BAR: Reality Sets In
Here's Off the Kuff:
I said at the time that I suspected Kelly's simpler name helped boost his total. I still believe that's true, but I also think Stace is onto something when he says that BAR was running to win in November, not in March.
Here's Dos Centavos:
I've always said BAR was too busy running for November and not thinking about March like she should have been. He might be an old-coot, but one shouldn't underestimate the name of Gene Kelly. It gets to a point that being "perennial" actually helps one out.
Here's Brains and Eggs, quoting one of Radnofsky's associates at V&E:
But the most shocking example of simple voter ignorance is that Barbara Radnofsky is in a runoff with Gene Kelly. Here's how Katie O'Harra, one of her associates at V&E, put it:
SHAME on Texas Democrats for allowing Gene Kelly-- who is a perennial joke on Texas politics -- to challenge Barbara Radnofsky in a runoff for U.S. Senate. Texas Democrats MUST get the word out regarding the importance of the upcoming runoff election on Tuesday April 11, 2006: a strong, viable candidate needs a decisive victory over a clown.
And here's Burnt Orange Report:
Two tips to the Radnofsky campaign:
#1 - Stop whining and start kicking ass: Yeah yeah, we know that you all think it's not fair that Gene Kelly was running without campaigning. But, the fact that you're in a runoff with him isn't his fault, it's your fault.
#2 - Get out the vote: At the very least, get out more votes in Houston. As well, you all should be able to get out voters due to the runoffs in CD10 and SR47.
It's interesting that some Radnofsky supporters are accusing fellow Dems of being ignorant. Meanwhile, the BOR folks are more interested in offering suggestions to Radnofsky to improve her lackluster showing.
The notion of "running for November" is kind of a fun political strategy for a candidate with no statewide name ID against a candidate with name ID built by several unsuccessful runs. As I noted way back when, Radnofsky is a precinct chair who has no statewide ID and no money. From Day One, she needed to be trying to boost her statewide ID as part of the strategy of winning in November! She never had much of a shot at winning in November, but if she doesn't raise her name ID, she's going to be embarrassed in November. But hey, that's just my take. Radnofsky apparently thought she knew better. After all, she bragged to a Chronicle reporter that she has a political science degree from UH AND she's been thinking about the race since she was nine years old! Who could argue with that?!
The notion that she was "running for November" because of lack of funds is even more interesting to me since Charles Kuffner left me a comment (also way back when) that seemed to take exception with my (accurate) characterization of Radnofsky's funding.
Eventually, reality intrudes, even on those in the community that claims to be reality-based. :)
UPDATE: Of course, for the perpetually reading-challenged, reality intrudes even more slowly, so I've bolded a portion of a blockquote to help out. :)
UPDATE 2: For Dems that Brains and Eggs might characterize as being ignorant (and anyone else who hasn't followed Radnofsky's career -- probably quite a few Texans, now that I think about it!), I should note that Radnofsky's highest political office held to date has been precinct chair. All references to precinct chair Radnofsky are intended to highlight her inexperience in politics. That seems obvious, but perhaps it's not.
UPDATE 3: I should have linked above to Sedosi's amusing comment on Radnofsky's plotting her Senate run as a nine-year-old.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 03/11/06 11:20 | Texas | Technorati
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Comments
Truer words, Kevin... Truer words.
Posted by Chris Elam @ 12:24 on 03/11/06
This runoff only bolsters Hutchison's numbers...
Posted by RightOfTexas @ 12:37 on 03/11/06
When was Barbara a precinct chair? Don't bother to look. She isn't.
The publicity she is getting off of this is GOLD. Just GOLD!
Keep up the good work.
Posted by John Cobarruvias @ 05:43 on 03/12/06
When was Barbara a precinct chair? Don't bother to look. She isn't.
When I posted on Radnofsky's candidacy in June 2005, her own website touted her experience as a precinct chair, which I referenced here:
http://www.publiustx.net/it...
Radnofsky's website no longer boasts about that prior office, and I don't blame them for taking it down -- it was a pretty ridiculous thing to tout and made the campaign look amateurish. But surely just because the campaign took it down doesn't mean the reality-based community is now in denial over the fact it was there?
To dig a little deeper to answer your question, though: 2004
http://democracyforhouston....
If that doesn't satisfy you, you can try the end of page one of this pdf of a news article posted on Radnofsky's website:
http://www.radnofsky.com/ar...
It's not clear to me why you and other members of the reality-based community are trying to deny reality (i.e. that Radnofsky's OWN CAMPAIGN claimed she was a precinct chair). The internet is kind of pesky about denial of reality. Facts never go away. :)
Posted by Kevin @ 08:08 on 03/12/06
The Radnofsky campaign ought to be embarrassed not to have gotten at least 60% of the vote in the primary; personally, as a Democrat, I'm embarrassed that perennial joke Gene Kelly made a runoff simply because he has the same name as a great, albeit dead, dancer. John, you can spin this any way you'd like, but this is nothing but bad news. Let's face it, KBH is arguably the most popular politician in Texas. I think BAR is better qualified and would make a much better Senator, but absent $50 million to spend and KBH getting caught in a major scandal, I'd consider 48% to be a major upset. I certainly hope I'm wrong, and I'm pretty sure she'll get at least 60% here in Travis County, but as for the rest of the state...
I feel much the same way about this race as I did about the gubernatorial primary. Either Gammage (whom I supported) or Radnofsky should have run for lite guv. Dewhurst is an ineffectual empty suit and vulnerable. Also, it's an office that actually gets to wield some power in Texas. A term or two as an effective lite guv would set her up nicely as a Senatorial candidate.
Posted by another precinct chair @ 12:21 on 03/13/06
I can't disagree with the "ineffectual empty suit" characterization, but the guy has money to burn. She would have had some of the same problems in that race.
Why not think a little smaller to start -- a Houston-area or Harris County office? Or a run for the lege?
There's a part of me that's willing to give her credit for running a race that nobody in her party really wants to run.... that takes some guts. But then again, there's a part of me that wonders why she doesn't run a race where she might have a shot at winning, and could build on over time.
Posted by Kevin @ 19:02 on 03/13/06
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