Monday, January 4, 2010

CONGRATULATIONS TO FUTURE JUDGE DON SMYTH

Well it looks like Don Smyth was the STEALTH straw poll winner with an overwhelming margin of victory.  Smyth garnered more individual votes than all of the other candidates combined, real and imagined.
The surprise for me, was how dismal Rachael Palmer's support was.
The scuttlebutt that the entire misdemeanor division of the Harris County District Attorney's Office supported Deputy Dog Palmer is, thank goodness, apparently quite erroneous. 
Palmer was barely able to edge out the notorious spoiler, Jim Leitner, who was not an actual candidate and always seems to place last in every election he enters.
Palmer placed a distant third out of the three announced candidates--in other words last place.

Hopefully this is an accurate reflection of the Harris County electorate in the upcoming election. 
Regardless, Palmer's best hope is a low voter turnout; so the hotly contested Governor's race should nullify that potential miscarriage of justice. 

REMEMBER TO VOTE!!!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don collected almost enough signatures to file without paying any fee. That is amazing when you consider he did it in just over a week and the week was between Christmas and New Year's day. I think there is a message in that accomplishment. Now we just need to finish the job.

BLACK INK said...

In 1836 our defeat at the Alamo represented the pivotal point in the Texas Revolution.
Let's make the trajedy of 2008 a similar pivotal point for Texas justice.
Pancho Palmer must be defeated.

REMEMBER THE PARADOX OF LYKOS!!!!

Murray Newman said...

Don was required to get 250 signatures in a little over a week. He got 715.

That's awesome.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

voter apathy is Palmer's only hope....

Anonymous said...

I can't believe Patsy did not instruct her boy Jimmy to file at the last minute to force a run off and steal the bench for her snitch.

Anonymous said...

If Don wins, I hope he can be open minded and listen to both sides and make proper judicial decisions. Some times he tags a person guilty before being heard. I will not elaborate but have first hand knowledge of hearing him condemn officers before he ever spoke to all parties involved. I have no clue how I will vote at this time but it will be hard to vote for Don and the other candidates well let's just say they aren't qualified either. Too bad the Republican party could not come up with a truly qualified person to run for this bench.

BLACK INK said...

Anon 4:08,
Whatever issues you have with Don I cannot imagine that they elevate Rachael Palmer to a more qualified position for this bench.
Correct me if I'm inaccurate on this assessment.

The cream of the crop rarely puts in for elected positions.
However, on that rare occasion when a truly qualified individual does throw his/her hat in the political arena;if that individual stays true to his/her core values and puts integrity, qualifications and the issues above pure petty politics, the Party and the voters traditionally crush that candidate.

We are usually forced to pick not the best candidate the community has to offer; but the best of those running.
Don Smyth is unquestionably the most qualified candidate for this bench. I commend him for stepping up to quash the likes of Rachael Palmer being elected essentially by default.
Personal issues should yield to the best interests of your community when choosing an elected official.
The havoc of Pat Lykos is a prime example of your reasoning if you vote for Palmer.

Anonymous said...

Black Ink, you didn't read all of Anon 4:08, it was stated that "I have no clue how I will vote at this time but it will be hard to vote for Don and the other candidates well let's just say they aren't qualified either." It did not say anything about elevating Rachel, but that none were truly qualified. Just have to pick the best of the worse in this particular court. And that is why it is a shame that the Republicans couldn't find someone just one someone to really back for this bench.

So I guess you just said Don was the best of the worse, because you think he is best qualified.

Just because he has been with the DA office far more years than he should have been doesn't make him anymore qualified than anyone in this race be it democrat or republican. And how many cases did he try and win when he was in Public Integrity compared to the losses. Wins and losses don't really make a person qualified though does it. Integrity has a lot to do with.

One has to vote for who they think has the most integrity,and could serve honestly and judicially. Maybe Anon 4:08 has good reasons for thinking he isn't qualified for lack of integrity on his part. A boy scout does not always mean a person has been honorable at all times.

BLACK INK said...

Anon 4:08,
There are obviously better qualified potential candidates in Harris County than those that filed for virtually every bench.
That is not the issue.
The voters are limited to pick one candidate for each race from those on the ballot.
Rachael Palmer is not,in my opinion, remotely qualified to be a judge at this point in her career. Further, if integrity and honesty truly are important aspects in your decision making process; Palmer's close affiliation with Pat Lykos coupled with her past behavior should give you pause.

I could not agree with you more that mere seniority has no bearing on qualifications in and of itself.
How one performs at his job for a reasonably sufficient time so as to render an appropriate meaningful evaluation is key to determine job prowess, not simply time served.

Sadly, picking the best of the worst in modern American elections has been the norm for some time
now.
Ironically, when a truly qualified rock star files, if he/she doesn't sell out to the powers to be, then that individual is vilified and defeated. So your argument, unfortunately, is not as sound as you might think.
Notwithstanding, I agree we need to attract AND SUPPORT qualified candidates--but why would they run given the history? An old friend learned that lesson all to well in '08.

So don't miss the forest for the trees on this race or any others...it is what it is.