Burnt Orange Report

Obeservation:
Gammage is a better candidate than Bell, but Bell has a better campaign operation than Gammage. Do we think Gammage can up his game if he wins the primary? That may be a factor to take into consideration.

Jim Dunnam's endorsement of Gammage carries more weight with the "true" mainstream than all of the various people who've endorsed Bell. Particularly the Dirty Dozen whose baseless attack on Gammage is just mirrored for what it was by the current baseless, and libelous, attack on Gammage by Greg Wythe. The Bell campaign and their candidate cannot debate issues beyond diatribe so they choose instead to defame the opposition.

I feel sorry for anyone who would support Bell for anything. Greg Wythe implied that Bob Gammage is a modern-day Joe McCarthy, who destroyed people's lives by destroying their reputations through innuendo. Which is what Bell does in the name of supposed ethics and integrity. Neither of which he or his supporters have. The only "McCarthy " in all of this is Chris Bell.

And Greg Wythe and the others who support Bell need to get their facts correct before flinging them along with the filth they supposedly support.

HUAC was not the House Un-American Activities Commission as he stated but rather the House Committee on Un-American Activities. It was originally known as the Dies Committee and Joe McCarthy never served on the committee and never chaired the committee. It was known primarily for the investigation of Alger Hiss which gave prominence to a California congressman named Richard Nixon who presented "evidence" against Alger Hiss to the committee.

The Senate Committee which Joe McCarthy chaired was the Senate Committee on Government Operations and its subcommittee, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. It had nothing to do with the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

When you look at the tactics of Chris Bell and his supporters, you don't see the idealism and vision of so many great Democrats like the Kennedys but rather the innuendo-based vendettas of so many not-so-great Republicans like Richard Nixon and Joe McCarthy.

IMHO Gammage's considerable organizational abilities have just been brought to bear, and Bell with a year in the game was trailing Strayhorn and tied with "Undecided" in the last polling I recall...

Also, the organizational people that I know (only a few who I am familiar with, granted) in Gammage's camp are some of the best I have met from participating in campaigns in Texas and Alaska.

Have any of you libs ever considered writing novels? You guys have been so outstanding in dreaming up Democratic victories for the governor's post since 1994. Even more interesting since 1)Perry, Strayhorn and Friedman are all ahead of Bell and Gammage and; 2)Friedman (not even on the ballot yet) has raised twice as money as Bell and Gammage combined.
But hey, somebody's gotta toot their horn after a couple of hours of getting high, right?

Apparently the Selby article is a bit misleading. From some first hand reports, almost the entire crowd last night in Hurst was wearing Gammage lapel stickers.

Reports say he was 'swarmed' while Bell stood off in a corner by himself.

There are supposed to be photos. I guess we'll have to see what the photos show. I've quit depending on brother Selby reports -- he misses the important and focuses on the trivial.

Gammage has managed to launch quite a successful campaign in the short amount of time he's been on the trail.

Bell (and all of his consultants) haven't done that in a year of campaigning. Gammage's team improves every day.

Glad to see it!

I'm going to assume that Kinky went into the July-Dec reporting period with a few bucks.

According to the report filed, as of December 31, during the July-Dec period, he raised $1.5MM. As of the closing of that period, with the $1.5MM and whatever he went into it with, he had a whopping $271,000 on hand.

With all of his free publicity, he still spent a million and a quarter in SIX MONTHS!!

On what? Action figures? Well, it's time he buy a Barbie for his Kinky doll and move on to his next publicity stunt, cause I sure don't want him having a say in spending my tax dollars.

The negative politics from Bell's campaign camp is unnerving and disheartening. I do not approve of it whatsoever.

I was actually at the event last night and I can tell you that there was no "partial ovation" for Bob Gammage. The entire crowd stood for one of the longer ovations of the evening. And truth be told, EVERY candidate received a standing ovation in one form or another, but Gammage's was longer and more pronounced than any other--OK, maybe a tie with Gammage and Van Os, the two most dynamic and fiery speakers last evening.

