To understand why Wayne Slater, Democratic/Progressive Dallas Morning News political columnist, has described The Abbott campaign's start as "rough" you have to understand his position on the election Re: Wendy! Davis.
A quick review of Slater's recent writings reveals a pattern of condemning State Republican candidates through guilt by association and defending Wendy! Davis through nuance. When Slater is critical of Wendy! It's in the form of constructive criticism. One almost gets the impression Slater would be quite happy putting in a little time on the phone banks for the Democratic nominee.
Were Slater confined to opinion columns, I would have no problem with this. He's a known Democrat and he's entitled to his opinion. While not an especially talented writer (the man is in dire need of editing most times) he has the benefit of "being around for a long time" which, in the kiddie-pool of the Texas Lockstep Political Media means that he's viewed as somewhat of an expert on many subjects (See: Burka, Paul for more).
This doesn't mean that everything Slater writes is Pro Wendy! Quite the contrary. It was Slater, after all, who raised questions about Wendy! Davis' autobiography. Of course, he immediately turned around and accused people who had problems with Wendy's narrative of being partisan hacks.
That's my problem with "reporters" who are allowed to both report "news" and then opine on it the very next day. They're allowed to set the agenda, and then tear it down at their leisure. Slater framed the Wendy! autobiography ambiguously, and then used his opinion pulpit to accuse people who seized on it of being political opportunists.
He's now doing the same thing against the Abbott campaign. It's no secret that the Greg Abbott stumbles meme is something that was first forwarded by Lefty bloggers. This is OK, and it's something you would expect to see from partisans. In many cases the professional bloggers O' the Right have done the same thing toward Wendy! This is what political blogs do.
What is unusual is watching the TLSPM go whole-hog for the Abbott campaign is incompetent story line while ignoring the fact that Wendy! Davis has been stepping on her own (famous) tennis shoes as well.
Neither candidate has ran a model campaign to this point. In my view Abbott has done a moderately better job then Wendy! Davis because he's, at least, focusing on things that would concern a majority of Texas voters. There's ample evidence that the Wendy! Davis strategy of abortion/big spending on education and....Republicans are mean! is not winning over the hearts and minds of Texas voters, neither are her repeated shots against Abbott's physical disability. Then there was her odd decision to blame Abbott for her biography inaccuracies.
I get that the TLSPM would love to have a real gubernatorial race on their hands for a change, but it's becoming more and more likely that Wendy! Davis is not the one who's going to provide it. I've said for a while now that the number one problem facing Texas Democrats is a lack of credible candidates for statewide races. From perennial candidate Chris Bell to Rick Noriega to Bill White to Barbara Ann Radnofsky to Leticia Van de Putte to Wendy! Davis to (my favorite) David Van Os. Regardless of your political leanings, that's a fairly weak slate of candidates who have been bashing up against the Republican fortifications in Texas for over a decade now. For Democrats to win, they're going to have to find candidates with whom people can relate and who can craft a message that's more than "spend more money, war on women! and White men suck!"
Until then, all of the TLSPM rambling about Abbott having a "rough start" is just that, media rambling. And, as we're finding out, more and more people aren't paying much attention to what the TLSPM has to say anyway, choosing to get their news from other locations.
If Rick Perry's Governorship did anything, it proves how much of a circle-jerk the TLSPM has become. He ignored them, and won. I have a feeling Abbott would do much better if he realized he doesn't need them either.
