Dems recruiting General Abu Grahib to run in Texas for U.S. Senate

[UTUSN]

My first reaction to the Wingnut who sent me this item was: ******FIRST REACTION: OH HELL NO!1 I know we're desperate, but if it's only name recognition we're going for why not Satan. Or George BUSH. Or Jeb BUSH (since niceties like residence don't matter). Or Barbara BUSH. Or Pickles-the-car-killer W. BUSH. Or Pee BUSH.

It's Ben BARNES and Senator Patty MURRAY doing the recruiting. Pathetic that BARNES was thought to be a star of the Dems in his wunderkind years and that fools like me were fooled into thinking he WAS a wonderful Dem. How out of touch with his youth and Austin is he that he doesn't realize Abu Grahib will be an automatic HELL-NO from all the young Libs in Austin who jump for ANY reason to go for 3rd Party NADERs or Greens or who-they-think is cool IDIOT (Kinky FRIEDMAN).

I guess BARNES doesn't want to work too hard looking at young unknowns who might be office holders out there somewhere. Boy, (Wingnut), you surely know how to yank my chain with these things you dig up, whether you do it inadvertently or from fiendish KKKarl ROVE strategy to drive a Dem crazy. ******END OF FIRST REACTION ****


That said, (ME cooling off) the General says he's a Progressive, that he KNEW NOTHING about what was goingon at Abu Grahib and was cleared by investigators, that it's a sign of life for Dems to APPEAR to give a damn about winning.

However, Hispanics in Texas didn't rise up for BUSH crony Tony SANCHEZ who spent $30M of his own money. And I still say the young Liberals in Austin will go 3rd party they way they always think is kewl and so smart of them.





*************QUOTE*************

http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/04/15/3004469/retired-general-being-recruited.html

Retired general being recruited to run for U.S. Senate seat in Texas as Democrat

By Maria Recio

[e-mail]

.... "I would describe myself as during my military career as supporting the president and the Constitution," Sanchez said. "After the military, I decided that socially, I'm a progressive, a fiscal conservative and a strong supporter, obviously, of national defense." ....

(Ben) Barnes, one of the state's last high-profile Democrats, said, "I talked to him. It sounded to me like he's close to being a candidate. .... He's got a very compelling story," Barnes said. "He's the one guy who could unite the Hispanic vote. He'll get the conservative Hispanic businessman."

Several congressional Hispanic Democrats, including Reps. Henry Cuellar of Laredo and Charlie Gonzalez of San Antonio, told the Star-Telegram that they welcome Sanchez's likely entry into the race. ....

After (Patty) Murray's surprise announcement that Texas was one of six states in 2012 targeted by Democrats, National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Brian Walsh said, "Republicans can only hope that national Democrats are going to waste their money in the state of Texas. We look forward to their mystery candidate."


*************UNQUOTE*************

[gateley]

1. That's interesting. But do you want someone in charge who

doesn't know what's going on?

[Angry Dragon]

2. I thought that was SOP right now...............

[gateley]

3. So we shouldn't continue the trend. nt

[Angry Dragon]

4. I do not know what the answer is

How do we get a majority of congress to really care about the people and this country and then understand how to go about the process of fixing it?? Even rational republicans would be better than what we have now.......

[UTUSN]

5. What the Wingnut (who is politically connected) replied to my hissy fit

************THE WINGNUT'S REPLY***********

Gee whiz, I had NO idea this would get you. I'm not sure he would be that strong a candidate, to begin with, but Abu whatever is no disqualifier to the vast majority of Texans. No matter what the lotus eaters in Austin think, ha-ha.

I got the impression that Barnes was not the recrutier but the commenter-on. Should Sanchez be the guy, he could pose a problem for the GOP since I think they would have a problem with how tough to be on him. I think most folks, including older Hispanics (who might otherwise not care) would not care about the Abu Greeb stuff. Sorry if I hurt your feelings.

Whatever I think of Sanchez, I think the suits screwed him over and he is in some ways a fall guy for the policies of others.

**************END WINGNUT**********

[UTUSN]

6. ANnnnddd the wingnut updated with Texas Monthly's assessment

The demographical surge of Hispanics ---when is it supposed to kick in?!1 Dems have been counting on it, to no avail, for a decade at least. John SHARP, who had trouble breaking into the top tier of candidateture tried to talk somebody (Henry CISNEROS?) into running for governor while SHARP would take the LT Governor slot (the more powerful of the two). The target recruit asked, "So you think I can win?" and SHARP replied, "No, but the Hispanics turning out for you will put ME in!1"

Waiting.

*************QUOTE*************

http://www.texasmonthly.com/blogs/burkablog/?p=10024&click_code=3e7e739b92f7b3f5bba0229477027dc2.

Democrats may have found a Senate candidate

posted by paulburka (Senior Executive Editor, Texas Monthly)

.... ...my initial reaction was that Democrats had lost their minds. Everybody knows the score. The D’s haven’t won a statewide race since 1994, almost eighteen years ago. The party chairman has resigned and his replacement is likely to be a longtime political hack from South Texas. The party’s meager assets include Julian Castro, the mayor of the state’s second largest city and a stable of talented legislators (including Castro’s twin brother Joaquin), none of whom wanted to run for statewide office in 2010 because they knew they couldn’t win. The Democratic brand, and whatever influence Democrats had, was ruined by the Republican sweep of contested state House seats on election night. ....

Any Democratic candidate is going to have an uphill battle, but Sanchez is the kind of candidate the party is going to have to run: an Hispanic whose personal rectitude is beyond reproach — or, to put it another way, is not a politcian. Generalizations can be dangerous, but I think it’s fair to say that Hispanics are among the most patriotic and pro-military of Americans. Sanchez is the kind of candidate who could inspire Hispanics to vote in greater numbers than they are doing now.

The biggest problem for Sanchez is his party. The brand has been destroyed. He is going to have to go into battle defending the policies of a president who is extremely unpopular in Texas. Whoever the Republican nominee is, the strategy will be a page from Rick Perry’s playbook: Sanchez will be defined as a creature of Washington and an ally of the big-spending Obama administration. ....

The Senate Democrats are placing a very long-shot bet on Texas. I wouldn’t dare put any chips on it. Patty Murray’s explanation for why she thinks Texas might be in play is “demographic change.” We have been hearing that line for many years now, and there is no evidence that demographic change has changed voting patterns. Democrats make the mistake of looking at Hispanic participation in California, in Colorado, in Arizona, in New Mexico, and thinking that Texas could be just like those states. I disagree. Hispanics in those states are alienated. Angry people vote. Hispanics in Texas are not alienated. Unless the Democrats have some pretty good polling that shows the Republicans are overreaching with their budget cuts–and I doubt that they do–they should continue to regard Texas as a lost cause. If he runs, Sanchez will do better than any other Democrat could–but not well enough.

*************UNQUOTE*************

[Kingofalldems]

7. K and R