Wendy(?!?) Endorses Clinton for President. Patrick Svitek, Texas Tribune
"I hope that that opportunity (to run for office) presents itself to me again because I loved being in public service and I loved fighting for the things I was fighting for, " Davis told reporters Wednesday. "It may or may not happen in my future. If it doesn't, I'm going to keep my voice out there. I'm going to continue to work to make sure we're electing people that represent the values that I and so many others in this state hold dear."
I'm willing to bet that State Republicans hope the opportunity presents itself as well. Davis was a horrible candidate who ran primarily on a single issue (the so-called "war on women") and seemed clueless regarding almost everything else. Her flip on gun ownership was damaging, as was her seeming lack of understanding of the State budget process and other nuts and bolts items pertaining to the Governorship.
But, she wore pink tennis shoes and the TLSPM really, REALLY liked her. Almost to the point of hero worship.
At minimum, what they're doing here is an attempt at image repair, with hers being damaged horribly during the thrashing by Abbott. So far we've seen the Houston Chronicle's Peggy Fikac carry a lot of the water trying to repair the image of her friend (and coffee buddy one supposes) while also working to help Battleground Texas emerge from the ashes of electoral destruction so it only makes sense that the TLSPM is well...marching in lockstep.
There are three main factors explaining why you are starting to hear more about Wendy(?!?) lately.
1. Ideologically speaking, she's where the TLSPM thinks Texas should be. - You can go far with the TLSPM and Texas Democrats by supporting three issues. Throwing gobs of money at education, abortion on demand and GLBTPIS rights. Never mind that there are no serious plans for paying for all of this, or that the citizens of Texas have indicated that, while they are sympathetic to the problem (excepting abortion) they aren't willing to absorb the large tax increases needed to reach Textopia.
2. The Austin-centric TLSPM likes Wendy(?!?) on a personal level. - Sure, they won't admit it, but the tone of the writing during the run-up to the election was borderline hero-worship, after the defeat it read as if we were witnessing a wake. In reality, the TLSPM is a courtier class who greatly aspire to be members of the Royal court. The Royals being those who, in their minds, would dole out the most political favors (and hold the best parties).
3. It's been long enough. - In local and state politics, the voters have a much shorter memory for disastrous failure than they do on a national level. The feeling is now, from the TLSPM, that Wendy(?!?) the "bad candidate" will have largely been forgotten and the new Wendy(!!!) pulled from the ash-heap that was the election, given a new set of pink tennis shoes and recast as the plucky underdog "fighting" against the evil, male-dominated, establishment, is a winning look.
It's possible that the TLSPM is correct on this, and that a positive media onslaught will be sufficient to keep Wendy(!!!) in the public eye rather than Wendy(?!?). What's not going to change is the truth that she is a sub-par politician. Any politician who describes what they do as "fighting" is rhetorically challenged, places too much importance on what they do, and uses martyr language to try and overstate their importance and stir up low-information voters. It also means that they have an outsized ego, a need to be in the public eye, in a position of power, telling others what to do while the little people (Or the TLSPM) tell them just how important they really are.
It's simple. A politician who "works" for the people is using staff-level language. A politician who is "fighting" feels that society would crumble without their efforts. Unfortunately, the nature of politics attracts "fighters" to the fold like moths to a flame. It takes an ego and a large disdain for the little people to run for office. From that perspective the TLSPM is correct. Wendy(!!!) is back.
