This is the primary, but in a NORMAL year the winner of the GOP primary will probably win the race. There are FIVE running in the GOP primary, and as I stated in my endorsement, I believe Mark SKINNER is the best qualified of the lot. He isn’t the one with all the big name endorsements, he’s the one with actual experience and a track record of excellence running a TRUE grassroots campaign.
Typically less than 1 in 10 registered voters will show up for the primary. That means your vote not only counts, the value is multiplied by TEN. You could literally sway an election if your entire circle of friends gets active and starts inviting people, and getting them to invite people to vote.
With 5 running in the primary, this vote will be split MANY directions and I doubt any one candidate will get over 50%, so there will probably be a runoff. But here’s the trick… if you don’t at least make the runoff, GAME OVER.
Mark’s the kind of person we can seldom talk into getting involved in a role like this. We have a good opportunity to get someone in this role, previously held by a liberal Democrat, and get Tarrant County some REAL representation in Austin.
I can’t tell you SKINNER will win if you vote for him, but simply put, if you and your friends don’t, he probably won’t. Races don’t automatically go to the best qualified, they go to the person that gets people to show up. If you get people to show up to vote for SKINNER… maybe we can have a happy coincidence where the best person DOES win.
Take the time to make it out to vote. This is a good cause.
Nice that three of the FIVE running for Texas Senate District 10 GOP nomination made the effort to attend the ONLY debate. I’ve been in political debates. It isn’t easy to put yourself on the line, but for the record, I doubt being a state Senator is a job we want to award someone that prefers the easy route.
Those that only attend echo chambers where they are loved (and won’t face hard questions) are telegraphing what kind of legislator they’d be.
Kudos to Skinner, Pompa and Schweitzer for not taking the easy route.
Skinner with UTA student post debate
As for Burton and Shelton, neither of whom attended… hope you had a comfortable chair. Burton was seen at a Tea Party monthly meeting. Most of their leadership has already endorsed her and she wasn’t the main speaker. Yeah, that’s more important than debate. Debates are hard.
I’ve already stated my preference for Skinner… but I appreciate the fact that there are a couple in the race with him who, like Skinner, aren’t avoiding hard questions.
KONNI CAN’T MAKE THE ONLY DEBATE? As mentioned in the prior post, the ONLY debate for the Senate District 10 race happens Monday, and Konni Burton is begging off due to a “prior engagement”.
Politically it’s probably best for HER to avoid the debate. Once off the topic of abortion, she’s pretty lost. I’ve heard her speak at forums, and even with nobody firing back she isn’t that strong.
That said, she’s running largely on Ted Cruz reflected glory… and I never saw Ted Cruz run from a fight.
Skinner: Campaigning on his own merit.
Before we make someone a Senator…
VOTERS deserve to know they have the requisite abilities. She’s already missing the typical personal accomplishment we’d expect of someone running for Senate… no extensive business experience, no prior legislative office… so it IS in voters best interest for her to attend this debate Monday, even if it might not be in hers.
Peyton Manning: Wishes he’d skipped game and we just assumed he’d have won if he was there.
If instead she goes the path of political expedience, does this not tell us something? What engagement is more important than the ONLY debate?
Debating is something actual senators have GOT to do… If she can’t hack a debate against Skinner and others in her own party, how would she do against the opposing party in the Texas Senate?
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OH WAIT! This just in!
I’ve been quietly assured that if she had time to be there, Konni would win.
And somewhere, Peyton Manning is saying… “Dang! Why didn’t I think of that?”
The recent Tarrant County Conservative Candidate Fair was a well attended event, BUT. The plurality for the Senate District 10 race went to Konni Burton.
Konni is running on the “I know Ted Cruz personally because I campaigned for him”platform. She’s never actually held political office, never legislated. Has no business experience to speak of, experience meeting payrolls, etc. None of the personal accomplishment that normally accompanies a political resume.
