Democrats may have found a Senate candidate

[douglas9]

When I read in yesterday’s Star-Telegram that U.S. Senator Patty Murray, chair of the Democratic Senate Campaign committee, intended to target the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Kay Bailey Hutchison in 2012 , my initial reaction was that Democrats had lost their minds. Everybody knows the score. The D’s haven’t won a statewide race since 1994, almost eighteen years ago. The party chairman has resigned and his replacement is likely to be a longtime political hack from South Texas. The party’s meager assets include Julian Castro, the mayor of the state’s second largest city and a stable of talented legislators (including Castro’s twin brother Joaquin), none of whom wanted to run for statewide office in 2010 because they knew they couldn’t win. The Democratic brand, and whatever influence Democrats had, was ruined by the Republican sweep of contested state House seats on election night.

snip

"A potential blemish on his record is the Abu Ghraib scandal"

http://www.texasmonthly.com/blogs/burkablog/?p=10024

Skeletons in his closet would be more accurate.

[PDittie]

1. Sanchez is the worst possible candidate.

I will not support him. In fact will work actively and vigorously against his nomination.

http://brainsandeggs.blogspot.com/2011/04/im-out-on-this-guy-too.html

[The Philosopher]

2. "Fiscal conservative"

Which means, he's a Republican.

:banghead:

[Bucky]

4. Reality check: Democrats are more fiscally conservative than Republicans.

At worst, it's a harmless affectation

[PDittie]

5. No. At worst it's a dog whistle to the Tea Party

which, since they are deaf anyway, makes no sense for anyone who isn't running in the Republican party primary to do. At BEST it sours relations with whatever base of Democrats who tire of watching Democratic candidates pander to the Right. I'm part of that base.

[Bucky]

6. Except that "fiscal conservative" was coined *by* Democrats to distinguish us from social issue cons

I agree the dog whistle approach is a waste of time for Dems. As I pointed out in the other thread, we have to distinguish ourselves and our thinking in order to break voters of the tribal identity crap that makes voting Democratic anathema to most Texans.

But our problem isn't about labels; our problem is cultural and it is rooted in a lack of marketing skills. Overcoming both of those obstacles requires serious leadership--having a clear, distinct, and well crafted message that resonates with voters. Voters have been lulled by Republican scorn-rhetoric into comfortable identity voting habits

But breaking voter of old habits requires two things: it takes a willingness to offer real leadership even at risk of losing lots of elections (which isn't really much of a "risk" at all, obviously) AND it takes long term thinking and building, which is like the exact opposite of what politics engenders.

[PDittie]

7. To which Democrat(s) is the phrase attributed?

Just asking. Not disagreeing.

[Bucky]

8. Boy, that'd take a while to run down. It was mostly centrists, to be sure, but also Lloyd Doggett

He used that in his 1984 run for the US senate against that turtle. And he had the credentials from the state lege to back that up--his Sunset laws in the 70s saved Texans millions of dollars.

[sonias]

3. Oh man

Really a bad idea. :(