Posted on 01/15/2006 7:42:52 PM PST by maui_hawaii
Freepers---
Since you guys are literally the cream of the crop of political analysis I thought I would ask your opinions about the whole DeLay situation.
For the record I don't live in DeLay's district and I haven't followed it that much at all. This post is for informational purposes only. If nothing else it will be a situational report for those interested in such a high profile race.
Several candidates have all thrown their hats into the ring...Three of DeLay's opponents — Campbell, Pat Baig and Mike Fjetland — are fellow Republicans. A fourth, Nick Lampson, is a conservative Democrat.
According to news reports:
While DeLay‘s campaign spokeswoman, Shannon Flaherty, has dismissed Fjetland and Baig with disparaging quips, she said DeLay welcomes Campbell to the race and to hearing his ideas.
From what I can gather DeLay takes Campbell seriously, and not to mention they are actually friends somewhat. Based on what I read on the net Campbell has been a long term GOP man etc etc. He's pretty conservative but he's not abrasive like DeLay is.
Having said that, another report says:
"Tom Campbell at least has Republican credentials," Fort Bend County GOP chairman Eric Thode said. "Having said that, it doesn‘t translate into one iota of support or money. He is 100 percent absolutely unknown in this county."
Here is a link to Campbell's web page. Under "platform" it gives a basis of what he's about, although its brief.
Since this is in the media all the time, here is what I got out of it thus far...
The media/left hate DeLay. At the same time his popularity isn't rampant in the really conservative district as many people believe.
With that said, the constituents will either A) vote for DeLay just to piss off the media/left or B) vote for another conservative candidate.
So, thus far Campbell seems to be viable.
Based on what little I have gathered, if DeLay goes down in the courts, who else is left?
Secondly, Campbell comes across as a 'humble conservative', not the brash and abrasive 'in your face' kind of politician that DeLay comes across as...
Any input is welcome on any and all of the candidates....
Of course there are A LOT worse people than DeLay. BY ALL MEANS thats soooo true.
Maybe you can try "You guys are literally the cream of the crop of political analysts"
Delay is the man. His only crime is he's not a fiscal conservative.
In the next few months I'm going to take a trip to Hawaii to learn to surf. I'd like to talk to you about pulling this off at sometime.
There are a lot of great places to see...
FR mail me and we can discuss the best times and places for all things Hawaii (including surfing).
You can find a ton of good information by visiting the website of Lone Star.com.
This is a very conservative online answer to the Houston Comical as well as the MSM. Tons of info about Ronnie Earle and his cohorts and what they're attempting to do to Tom DeLay.
Check it out and then come back. We can discuss this further.
You can bet I'll be in touch.
I can't even comment on that, the fiscal aspect.
Word on the street though is the problem in the district is bigger than DeLay....
Of course everyone wants a conservative...
But is DeLay the ONLY one? Other than just pissing off the media, which I get great joy from as well....
From what I can tell the charges are galvanizing some in that community as something they already felt long ago...that you leave anyone in office for 20 years and and pretty soon their head inflates....so maybe its not DeLay personally, but the people surrounding DeLay as well that add to that perception....
See post #29 though...
From what I can tell the charges are galvanizing some in that community as something they already felt long ago...that you leave anyone in office for 20 years and and pretty soon their head inflates....so maybe its not DeLay personally, but the people surrounding DeLay as well that add to that perception....
Hey, I'd settle for being the cream of Michael Barone's... uh... political wisdom... yeah... that. Why doesn't that read right ?
What else would you expect a Republican challenger to say.
As an ex-ad guy, I know that's the tack I'd recommend any challenger to DeLay to take. What else is there?
DeLay will beat the Texas rap. It's a put-up job by a flim-flam man. The Abramoff scandal, however, goes right inside DeLay's office.
If he's innocent of any wrongdoing, DeLay should fight. But, if he's guilty, I'd hope he would resign.
In any event, if he stands for re-election, he'll likely win.
Of course they are competing...
I don't know the details of the Abramoff situation at all...but thats what I think is one more weight on the load...
See post #29....
DeLay has offered great service. I don't deny it at all.
At the same time though if it were me in that or any other district, if the politician or the people around him/her thinks they run the show then we have a problem.
20 years in office brings big heads, maybe not to one person here or there, but as a whole....
Although I still think there is growing discontent with the way not only DeLay but others around him handle themselves....
Do tell. Please expand....
I live in Delay's district and thus far see no reason to jettison someone who has worked mightily to produce more Republican congressmen in Texas against the previous Dem gerrymander.
As the courts found when it was challenged, redistricting is a state political matter and we earned the right to do it our way by electing more Republicans.
This whole thing has been a political attack on one of the most effective Republican politicians in a century. Campbell may be a nice guy and a good Republican, but he is jumping on the anti-Delay bandwagon for his own personal reasons.
Of course, the Houston Chronicle is against Delay and always has been. They will pull out the stops to defeat him.
No, I am not demeaning anything DeLay did for the party. Not at all. But at the same time he (or his people) could have easily made some elementary and quite stupid mistakes.
As of now, no one knows for sure how it all goes...
Lets just give a hypothetical that something big in the Abramoff problem leads to DeLay's office? Its not out of the picture.
He's not out of the woods just yet and to write it all off as partisan attacks could be a big political mistake. Clinton said the Monica thing 'was a partisan attack' too... when in reality he broke the law.
In other words writing it all off so quickly as 'partisan attacks' might not be wise overall. It could even lead to the GOP losing the House if there is substance to it...
If thats the case would there still be a DeLay or no one approach?
Again, repeating myself... I think a lot of the discontent in the district comes from the old boy network. As with almost all old boy networks the participants get too big for their pants, and in this case many are tiring of it.
It might not be DeLay alone but as a group...
Campbell may be a nice guy and a good Republican, but he is jumping on the anti-Delay bandwagon for his own personal reasons.
I don't know if I personally would write it off as such so quickly...The guy put up a lot of his own money to run....
So far as I can tell he's a lifelong GOPer looking to clean up the GOP...
Not one who is looking to see his friend go to jail....
They aren't trying to merely pick up DeLay's seat... no way in hell thats happening...
They are using the poster boy of the GOP to try and win the whole House back.
Thats what I refer to as DeLay being a galvanizing force....
If there is some real ammo there for them to use the GOP might be shooting itself in the foot if it turns out that they tolerate true blue ethics problems from DeLay.
The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.
Thats my point.
He might have won a lot for us, but he can just as easily lose a lot for us too...
ping
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