friday’s-only idea, competing with revered high school football for an audience. So, the settlement above.
Governor Debate On
The only other debate scheduled for statewide office is Republican Gov. Greg Abbott versus Democratic challenger and former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez – on Friday, Sept. 28, in Austin.
Abbott had surprised Valdez July 17, announcing acceptance of an invite for an Austin debate from the Nexstar Media Group TV network.
Valdez, a week later, called for some questions in Spanish, a live audience, on some night other than Friday. And in Houston.
No, the Abbott campaign said.
A month later, they agreed to Sept. 28, in Austin. But Valdez’s team had negotiated having Telemundo simulcast the debate, with live translation in Spanish.
Valdez Invokes Ann Richards
In the most active year for women candidates in history – fueled considerably by the “#MeToo” uprising over sexual harassment — about 50 percent more women are running for office than ever before.
Valdez says Texas should repeat what happened in 1990, and elect another female governor.
“It’s been 23 years since Governor Ann Richards fought for Texas women,” Valdez’s email said, “and it’s time we elect another female governor who understands that when women succeed, we all succeed.”
“It’s no secret that Greg Abbott’s agenda is anti-women,” Valdez charged – by opposing Planned Parenthood and equal-pay measures, among others.
Valdez didn’t mention that Richards, elected in 1990 as the first woman to ever be Texas governor whose husband hadn’t held the job first, was unseated in 1994 by Republican George W. Bush.
She also didn’t mention that Democrats’ tried in the last election to elect a woman governor, pro-choice heroine and former state Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth – and Abbott beat her by more than 20 percent.
Anyway, it should be interesting to see how the former sheriff does matching words and wits with the former attorney general.
Republicans Endorsing Democrats?
In an interesting and unusual show of distaste, former Republican Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, who lost an effort in this year’s GOP primary to unseat successor George P. Bush, endorsed Bush’s Democratic opponent, Miguel Suazo.
Patterson accused Bush of mismanagement, of the refurbishment of the Alamo, and of recovery efforts following Hurricane Harvey.
Joining Patterson in signing a letter saying they wouldn’t vote for Bush in November were Bush’s other two primary opponents this year – Rick Range and Davey Edwards.
Bush got more than 58 percent against the trio, with Patterson just under 30 percent, and the other two in the single digits.
Also signing the letter was Bush’s lone primary opponent in 2014, David Watts, who got 23 percent.
Suazo said he was “honored” to have Patterson’s endorsement, putting “Texas before Party.”
Patterson conceded chances of Bush losing were “very, very remote,” but said “My compulsion is to be true to my convictions.”
Patterson and the three others join another unsuccessful Republican opponent to a sitting officeholder in endorsing his Democratic opponent.
Scott Milder, who got 23 percent against Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in the GOP primary, has endorsed Democratic challenger Mike Collier, a Houston businessman who shares Milder’s criticism of Patrick as a counter-productive right-wing zealot.
Patrick, incidentally, is another Republican incumbent who has spurned challenges from their Democratic opponents to debate.
Another Democratic Every-County Campaigner?
Former Air Force pilot Col. Kim Olson, now a farmer and the Democratic nominee against Republican Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, may repeat Beto O’Rourke’s campaigning in all 254 Texas counties.
“I’ve already traveled to over 210 counties,” Olson said in a post Saturday ((Sept. 15)), “and plan on hitting the rest. I’ll admit to enjoying my campaign travels, walking the farms and ranches, and learning about their concerns “
That’s 44 counties, about 50 days until the Nov. 6 election. She might make it.
Contact McNeely at davemcneely111@gmail.com.
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