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| Perry seems headed to victory in surprising Texas primary |
| 2010-02-23 |
| It began as a battle of the titans, with Rick Perry -- the longest serving governor in Texas history -- being challenged in the GOP primary by the state's senior U.S. senator, Kay Bailey Hutchison. But as the multimillion-dollar contest comes to a close, Perry's bid for another four-year term appears to hinge not only on Hutchison's strength but on the fate of the third candidate in the race -- Debra Medina, a once-obscure insurgent whose showing in the March 2 primary will decide whether Perry wins outright or faces an April runoff. With Perry holding a seemingly insurmountable lead in polls, the governor's race in recent weeks began evolving into a surprise battle for second place as Medina appeared to be within striking distance of overtaking Hutchison, one of the state's dominant political figures. But Medina's detractors -- as well as several independent analysts -- say she may have self-destructed in a Feb. 11 interview with conservative commentator Glenn Beck by not immediately disavowing a theory that the U.S. government may have played a role in the 9-11 terrorist attacks. The former Wharton County Republican chairwoman quickly sought to repair the damage, saying there was no doubt that Muslim terrorists flew the hijacked planes on 9-11. Medina now says she believes the incident may have strengthened her candidacy by galvanizing supporters, positioning her for a strong showing against her two Republican rivals. She was oozing fertilizer as she was saying those words... "Did it feel good? No. Am I sick of answering the questions? Yes. I am," she said in an hourlong interview last week in her Wharton campaign headquarters. "But at the end of day, I think it's going to be labeled backfire," she added, repeating her contention that she was set up in Beck's interview. I'm guessing it's gonna be labeled "crash and burn." The incident focused "a tremendous amount of media on the campaign," generating additional support and campaign contributions, she said. Her supporters, she said, "just got mad, and when people get mad, they fight, and when they fight, we win." Unless you lose, of course. Then you're just barking mad ... Others say the full impact of the remarks won't be known until the election. In the heavily Republican Fort Worth area, where the 47-year-old businesswoman enjoys her strongest support, there are indications that the gaffe may have chased at least some Medina supporters into Perry's camp. Switching signs "We've had a few people who returned Medina signs and have switched their support to Rick Perry and wanted Rick Perry signs," said Tarrant County Republican Chairwoman Stephanie Klick. Adrian Murray, a Medina supporter who heads the Fort Worth 912 Project, said "there might be a small percentage that have dropped their support" but he added that most of Medina's conservative supporters in Tarrant County remain united behind the candidate. "If I suspected for a moment that Debra Medina was a truther, I would drop her faster than a hot potato," Murray said, in reference to the 911 Truth Movement that subscribes to the possibility of government involvement in the terrorist attacks. "I just don't believe it [that Medina subscribes to the theory.]" Of course not. She told Beck that all the evidence wasn't in yet so she was withholding judgment. Medina appeared Saturday in Fort Worth at a candidates forum and rally hosted by a coalition of conservative organizations including Tea Party activists and members of Murray's group, which was founded as part of a national conservative movement inspired by Beck. Murray, a Fort Worth auto-parts executive, recently split with Beck after contending that Medina was ambushed in the radio interview. "I don't think it's had as much damage as some people might think," said Anthony Reed, a Haltom City councilman and a Medina organizer in Tarrant County. "Most of the response I've heard has been against Glenn Beck himself. I know people who are literally throwing their Glenn Beck books in the trash." Medina, who grew up on a South Texas farm, became a nurse and formed a medical consulting and billing company, has been active in GOP politics since the mid-1990s and won election as the party's county chairwoman in 2004. After gaining attention through political training seminars and speaking appearances, like-minded political supporters urged her to step into the governor's race. But in a contest dominated by the two giants of the party, she appeared destined to wallow in the single digits until break-out performances in two candidate debates drew attention to her feisty personality and message of limited government and state sovereignty. Her signature issues include replacing the property tax with sales taxes and whacking away at government regulations. She has also advocated a moratorium on executions in Texas to address abuses in the criminal justice system although she continues to support capital punishment. Over a barbecue lunch at her office in Wharton, about 60 miles southwest of Houston, Medina said she has been unfairly portrayed as an extremist and wrongly identified as a Libertarian. She said her views generally parallel the Texas Republican Party's platform. "If you go to look up 'good old Texas girl' in the dictionary, you'd find Debra Medina," she said. "There's nothing radical or extreme about me except my zeal for the U.S. Constitution and truth and honesty in government." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #6 You're welcome, B - do you want to post a review on Amazon? The Trilogy is becoming a locally popular-interest read, but seriously, I need all the help I can get! |
| Posted by: Sgt. Mom 2010-02-23 20:15 |
| #5 Thanks Sgt Mom. (I finally finished Die Adelsverein, enjoyed it much). |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-02-23 17:37 |
| #4 I listened to the segment on the Beck show, after it was all done - one of the other SA Tea Party people sent it to me. She answered the question in the worst way possible: there is no other respectable answer to his question other than "No," or "Hell, no!" She had a lot of credibility up until that minute, even though many of her more-fervent local supporters are the kind Libertarians usually called "Ronulans." KBH has no chance among Tea Partiers - they view her as a RINO of the worst kind. Medina would have cleaned up as an outsider-insurgent candidate, without a taint of being a long-term incumbent - but she blew it by waffling on the 'truther' question. Either you are ready for prime time, and prepared to answer questions without equivocating - or not. Glenn Beck could hardly be termed hostile media, when it comes to new conservatives, either. To give Perry credit, early on he saw the Tea Party as a crowd he wanted to get out in front of; I think he was perhaps one of the first politicians to realize that the Tea Parties could be a major force. He has some dirty laundry, as regards toll roads (long local story)though. I am thinking that a lot of Texan Tea Partiers are going to vote for him as the least worst option. |
| Posted by: Sgt. Mom 2010-02-23 17:32 |
| #3 Medina is toast. She waffled on the 'troofer' question and killed any chance she had. Too bad, a bunch of folks liked her stand on property taxes and other issues. Oh, she also has a bit of Ronulan taint clinging to her. |
| Posted by: Don Vito Uleash 2010-02-23 14:00 |
| #2 Perry deserves another term. Wonder why he's seldom mentioned as 2012 presidential material? Palin came down to Texas and campaigned with him. Don't be surprised if they both end up on the 2012 ticket as running partners. |
| Posted by: wr 2010-02-23 08:51 |
| #1 Perry deserves another term. Wonder why he's seldom mentioned as 2012 presidential material? |
| Posted by: Iblis 2010-02-23 07:09 |