Archive for October 31, 2006

Setting the stage for another stolen election:
Media’s baseless claim of a possible “upset” in race to replace Tom DeLay.

Okay, maybe I’m just missing something. If that’s the case, please let me know by posting a reply. (NOTE: Register to receive e-mail notification every time this Blog is updated!)

The Houston media is suddenly reporting a possible “stunning upset” in the race to fill the spot vacated by the disgraced and indicted former Speaker of the House “Hot tub” Tom DeLay. The 9-term Congressman tried to wiggle out of running again this year and suffer an embarrasing defeat, by packing up his belongings and moving to Virginia. But you can’t raise money for re-election and then not run. And while Ol’ Rubber Face never had a problem with skirting the law before, even this law was too clear-cut for DeLay to violate with impunity. He had to find someone to replace him, and found former Houston city councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs… a relative political novice… so green she’s apparently unaware that it is illegal to campaign inside a polling station… to oppose 5-term Representative Nick Lampson. But since they missed the ballot deadline, Gibbs must run as a “write-in” candidate. No “write-in” candidate has ever won high political office in the state of Texas, so a Lampson victory was all but assured.

But suddenly, the local media is reporting “a strong possibility” of a Sekula-Gibbs upset victory. Here is their basis for claiming a possible upset:

62% of likely voters in District-22 say they are AWARE that there is a viable write-in candidate in the D22 race (and only 61% say they even know how to vote for a write-in candidate using the eSlate voting system.)

Of that 62%, 36% say they will be voting for Lampson, 4% for the Libatarian Bob Smither and 35% say they’d vote for a write-in candidate. (Remember that Gibbs’ name does not appear anywhere on the ballot, so 100% of her votes must come as “write-ins”. No so with Lampson.)

Got that? Lampson not only has a higher percentage of those who say they know there is a write-in candidate available, he also will draw votes from the 38% of voters that AREN’T aware there is a write-in candidate. While Gibbs draws 35% of just the 62% who are.

Wait! Scratch that! “35% say they’d vote for “A” write-in candidate”, not Gibbs specifically. So Gibbs will be sharing that 35% with “Mickey Mouse” and “Al Koholic”. Suddenly, this doesn’t sound like such a close race afterall. Hmmm.

Now, as I noted in the beginning, maybe I’m just missing something. But nowhere in that do I see even the suggestion of “upset victory”. That’s what they’re saying though. I guess anything is possible in the land that voted for Tom DeLay nine times. Might they be “preping us” for a miraculous come-from-behind victory for Gibbs, so that when they steal the election and she wins by two or three percent, no one will scream FOUL because we were all warned that such an upset was possible? Let’s hope nothing so sinister is at hand.

Maybe we should ask San Diego?

To be continued…?

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