That notwithstanding, simply having pictures of you standing by Ted Cruz may in some cases be sufficient when you’re talking only to die-hard tea party types.
Likely not with the rest of the public, so for the general election whoever we nominate better have some personal cred, not just reflected glory from someone else.
Hopefully her fans will discover some actual qualification she has not yet told us about. Between you and me, I know people that helped get Bush elected, and they aren’t pretending that is a qualification to be HANDED a senate seat without other qualifying credentials.
You won’t hear about her depth of qualifying attributes if you watch the ad video she just put out. In that she stresses only that she is “the only true conservative in the race”… then cuts to a picture of her standing beside Cruz.
[Wait. ONLY Conservative? She learned nothing from Wendy Davis puffed bio escapade.]
Meanwhile KONNI BURTON begged off attending THE ONLY DEBATE set for SD10… on February 10.
That’s right… the one who wants us to think Cruz’s reflected glory qualifies her for a senate seat as her FIRST public elective office isn’t showing up for a debate. Wow.
Somebody needs to re-think that campaign, or grow a pair and make it to the debate. We can’t afford a senator that isn’t capable of expressing themself and prevailing.
KONNI BURTON… why won’t you attend the ONLY debate?
I am concerned about the coming election for Senate District 10, currently held by Wendy Davis. She’s vacating to run for governor, and there’s a very good chance the winner of the GOP primary can take the seat IF we field a qualified candidate.
That said… it is IMPERATIVE we field a qualified candidate
The Senate is not a good spot for on-the-job training of someone that’s never held a real elective office, or anyone unarmed with serious business skills. Preferably they’ll have BOTH.
SKINNER: A PROVEN WINNER (Yeah, it rhymes, sue me)
As some of you know, I’ve done a little wordsmith work for one candidate… Mark SKINNER. Having known him for 4 1/2 decades I can speak to his character… he tougher than nails, decidedly nobody else’s man. He picks his battles well, and doesn’t back down just because he’s outnumbered.
SKINNER: BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
His business experience is far above anyone else running for the spot. After earning his degree in Chemistry, he went to work in chemical sales. In the process of working he met with clients so impressed with his talent they recruited him into a seemingly unrelated field… commercial real estate.
He’s been in that field for 30 years. Having excelled in positions with large firms he eventually formed his own. He has also participated in forming companies in related fields, one handling residential farm and ranch properties, another in Las Colinas that’s also commercial related.
SKINNER: PRIOR POLITICAL EXPERIENCE
He has been involved in municipal politics along the way, serving on Colleyville City Council, where he proved capable of standing up to collective interests without flinching or backing down. He’s the kind that stands by his convictions regardless of the size of the opponent.
SKINNER: STRENGTH OF CHARACTER
SKINNER has no skeletons in his closet. His wife runs a charitable foundation. A brother is headmaster of a Christian school, a brother-in-law runs a Christian charity, etc. He had a previous marriage… he’s widowed, having cared for his first wife 5 years while she battled Lou Gehrig’s disease. During that time he managed to tend her, raise the kids, and still build his business. He understands compassion (not to mention multi-tasking). Their children are grown and successful in their own rights.
COMPARE TO OTHERS
I’ve talked to several in the local GOP or Tea Party groups who have already basically sworn fealty to other candidates, and some of the discussions have been eye opening. One odd comment I heard was that we didn’t need a “good ole boy”. Seriously? Are we deciding candidates by virtue of anatomy or because their demeanor? That’s the oddest objection available.
I have yet to hear anyone make a strong case for another candidate for this office that referred to THEIR strengths… only reflected glory.
When we look at someone for a seat in the Texas Senate…
…we need to look beyond the ability to campaign for someone else. We need to be asking…
-1- Does the person have a proven track record of success?
-2- Are they themselves a proven leader… or just someone’s favorite follower?
-3- Do they have strong fiscally conservative principles… AND the business experience to know how to apply them?
