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| Perry seems headed to victory in surprising Texas primary |
| 2010-02-23 |
| It began as a battle of the titans, with Rick Perry -- the longest serving governor in Texas history -- being challenged in the GOP primary by the state's senior U.S. senator, Kay Bailey Hutchison. But as the multimillion-dollar contest comes to a close, Perry's bid for another four-year term appears to hinge not only on Hutchison's strength but on the fate of the third candidate in the race -- Debra Medina, a once-obscure insurgent whose showing in the March 2 primary will decide whether Perry wins outright or faces an April runoff. With Perry holding a seemingly insurmountable lead in polls, the governor's race in recent weeks began evolving into a surprise battle for second place as Medina appeared to be within striking distance of overtaking Hutchison, one of the state's dominant political figures. But Medina's detractors -- as well as several independent analysts -- say she may have self-destructed in a Feb. 11 interview with conservative commentator Glenn Beck by not immediately disavowing a theory that the U.S. government may have played a role in the 9-11 terrorist attacks. The former Wharton County Republican chairwoman quickly sought to repair the damage, saying there was no doubt that Muslim terrorists flew the hijacked planes on 9-11. Medina now says she believes the incident may have strengthened her candidacy by galvanizing supporters, positioning her for a strong showing against her two Republican rivals. She was oozing fertilizer as she was saying those words... "Did it feel good? No. Am I sick of answering the questions? Yes. I am," she said in an hourlong interview last week in her Wharton campaign headquarters. "But at the end of day, I think it's going to be labeled backfire," she added, repeating her contention that she was set up in Beck's interview. I'm guessing it's gonna be labeled "crash and burn." The incident focused "a tremendous amount of media on the campaign," generating additional support and campaign contributions, she said. Her supporters, she said, "just got mad, and when people get mad, they fight, and when they fight, we win." Unless you lose, of course. Then you're just barking mad ... Others say the full impact of the remarks won't be known until the election. In the heavily Republican Fort Worth area, where the 47-year-old businesswoman enjoys her strongest support, there are indications that the gaffe may have chased at least some Medina supporters into Perry's camp. Switching signs "We've had a few people who returned Medina signs and have switched their support to Rick Perry and wanted Rick Perry signs," said Tarrant County Republican Chairwoman Stephanie Klick. Adrian Murray, a Medina supporter who heads the Fort Worth 912 Project, said "there might be a small percentage that have dropped their support" but he added that most of Medina's conservative supporters in Tarrant County remain united behind the candidate. "If I suspected for a moment that Debra Medina was a truther, I would drop her faster than a hot potato," Murray said, in reference to the 911 Truth Movement that subscribes to the possibility of government involvement in the terrorist attacks. "I just don't believe it [that Medina subscribes to the theory.]" Of course not. She told Beck that all the evidence wasn't in yet so she was withholding judgment. Medina appeared Saturday in Fort Worth at a candidates forum and rally hosted by a coalition of conservative organizations including Tea Party activists and members of Murray's group, which was founded as part of a national conservative movement inspired by Beck. Murray, a Fort Worth auto-parts executive, recently split with Beck after contending that Medina was ambushed in the radio interview. "I don't think it's had as much damage as some people might think," said Anthony Reed, a Haltom City councilman and a Medina organizer in Tarrant County. "Most of the response I've heard has been against Glenn Beck himself. I know people who are literally throwing their Glenn Beck books in the trash." Medina, who grew up on a South Texas farm, became a nurse and formed a medical consulting and billing company, has been active in GOP politics since the mid-1990s and won election as the party's county chairwoman in 2004. After gaining attention through political training seminars and speaking appearances, like-minded political supporters urged her to step into the governor's race. But in a contest dominated by the two giants of the party, she appeared destined to wallow in the single digits until break-out performances in two candidate debates drew attention to her feisty personality and message of limited government and state sovereignty. Her signature issues include replacing the property tax with sales taxes and whacking away at government regulations. She has also advocated a moratorium on executions in Texas to address abuses in the criminal justice system although she continues to support capital punishment. Over a barbecue lunch at her office in Wharton, about 60 miles southwest of Houston, Medina said she has been unfairly portrayed as an extremist and wrongly identified as a Libertarian. She said her views generally parallel the Texas Republican Party's platform. "If you go to look up 'good old Texas girl' in the dictionary, you'd find Debra Medina," she said. "There's nothing radical or extreme about me except my zeal for the U.S. Constitution and truth and honesty in government." |
| Posted by:Fred |
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| Posted by: Sgt. Mom 2010-02-23 20:15 |
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| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-02-23 17:37 |
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| Posted by: Sgt. Mom 2010-02-23 17:32 |
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| Posted by: Don Vito Uleash 2010-02-23 14:00 |
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| Posted by: wr 2010-02-23 08:51 |
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| Posted by: Iblis 2010-02-23 07:09 |