WorldPeace answers Attlesey's questions about 2002

The following is my response and answers to Mr. Attlesey's questions about Texas politics in 2002. 

John WorldPeace
The next governor of Texas

December 30, 2001

_________________

Will 2002 be Democrats' or GOP's year? 
12/30/2001 

By SAM ATTLESEY / The Dallas Morning News 

AUSTIN – Toasts to a happy new year. >>
Ditto from WorldPeace sans the booze.

<<A new year brings new hopes and dreams for incumbents, challengers, and contenders for open political offices. 

And 2002 brings many questions about the future of Texas politics.>>
True. 

<<Will the gubernatorial candidacy of Democrat Tony Sanchez really awaken the so-called sleeping giant of Texas politics – the growing Hispanic population?>>
No. One, because he will drop out of the Primary. Two, because it has already been awakened in San Antoinio and Houston. Three, the three Scripps Howard polls in 2001 all showed that Rick Perry had almost as much of the Hispanic vote as did Sanchez. Four, Hispanic voters are not oblivious to the fact that Tony is corrupt and if any thing they will vote against him to show future crooked Hispanics that the Hispanic voters do not want corrupt wannabes to erode the great strides they have made in Texas politics. Five, the Hispanics have been energized but it was not the doings of Sanchez and he will not benefit from it.

<<Will Mr. Sanchez's campaign halt the gradual inroads that Republicans have been making in attracting Hispanic voters? >>
This must be a trick question. Sanchez is a Republican. Hispanics voters are not as stupid and mindless as the press and the Democratic Party and Sanchez seems to think. They are voting for who they consider the best candidate. Many of the upper income Hispanic are indistinguishable from the upper income White voters. And the last Scripps Howard poll showed a 22% erosion of the Hispanic vote from Perry Sanchez between September and December. The December poll indicated these voters became undecided since the last poll in September but that is an outright lie, those voters went to WorldPeace based on his character and morality and not on his Party affiliation or his race. A letter carrier at their Beaumont convention in March summed it up: "WorldPeace I am leaning toward Sanchez because he is Hispanic and I do not know that much about the candidates, but he is going to have to prove to me that he is the best man if he wants my vote."

<<Will Mr. Sanchez put his money where is mouth is and really cough up as much as $30 million out of his estimated $600 million personal fortune? >>
No. And No. And Ha Ha Ha. 15 months ago, Sanchez was the crown prince of the Democratic Party. Since that time he has done nothing to help the Party. He has not attended local Democratic gatherings but only attended fund raisers where he could speak from the podium and avoid questions. He has not campaigned for nor significantly contributed to any of the Democratic candidates in May or November. He has never gotten above 23% when matched against Perry in the polls and as of December is at 18% after 15 months. He refused to declare his candidacy until September 4, 2001, for some unknown reason. Then Phil Gramm announced his retirement four hours later and stole all the press until 911 took over the news. Sanchez then went back into hiding. At every event Sanchez has sent a lackey to speak for him. And now Glenn Smith is speaking for him. As I asked before: How do you know when Sanchez is lying? Glenn Smith's lips are moving. By the way, is Glenn Smith Hispanic? 

<<With newly redrawn district boundaries, will Republicans gain a majority in the Texas House for the first time since Reconstruction?>>
Not if WorldPeace is the Democratic candidate for governor.

<<The House is the last area of state government still controlled by Democrats.>>
Yelp.

<<And if Republicans do gain a majority, will it be big enough to assure the election of a GOP speaker?>>
I think the lawmakers will give Pete another shot because he has been non partisan as Speaker. But there will supposedly be 50 new legislators and if most of them are Republicans, the Republican Party may be able to hold them together to beat out Laney. If Sanchez is the Democratic candidate for governor, the Republicans will rule and Laney will step down.

<< Current Speaker Pete Laney, the highest-ranking Democrat in the state, is seeking another term in the powerful post despite predictions that Republicans will have the majority when the legislators convene in January 2003.>> 
He has a good chance to hold on if Sanchez is not the Democratic Candidate for governor. 

<<Will GOP candidates in Texas, such as Gov. Rick Perry and U.S. Senate hopeful John Cornyn, benefit from the popularity of President Bush, the former Lone Star State governor who will not be on the ballot in 2002? >>
No. The economy is headed into a nose dive. The terrorist massacre is going to be old by then and the press will be reporting the economy. Bush will hurt Perry and Cornyn if WorldPeace is the Democratic candidate for governor. If Sanchez is the candidate, Perry and Cornyn win.

