2002 Texas elections: History v. Issues

In response to the following article, some of which has been deleted, consider the following.

John WorldPeace 
The next governor of Texas

December 29, 2001

__________________________

<<In '02 state races, it's history vs. the issues
By Laylan Copelin and Gary Susswein

American-Statesman Staff

Saturday, December 29, 2001

Texas is poised for a watershed year in politics in 2002.>>
Watershed meaning a crucial turning point affecting action, opinions, etc. (Which Party will run Texas)

<<As Republicans attempt to seal their recent dominance of state politics by gaining control of the Legislature for the first time in modern history, Democrats may try to undercut the GOP with a ticket of history-making candidates for statewide office.>>
History making meaning a Hispanic candidate for governor and a Black candidate for the Senate in an other wise all White Democratic statewide ticket running against a traditional all White Republican statewide ticket that was determined behind closed doors.

<<Democrats are banking on Laredo businessman Tony Sanchez winning their gubernatorial nomination to tap into the state's explosive Hispanic growth, igniting a historic turnout for Democrats and breaking the GOP's hold on all 27 statewide posts.>>
Yes, But we all know by now from the Scripps Howard polls that Perry has the backing of almost as many Hispanics as Sanchez and so a large turnout of Hispanics, if it happens, is not going to do anything to the down ballot Democratic races. But consider, Sanchez is so corrupt that his presence on the November ticket may result in a net loss of Democratic votes in the down ballot races. 

<<In a rare race for a US Senate seat with no incumbent, African American Ron Kirk and two men named Morales -- former Attorney General Dan Morales and schoolteacher Victor Morales -- hope to steer past the stiff competition within their own party, then beat the GOP nominee to replace Phil Gramm, a Republican who has held the seat since 1985.>>
There is no way any Democratic candidate of color is going to beat Ken Bentsen. 
There is a disadvantage to being Hispanic or Black in Texas if you are seeking one of the top statewide offices but with Bentsen in the race, no one really has a chance. Bentsen has a good track record in the U S Congress and a well known family name.

<<Only four African Americans have ever served in the U.S. Senate, and only New Mexico has sent a Latino -- in that case, three -- to that chamber.>> 
Yes, the U S Senate is the most exclusive White club in the world. White women are just now getting a real foot hold. People of color are going to have to wait another decade or so until the voters who attended integrated schools in Texas become the majority of voters.

<<History, however, may take a back seat to issues.>> 
No. Racial history is going to dominate for the next decade or so.

<<It is unclear whether war and recession or peace and prosperity will be at the forefront as voters cast ballots almost a year from now.>>
War may be an issue if a lot of body bags come home or if there is a large scale terrorist attack or two on American soil; but that is doubtful. Otherwise, little George is not going to start a war where he has to fight anyone with any real technology. He has destabilized Afghanistan and that has encouraged Pakistan to fight India while everyone is in the mood. The U S has to back Pakistan in repayment for supporting the Afghan killings so now is a good time for them to call in that debt and go head to head with India. Big George did not kill Saddam because it would have destabilized the whole Middle East. Maybe little George should have taken a little more time to decide who was going to run Afghanistan after he got through killing all those Taliban terrorist Islam guys. Now that the new Afghan government is installed, they have asked little George to quit bombing because 50,000 dead civilians was a little too much. Of course we'll never get the real numbers. No one in America really wants to know.

But then there is THE real big question regarding the war and peace issue. How will a credible candidate named WorldPeace running for governor affect the vote? To date, no reporter has dared to take on that question.

As far as recession goes, we are already there. Bill told Big George that it was the economy stupid. But Big George did not tell that to little George because little George thought it was terrorism, stupid. It always has been and will always be about the economy, stupid. If little George quits wagging the dog and the economy starts getting the majority of press, which it probably will by next September, the Republicans may have to work for all those projected victories.

<< Typically, voters turn out in fewer numbers in nonpresidential elections, a tradition that has favored Republicans.>>
Maybe a candidate named WorldPeace running on an end to corruption platform as represented by Perry Sanchez will ignite the voters. Maybe someone like WorldPeace who has character and a proven morality and ethic and who is not afraid to acknowledge God will ignite a vote against the campaign finance whore Perry and the drug money launderer and Tesoro bankruptor, draft dodger, drug user, illegal alien employer, and Enron profiteer Tony Sanchez. 