CONCLUSION
Past success is the best indicator of future performance. On the national level we’ve seen what happens if you elect an “organizer” with little or no experience. We know where that leads.
In this senate vote… before you cast a ballot, take the time to really evaluate the strengths and experience of the candidates. Whether you personally know him or not, and even if you’ve previously stated a preference for someone else… if you look at the qualifications of each candidate with relation to actually becoming a leader in the Texas Senate, you will give strong consideration to SKINNER as the next Senator from District 10.
ONE FINAL THOUGHT: SKINNER LISTENS
When you see pics of SKINNER chatting with voters, in the majority HE is the one intently listening. Compare, you’ll see it’s a rare skill. SOMEONE has to listen to the voters. Let’s send SKINNER to Austin to show ’em how that’s done.
Wendy Davis is getting hundreds of thousands of dollars from out of state
FIFTY SEVEN % of her donors are outside the state. Yeah, they’re serious about turning Texas blue. They don’t hesitate to pay to see it happen.
If that happens, the electoral votes of this state will ensure that Obama style candidates hold national office for the rest of our lives. THAT would affect YOU.
Wendy has to be stopped NOW, while we can
As Ayn Rand said… You can ignore politics, but you can’t ignore the result of ignoring politics.
WHY DOES THE RIGHT LOSE ELECTIONS?
I shared a link for her Senate opponent yesterday on Facebook, and it wasn’t shared by anyone. Why? Folks on the right (except me) are nothing if not polite. If they post a political donation site on their timeline it might (horrors!) offend someone.
The left has no revulsion at offending. They don’t fear getting involved. They want their agenda implemented. Period.
We’re all in the same boat
If your oar isn’t moving, someone else’s is. Oh the boat still moves, but you have zero effect on where it goes. You’re just along for the ride and someone else determines your fate.
They say there’s three kinds of people:
Those that make things happen
Those that watch things happen
Those that wonder what happened
If you’d like to be in the first group…
here’s the donation link for an outstanding conservative ready to replace Davis in the TX Senate.
If fighting for what you CLAIM to believe were illegal, would you be convicted?
Sorry, but notwithstanding your rhetoric, most of you wouldn’t even be suspects.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. ~ Edmund Burke
I’ve had well meaning friends preach at me for years about my dubious collection of vices. Today I am going to preach back. You are not warriors, you’re wimps. When it comes to fighting for change, you have other things to do. You can’t be counted on.
Case in Point: Senator Wendy Davis
Many of my friends live in her district. You attend great big church buildings with thousands of others… but despite her standing for a boatload of things you CLAIM not to believe in, Late-Term Abortion Barbie got elected in YOUR district, not mine.
She’s the one that recently lobbied to keep the standards for abortion clinics low and tried to defeat a bill to make sure late term abortions (5 months plus) were legal.
She’s the one that consistently fights against the Campus Carry Bill that would allow the most law abiding demographic in our populace, CCH holders, to exercise their 2nd amendment right on campus. Never mind that they have a lower incidence of any crime (especially gun related) than the general populace, they can be disarmed so that campus rapists have a safer workplace in which to operate.
We might as well tell our daughters the same nonsense college girls in Colorado got… if confronted by a rapist, urinate or defecate on yourself as a form of protection. Seriously?
BUT She is YOUR Senator… what are you actively doing to fix that?
Don’t answer. I know what most of you are doing. Nothing. You are not campaigning for a replacement for Wendy. You are not sharing information on a replacement with your neighbors. You are not using whatever social media you use to support a better candidate. If you are doing anything at all, you MIGHT be saying, “Gosh, that’s OUR Senator? How’d that happen.”
So bottom line… stick a dime in the phone or get outta the booth
Something I used to give vendors had a few rules I required of those I did business with. One line on it explained I don’t really want to hear about the labor pains, I just want to see the baby. Talk means zip if you don’t DO something.
