Wednesday, March 3, 2010

2010 TEXAS PRIMARY NUANCES

First of all CONGRATULATIONS to all the primary winners last night.
Even if your folks didn't come out on top yesterday, at least they got in the arena and fought.

Voter turnout was somewhat better than expected; but overall electorate apathy still prevailed making each vote that much more significant.  Something to remember in the upcoming November elections.

Texans' anger and trepidation at the unfettered spending and corruption in Washington paved the way for easy victories at the Rick Perry and Ron Paul camps.  Sheila Jackson Lee's landslide victory in my district, however, was a shocker. Not just because Sheila Jackson Lee is at the heart of Washington D.C.'s cavalier incompetence; but because of the resentment many of her constituents voiced over her personal arrogance and detachment from our district.

Arrogance and incompetence also took their toll in some of the judicial contests.

Don Smyth trouncing Rachael Ann Palmer for the CCCL #13 judicial bench highlights this best.
Smyth overwhelmingly outclassed Palmer with respect to fund of legal knowledge, judicial temperament, trial experience, impartiality and basic human decency.
Palmer was merely Harris County DA Pat Lykos' protege and was minimally qualified. Thankfully,  Lykos' influence over her old guard base was not sufficient to carry the day.

In essence, Palmer's campaign was a referendum on Lykos' political clout.
Lykos' strength is in the runoff process.....period.
The paucity of voter turnout in a runoff traditionally does not reflect the general will of the community; but rather yields a far greater significance to party loyalists who vote in droves and support hard core Party rhetoric over actual qualifications and experience.

It is baffling, therefore, that once a qualified challenger to her hand picked protege announced his candidacy, that Lykos did not fully appreciate the potential fail-safe of a puppet 3rd candidate.
Lykos will not repeat this miscalculation in 2012.......Jimmy Leitner will do her bidding once again in hopes of a runoff and voter apathy.

In the 180th District Court race, Marc Brown was able to secure a runoff with the moneyed but outclassed Danny Dexter. 
This needs to be a dress rehearsal for the likely 2012 Harris County DA runoff.
Marc Brown is the qualified and experienced candidate while Danny Dexter is the Lykos-type candidate, albeit with a good disposition.

Incumbent Leslie Brock Yates' loss in her re-election bid to the14th Court of Appeals was a reflection of the public's demand for impartiality and fair play; at least at the appellate level.
Congratulations to Sharon McCally! 

PARTICIPATE IN THE RUNOFF PROCESS AND SUPPORT QUALITY, EXPERIENCE AND EQUITY!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wonder when Pat fires Don for defeating Rachael in the primary? I mean this all could have been avoided had Don agreed to Pat's request to file in a different race.

Anonymous said...

I almost voted for Yates because Lowry endorsed McCally....but Blakemore & Associates running the Yates campaign neutralized that POS's Link Letter endorsement.

Anonymous said...

Black- Nice job with Borris Miles. He is a sterling character. What say you about Mr. Miles.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Miles attended Yates High School and graduated from the Houston High School for Law Enforcement. He received the Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Criminal Science from Sam Houston State University.

Borris Miles is the right person to represent district 146 in the Texas State House of Representatives. During his tenure he has authored, joint authored and amended 25 pieces of legislation and was assigned to the Government Reform and Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committees.

Miles is a lifelong resident of the district, grew up in Sunnyside and manages a successful insurance agency in the heart of Third Ward. He started his one-man operation in his garage apartment, and today his company – Borris L. Miles Insurance — writes more than $50 million dollars in insurance premiums annually.

Miles has purchased and renovated two city blocks and provides professional lease space to seven other minority-owned businesses and their employees. He believes that by investing in his community, he makes a positive impact on the business and economic base in the area.

BLUE said...

What's the over and under on Terry Yates, former Judge Yates' hubby and long time Allen Blakemore pal, still being hunting buddies after all this? If I were Blakemore I'd wear a vest....
Just sayin'