<<"Whether Democrats can offset that with historic candidates is the question," said Bruce Buchanan, a University of Texas government professor. "There has not been an ethnic candidate who turned out (statewide) voters because of ethnicity.">>
Blacks vote Black and as much as I like Ron Kirk, he ain't no King or Powell. And Hispanics vote for the man and the issues and not the race regardless of what happened in Houston. The old Patron days and "any Hispanic will due" mindsets do not apply to contemporary Hispanic voters. The Scripps Howard poll in December showed that the Hispanic vote for Perry Sanchez dropped from 78% in September to 56% in December. The poll suggested those Hispanic voters became undecided, but they really went to WorldPeace who was left out of the December poll after being included in the May and September polls. What's up with that?

<<Early reviews of Sanchez have been poor, Buchanan added, and Kirk has not yet begun to campaign in earnest.>>
Kirk does not have the fire. Sorry. Plus he knows down deep he can't win. He is running to increase his status and gain name recognition for future elections. But Ron Kirk and Kirk Watson already confuses.
Sanchez press is poor because he has no redeeming qualities outside the name Sanchez. He's got more negative baggage, and openly negative baggage, than any candidate who has ever been touted by either party in the history of this state. His campaign is "I am a scumbag, but my name is Sanchez and I have a lot of money I made helping my drug selling buddies. Everyone knows that people do not care how you make your money, all that matters is that you have a lot." 

<<Meanwhile, politicians at all levels still must find a winning message. "What becomes the cutting issue is still to be determined," Buchanan said.>>
This is where the reporters let us down. The Neon Sign issue is CORRUPTION. Perry whored for the Insurance Industry by vetoing 82 bills and immediately got a contribution. He saw Wayne Berman in Washington about HMO issues and got some more dirty money. (Berman being under investigation for money laundering and also a member of the Bush "Pioneers' like the other money launderer Tony Sanchez.) And recently Perry appointed a Whooping Crane killer and Enron related PUC chief for some Ken Lay money. (Ken Lay being another Bush "pioneer"). And there is Tony Sanchez the King of corruption, money launderer, "death threat" letter, homophobic, draft dodger, illegal alien employer, Enron profiteer. The issues are Corruption, Corruption, Corruption. But you have to look at the candidacy of WorldPeace to see it. You can't see it by comparing Perry Sanchez.

<<...The first contested speaker's race in the Texas House of Representatives in more than a decade -- and the first in more than a century involving Republican candidates with a chance to win -- will play out over the next year.>>
Yes, And the Democrats want to make Tony Sanchez their poster child? Tony Sanchez the cancer, the poison, within the Democratic Party. Well, remember he is a Bush "Pioneer" Republican running as a Democrat. Nobody has really ever explained how that happened have they? 
I mean the real facts behind it.

<<Although the exact makeup of the 150-member House won't be known until after the November elections, the new district map approved by a federal court last month suggests there will be a Republican majority for the first time since Reconstruction.>>
With Sanchez leading, you bet. With WorldPeace leading the Democratic Party, probably not. 

<<Speaker Pete Laney, D-Hale Center, is hoping to put together a coalition of Democrats and rural Republicans to help him hold onto power. But several Republicans have already said they want the speaker's job, including Warren Chisum of Pampa, Brian McCall of Plano, Edmund Kuempel of Seguin, Pat Haggerty of El Paso and Tom Craddick of Midland.>>
Craddick has it if it happens. 

<<...As Republicans look toward taking control of both legislative branches after the 2002 elections, they also must prepare to discuss an issue that has long been anathema to the Republican Party: tax increases.>>
They better not repeat those words. How can they when little George wants to cut taxes?

<<The state's current $113.8 billion budget is the tightest in a decade. Some observers worry that surging Medicaid rolls and health-care costs, together with lower-than-expected tax collections, could force some budget cuts in 2002.>>
Count on it. 

<<It's even more likely that the Legislature will face a budget crisis when it crafts the state's next two-year budget in 2003.>>
Count on it. 

<<...Discussions about changing the school finance system will likely be linked to talks about changing the state's tax structure.>>
Count on it. 

You may contact Laylan Copelin at lcopelin@statesman.com or 445-3617 or Gary Susswein at gsusswein@statesman.com or 445-3654.