<<Will the Democratic establishment get its wish and see former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk win its party's nomination for U.S. Senate? Many party leaders say having a black candidate such as Mr. Kirk and a Hispanic contender such as Mr. Sanchez at the top of their ticket would greatly enhance the minority turnout.>>
This is so stupid that only children in the second grade and below would buy it. A Sanchez Kirk ticket would be the end of the Democratic Party. Sanchez can't beat Perry because he is Hispanic and corrupt. Kirk can't beat Bentsen because he is Black. This is just the Democratic Party trying to lie to the Hispanics and Blacks for the benefit of down ballot votes. The Republican Party has an all White ticket in the top five slots because they want to win. They know the realities of Texas politics and they are just going with it. What the Democrats need is someone who will actually advance the causes of the Blacks and Hispanics (as well as women) as opposed to a rainbow ticket that has no chance. Does anything really believe that Sanchez cares about the rank and file Hispanics in this state. Tell me Sanchez who owns 3 or 4 jets understands Hispanics who have to ride the bus to work. Sanchez is a corrupt Judas goat.

<<Will Democrats, once the dominant party, be able to recapture any of the 29 statewide posts – all held by Republicans? >>
Not all of them but with WorldPeace at the helm a lot of them and the rest will come in 2004.

<<Many analysts believe the Democrats' best shot at winning a statewide office is the open lieutenant governor's post. Former Comptroller John Sharp is the likely Democratic nominee. Land Commissioner David Dewhurst is the likely GOP nominee. >>
I like John even though he brought Sanchez into the Democratic Party. But the reality is that Sharp had a 14 point lead over Perry after the 1998 primaries in the Lt. Governor's race and lost by 3 points in the general election. That is a 17 point swing. Does anyone think that Dewhurst has not read Perry's play book. Oh, yes. Dewhurst has about $300 million and has already said he will buy the office at any price. If Sharp is going to win, it will only happen on the coattails of WorldPeace. The Democrats best shot is Watson in the Attorney General's race.

<<And finally, what effect will the recently completed redistricting process have on Texas politics?>>
The Republicans gain a few seats. But with WorldPeace as governor, the state will over time return to the Democratic side.

<<Even the most partisan Democrats concede the new legislative boundaries are not good for their party.>>
A quitter mentality. This must have come from Glenn Smith who is Sanchez's campaign stand in. Ask Tony a question and Glenn answers.

<<In a recent labor newsletter, Texas AFL-CIO President Joe Gunn acknowledged that Republicans now "have a strong chance" of gaining a majority in the Texas House and expanding their majority in the Senate.>>
Joe Gunn. Yes this is the guy who at the letter carriers convention in March put three Hispanics in front of and three behind Marty Akins as he went to the podium to speak. Then the Hispanics stood behind Marty while he spoke. Anybody seen Marty lately.

<<"If the pundits are right, the Texas AFL-CIO and other progressive organizations will be fighting a rear-guard action in the Legislature for years to come," he noted.>>
True if the AFL-CIO backs Tony Sanchez. 

<<"A Republican Legislature working with all Republican statewide elected officials would pose a nightmare scenario of a higher order than what we have faced before," Mr. Gunn said. "Labor must win statewide elections to balance Republican gains" in the Legislature.>>
Then why are you backing Sanchez, Joe? Have you lost your mind. Or was it the presidents?

<<Emmett Sheppard, the secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, agreed that Democrats took it on the chin in redistricting.>>
Bull. The Democrats have been in chaos for 7 years. A lack of leadership for 7 years is what required redistricting. Now those same leaders want to front a turn coat corrupt banker named Sanchez to shoot the Democratic Party in the head.

<<"It looks bleak, but there are reasons for optimism," he noted.>>
Yes. WorldPeace is running.

<<"I firmly believe that 2002 will be a Democratic year, based on a sinking economy, on the history of off-year elections, and on the strength of emerging Democratic candidates," said Mr. Sheppard.>>
WorldPeace being the strongest of all Democratic candidates. 

<<But Republicans say the new election year will be the one in which they finally gain control of all areas of state government.>>
That's why the sent Sanchez to the Democrats. They are all still partying over that one. They got rid of the corrupt Sanchez and are hoping that Sanchez gets the Democratic nomination so that Perry is guaranteed to win in November.

<<The party's priorities for 2002 are to win a majority in the House, which will assure the election of a GOP speaker; increase their majority in the Senate; and maintain the GOP's hold on all statewide offices.>>
And to accomplish that they sent Sanchez to the Democrats.

<<"The new districts ... will reflect the changing political reality of the 21st century: a Republican Party that is emerging as the new majority," the party said in a recent statement.>>
"Not if I can help it", says WorldPeace.

<<Sam Attlesey is deputy chief of the Austin Bureau of The Dallas Morning News.>>