If you are still reading… Yeah, I called your baby ugly today
And I also hope it offends the heck out of you. Really. If that is what it takes to get you excited, get mad at me, but for heavens sake get excited about making a change instead of whining that things are not as they should be.
This applies to every election from school board to the White House
If you are not part of the solution you ARE the problem. On a local note, regarding replacing Wendy… we DO have a candidate who not only lacks her hardcore liberal views, he has 3 decades of business experience Wendy cannot even aspire to. Go visit his FaceBook Page and hit the LIKE button, but DO NOT CONFUSE THAT WITH HAVING DONE SOMETHING.
If it were against the law to fight for your beliefs, even if liking a FB page pointed suspicion your way it wouldn’t start to guarantee a conviction. You could say you just did it to be polite.
Get on that page and ask him what YOU can do to help.
Donate money.
Donate time.
Talk to your friends, in person and online.
Get out of the comfort zone and fight for what you believe.
Trust me… if it causes you to miss an episode of Duck Dynasty, they WILL re-run it.
We need every able person to get up and act. I guarantee you the left may have ideas that are nuttier than a big jar of Skippy, but their people WILL go out and fight for them. You can’t counter it by just being offended, you have to act.
The new leftwing media darling is Wendy Davis
She’s the Texas State Senator from District 10. To hear the media tell the tale she is boldly protecting women at great personal risk. [For what it’s worth, it appears she only risks the danger of being adored by leftwing media. How bold!]
What she is NOT doing is representing the people that elected her
Polls say the vast majority of Texans do NOT favor keeping abortion as an option after 20 weeks. And I’ll be darned if I can figure out how it helps women to keep the safety standards of the abortion clinics low, but she’s fighting for that too.
If she was fighting for women (instead of enough media attention to run for governor) she’d be happy to see this bill pass.
Hail Satan? Paid “supporters”? Are those guys for real?
Her supporters, which based on their Craigslist ad includes paid protesters… actually tried to drown out people that showed up in Austin to support the bill (SB1) with chants of “Hail Satan!” Now I can’t speak for everyone, but I’d say that kinda makes the choice of which side I fall on pretty easy. Usually they don’t self-identify that obviously.
Her Opponent: Mark Skinner
There are several that hope to run against Wendy. My bets are on Mark Skinner. I’ve known him a long enough time to say that he embodies the views of Tarrant County residents a LOT more than Wendy and the “Hail Satan” crew.
How can we affect this election?
Everyone has an opinion on this one, especially since the Hail Satan crew made the battle lines obvious, but it isn’t always obvious what individuals can do to help.
Make your voice heard: Using Social Media to spread the word
A decade ago, Social media was virtually non-existent. Today, it is a critical part of any campaign. Even if you cannot physically attend rallies or walk streets for a candidate, you can…
LIKE his Facebook page
FOLLOW himon Twitter
Interact on his campaign website
Share his Tweets, blogs, FaceBook posts with those on your friends lists
Encourage people to visit his website. Share the link on Facebook or Twitter.
Share his info on other social media you’re involved with… Blogs, Google Plus, forums, newsletters, etc.
Do more than HOPE we get representation. There will be opportunities later to donate $, volunteer time, etc, but the items on this list you can do NOW and on an ongoing basis.
And yes, they DO make a difference.
I ask that you share this post in any of the ways mentioned above to help get the word out.
Watched the live feed of those speaking before the committee last night Also watched it last week when they had the zoot suit riot, and unlike a large number who got in their car and drove to Austin to scream about stuff that’s already addressed… I have read the bill.
Lotta misinformation floating around.
A few thoughts on the festivities….
-1- whether you do or dont approve of abortion, this bill will not make or break your position. It only lops them off *after* 5 months and requires the clinics to meet similar standards as other med facilities.
-2- those arguing against the bill on the grounds exceptions are needed probably havent read the bill, as it does provide exceptions involving the life of the mother or the baby.