It's also interesting that someone would comment that Bell has a better organization than Gammage...the entire crowd was covered with Gammage lapel stickers, Gammage flyers were available, Gammage bumper stickers were being given away and push cards explaining Gammage's credentials were on hand. I didn't see anything from Bell's crowd...not even lapel stickers. OK, I take that back...one person was wearing a Bell lapel sticker--actually a blank name tag with "Chris Bell" written in magic marker. I don't know if it was a sign of support or if the woman simply has identity issues.

It was also pretty sad to see Bell wandering the crowd looking for hands to shake, especially when you contrast it with the swarms of people surrounding Gammage from the minute he walked in the room. He wasn't even in the room before people started rushing him to hug him, shake his hand, ask questions, and get a friendly word or two.

Gammage mingled with the crowd, talked to men, women and children, and generally acted like he was interested in being there. Bell wandered alone along the periphery of the room looking sort of lost and friendless and finally headed over to his table where he sat for the remainder of the evening.

It was easy to spot Bell in the crowd...sitting alone at the side of the room. It was also easy to spot Gammage...you just had to look for the big crowd of people and you knew he was in the middle of it somewhere.

Sounds like whoever wrote the article either needs glasses or objectivity lessons. Or maybe like four or five others, he just left early and didn't stick around to hear the applause, the laughter, and the full and heart-felt ovation at the end of Gammage's speech.

I was at the Democratic Forum on Saturday night in Hurst, Texas. And yes, Chris Bell gave a good speech, and he did get a standing ovation....at the end of it.

Bob Gammage, the last speaker, got a standing ovation before he ever even opened his mouth. What an outstanding candidate with a clearly articulated vision for the future of Texas! Bob Gammage is the real deal and his years of experience and his leadership ability became more evident the longer he spoke. He got another standing ovation when he was finished, along with thunderous applause and enthusiastic whistles.

Kinky has a catchy catch-phrase, "How hard can it be?" Well, I think being a competent governor is a lot harder than it looks.

Governor Perry certainly hasn't gotten the hang of it and we have record teen-age pregnancy to show for it, along with the highest high school drop-out rate in the country AND the most uninsured population in the country. Health care and education should be priorities for a state with the eighth largest economy in the world. Hello, Republicans? What have you done for us lately?

I was there last night, and I am terribly disappointed that the reporter said Bell got a standing ovation and Gammage a partial. The whole room was full of Gammage buttons and supporters. He excited the crowd which applauded many times and stood for him in an electric ovation. That just proves that reporting can edge a candidate albeit wrongly. Gammage was truly the winner last night.

I was there also.....It was very obvious that it was Gammage's crowd...something around 60%-40%. It was the first time I'd seen Bell give a speech and frankly, I was amazed. For a guy who's made a living in Radio/TV, he is downright terrible. His voice has a nasal quality that borders on irritating and talk about a yawn; the content of his remarks could put you to sleep! Gammage won hands-down; it was his night.

I find it absolutely ironic that the same consultants that have managed to lose every election for the Democratic Party in Texas for the last 10 years or so are the ones who keep saying that Democrats can't win statewide in Texas this year.

These same people who think that winning elections requires a seat with your name on it at the Star Bar in Austin, that have demanded fortunes in cash from candidates and STILL manage to lose every race they're involved in, have a lot of hutzpah.

Naming names is pointless, but all you have to do is see who gets quoted in recent articles to make your own list of failed campaign consultants.

I think Texas needs a return to grassroots Democratic politics that doesn't require that a candidate hire 'these experts' in order to be credible. In fact, I'd question the judgment of any candidate that puts a single one of them on the payroll.

My job doesn't allow me to fail, and fail and fail again and still expect to be credible. If I had the track record some of these guys have, I'd have been shown the door years ago.

Why in the hell should anyone pay attention to them now?

I was there at the Mid Cities Democrats forum as a MCD member and local candiate in Tarrant County for Justice of the Peace in PCT. 1 and it was all Gammage and Fred Head(for Texas Comptroller) and David Van Os. Great Standing ovations for all. All I saw was Gammage stickers on everybody. I did not see any bell stickers. I saw 3 bell signs on the wall that is it.

