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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDems Fear Anti-Obamacare, Pro-Impeachment Candidate Could Win Nod For Senate Seat
National Democrats are worried that a candidate who has called for Obama's impeachment and to repeal Obamacare will win the party's nomination to face Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) in the general election for Texas Senate.
The Hill reported Monday that Democrats are "scrambling" to prevent Kesha Rogers, a supporter of Lyndon LaRouche, from getting the nomination...A University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll last month found that Rogers has 35 percent support in the Democratic primary while dentist David Alameel gets 27 percent and attorney Maxey Scherr gets 15 percent. If no candidate can get more than 50 percent support there's a runoff between the top two candidates in May.
Rogers has also previously drawn Hitler mustaches on posters of Obama, according to The Hill.
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Texas Democrats have also been pushing anti-Rogers material. A spokesman for the Texas Democratic Party suggested to The Hill that this was just a precaution.
"With the possibility of a low information election, you always want to make sure folks have some information to make their decision," Texas Democratic Party spokesman Manny Garcia said.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/texas-democratic-nomination-kesha-rogers
How the hell is this possible, and where the hell did they find this kook?
sharp_stick
(14,400 posts)back to Mexico?
Pretzel_Warrior
(8,361 posts)essentially de Facto encouraging people to vote for the Republican. NICE ONE, Texas!
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)ProSense
(116,464 posts)"So the disorganized Texas Dem party instead of fielding a credible candidate is essentially de Facto encouraging people to vote for the Republican. NICE ONE, Texas!"
...as the OP points out, this is a primary. The Democratic candidate is David Alameel
http://alameelforsenate.com/
Pretzel_Warrior
(8,361 posts)Considering Alameel leads in fundraising.
Gothmog
(145,288 posts)It is my understanding that Alameel has promised the party that he will self fund $20 million or so in this race
Pretzel_Warrior
(8,361 posts)Gothmog
(145,288 posts)I have met Kesha Rogers a couple of time and listened to her rants in 2012 at the ballot draw when she ran for CD22. First, the one poll that shows her in the lead is a Texas Tribune Poll that may not that reliable as to Democratic primaries. Primaries are hard to poll and Democratic primaries in Texas are very hard to poll. There are some methodology issues with this poll http://offthekuff.com/wp/?p=59092
Second, if this poll is correct, then 65% of Texas Democrats are voting against her and in this case she will not be picking up any support from the other candidates. At worse right now, Kesha will be in a run off against David Alameel who has the money to combat here.
Third, Kesha can be beaten. In 2012, we held Kesha to 44% of the vote in Fort Bend County by getting the word out about Kesha. Various democrats mailed flyers about Kesha to voters and we put out signs stating that Kesha was not a Democrats. http://www.fortbendcountytx.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=5968 In 2012, Kesha won because the candidate did not do anything in Brazoria and Harris counties.
Fourth, the likely Democratic nominee has the money to get the word out about Kesha. As shown in 2012, Kesha can be beaten if one gets the word out. Chairman Hinojosa has an e-mail out on Kesha and the party's phone banks have been busy getting the word out. If Kesha is in a primary runoff, I am confident that she can be defeated.
The Houston paper political blogger has a good analysis http://offthekuff.com/wp/?p=59092
One more thing: What if they are right about Rogers leading? Well, as long as she doesnt crack 50%, Id suggest we all remain calm. For all its constraints and limitations, the state Democratic Party has managed to get the nominees it has wanted in the last three Senate primaries. Rick Noriega cleared 50% in round one in 2008, and Sadler in 2012 and Barbara Radnofsky in 2006 both won their runoffs Radnofsky has said that her overtime race against the now apparently dormant Gene Kelly was the best thing that happened to her, as it boosted her fundraising and made people actually pay attention to that race. I feel reasonably confident that if Rogers is in a runoff with anyone, everyone else in the party will fall as loudly and visibly as they can behind her opponent, whoever that winds up being. Its already happening to a large degree the TDP, the HCDP, and the Fort Bend Democratic Party have put out messages condemning Rogers and urging Democrats not to vote for her. Id have preferred to see that happen earlier than this, and Id much rather it not come to banding together to beat her in a runoff, but Im not going to fall into a spiral of self-loathing over this one poll result. Do your part to help people make a good decision in this race, and be prepared to support someone other than Kesha in a runoff if it comes to that.
I also wish that the party got more active on this issue at an earlier date. However, I still think that Kesha will not be the nominee