-3- those arguing about rape or incest seem to forget that it’s unlikely to get past 5 months before anyone notices it happened. This bill should not have any affect on those circumstances aside from giving them a safer place to have the procedure if that’s what they elect to do.
-4- the abortion industry is *extremely* well funded. Having to meet higher medical standards might affect their profit margin but it should NOT make them go out of business. Ambulatory care clinics spring up on every 4th or 5th corner in DFW, they cant all be losing money if they’re opening more.
-5- Based on a survey done by UT, “The will of the people” is what the guys elected to the legislature appear to be about to pass, not what the noisy protesters are fighting to defeat. At no point should our laws be passed based on who can produce the most obnoxious violent mob and get them to Austin.
-6- if the guys hollering against this bill had half the popular support they claim, they wouldnt have had a Craigslist ad offering to pay for people to back their cause. Paid protesters are just whores… minus the quiet dignity.
-7- the talk about a return to the 1950s if this bill passes is flatulent hyperbole, and either they know better or they aren’t as intelligent as most domesticated pets.
-8- causing the abortion docs to meet the same standards already met by other clinics is NOT “an attack on the health of women”. If anything it makes them safer.
-9- using a child to wave your late-term abortion protest sign is…
— (a) sick
— (b) sending a mixed message
— (c) evidence your sense of irony needs a tuneup
— (d) all the above
And I thought they’d hit bottom with the paid protesters.
-10- the silliest argument I’ve heard is that if you aren’t cheering for late term abortions, you shouldn’t support the death penalty. The comparison of a child to a hardened murderer is silly, but I reserve the right to reverse course if I hear of a fetus shooting anyone while knocking over a liquor store.
The main problem appears to be one of terminology The people favoring the bill call ’em “babies”. Their opponents say “fetus”, “zygote”.
Maybe if we agreed on a name we could agree on treatment.
The Reason Texans Will Now Pay For Another Special Session
As you may have heard, there was a bill before the Texas Senate that didn’t get passed, not because there weren’t votes to pass it, but because an unruly mob trucked in to raise a ruckus stopped the Senate from taking a vote with a childish and noisy near riot. Don’t take my word for it… check it out on youtube. Sad display.
Mob Rule is not “the voice of the people”, but nice try
At the heart of that mess was Wendy Davis, a Democrat in the TX Senate District 10 seat. For now. She attempted a filibuster of SB5, which would have placed restrictions on late term abortions at 20 plus weeks. It would also have required higher standards for abortion clinics, requiring them to have privs at hospitals and meet the same standards as other surgical clinics.
According to a survey run by University of Texas…
62% of Texans FAVOR restricting abortions after 20 weeks. LINK
Texas voters remain split on the permissibility of abortion but favor banning the procedure after 20 weeks of a pregnancy, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.
But Wendy’s supporters say they are “the voice of the people”. How cute.
Per the survey they represent the voice of SOME people…
… but the guys elected to speak for us in Austin represented the voice of Texas. A rabble trucked in that disrupts a legislative session from performing their job does NOT. We are not subject to mob rule, no matter how sure you are that you’re smarter than most people in the state. Got it? Thanks, kids.
This morning at 9:30 her replacement will speak on Mark Davis show
Tune in to check it, or pick it up later on the podcast. LINK TO MARK DAVIS SHOW
We need a senator that represents Tarrant County values, not DC
Though her filibuster failed, Wendy got a shout out from our uber-cool president Barack Obama. I think it’s lovely that DC and Wendy get along, but take a note… if you want to be our senator in Austin, we’d really prefer you reflect OUR values, not those of DC.
Mark’s the kind of person we can seldom talk into getting involved in a role like this. We have a good opportunity to get someone in this role, previously held by a liberal Democrat, and get Tarrant County some REAL representation in Austin.
Her Opponent: Mark Skinner
Rob Jones for President 