Is Chris Bell even going to get a vote from his Republican wife? She was absent by the way. I think they can find a baby sitter for there kids and it was a Saturday(non school night). That was the going joke last night among the grassroots.

Alison was probably at home with her surgical gloves sending herself another "anthrax" letter.

Well, this is as good evidence as I've ever seen of the truth of the statement "When Republicans are in trouble, they circle the wagons. When Democrats are in trouble, they circle the firing squad."

It's also quite telling to me that the ones in this forum that are whining the most about "dirty tricks" are the very same ones who are slinging the most dirt.

Here's an idea: Let's focus on building networks for both Gammage and Bell that can work together after the primary. Failure to do that is nothing less than full-on endorsement of Rick Perry. A contested primary that focuses on ideas and solving problems will benefit either one. The sort of stuff found above will do nothing but ensure that yet another Republican victory is found come November.

XT

You extreme libs continue to crack me up...you've been saying "strategy" and "return to grassroots" since Kerry-Dukakis lost the election in 2004. The fact is, Americans have been seeing that your ideas have failed time and again. After all, the "great society" monster you libs have created have kept many in poverty. You can blame outsourcing, the existence of the rich and Bush being president for it, but if you take a break from the high, you'll see that just throwing money at policy problems will keep it as what it is- a policy problem.
And the fact that libs like Cindy Sheehan are cozying up to the likes of Hugo Chavez are not helping you much either.

I was at the candidate forum last night and, let me tell you -- Gammage lit the place up. When Bob walked in, it was like a rock star had entered, people were all around him and Bob made sure he got to meet and greet every one of them. I honestly didn't even realize that Bell was in the building until someone pointed him out sort of lurking over in a corner. Bob's speech was strong too -- thunderous applause many times and at least 2 standing O's. He won the night hands-down.

Also, congrats to the Mid-City Democrats for putting on an incredible event.

I spoke to a contact I have in the Mid-Cities and what that person told me was exactly has Shelby reported it.

Hmmmm, I'm smelling large amounts of freep.

XT

Bob Gammage was the ONLY candidate there last night who talked specifically about winning over and asking for the votes of Independent voters and disillusioned Republicans. You HAVE to get many of those voters to win statewide in Texas!

It is NOT compromising Democratic principles in a state as red as Texas to specifically ask for the votes of disillusioned Republican and Independent voters when you MUST appeal to many of those voters in order to run a serious race in the general election!

Mitch Dworkin

Well, .... maybe he or she didn't want to break the bad news.

Since the Fort Worth Startlegram has posted a report differing from Shelby's -- at least in the reference to 'ovations' part, I think (to put the best face on it), maybe Shelby left early (Gammage spoke last, after all).

And you really don't want to hear what a small group of Bell supporters said after the shindig was over out in the parking lot.

Maybe Shelby left early. Or maybe Shelby's integrity is to be questioned. Along with the integrity of the Austin American Statesman.

As for "the ones in this forum that are whining the most about "dirty tricks" are the very same ones who are slinging the most dirt" if you're accusing me of slinging dirt, you can call it what you want. I call it simple observation.

Anyone who is capable of knifing a friend of 15 years, as Alison Bell did Mark Sanders, to garner 15 seconds of fame, or should that be infamy, for her husband is capable of anything.

I attended the event hosted by the Mid-Cities Democrats Candidate Forum on Saturday night and came away with a very different impression of the event than was posted in the report. There seemed to be electricity surrounding the Gammage camp which did not appear to be there for Bell. Everywhere Gammage went there seemed to be a buzz about him. The room lit up with excitement as soon as he arrived. He was constantly surrounded by people of all ages. He was one of the most approachable candidates in the room. He seemed to have time for everyone present. This seemed to differ from Bell who I did not see mingling with the crowd. There seemed to be quite a few individuals, who if they were not on board with the Gammage camp at the beginning of the night (which were few since most people had Gammage lapel stickers), they were after his speech, lots of standing ovations.

I want to thank the individuals who hosted the event. What an honor it was to be around so many great individuals and be able to be exposed to such a wide range of candidates.

The article failed to mention that Bob Gammage also received a standing ovation and had a room full of supporters. He is an outstanding person who will make a real difference as Governor of Texas.