Washington Post-Matthew Dowd launches a bid for Texas lieutenant governor -- as a Democrat

[LetMyPeopleVote]

This makes me smile. this is good coverage for a Texas state race. The Lt. Governor is actually more powerful that Governor

Link to tweet

Matthew Dowd, the chief strategist for George W. Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign, announced Wednesday that he is running for lieutenant governor of Texas — as a Democrat.

In an announcement video, Dowd, who worked more recently as a political analyst for ABC News, takes aim at the Republican incumbent, Dan Patrick, detailing a list of purported shortcomings, both on policy and character.

“The GOP politicians have failed us, especially the cruel and craven lieutenant governor,” Patrick says in the 2½-minute video. “He does not believe in the common good. ... He puts his ‘me’ over our ‘we.’”....

That includes work on a campaign of former Texas lieutenant governor Bob Bullock, the last Democrat elected to the office in the state, in 1994.

In his bio, Dowd also highlights his break with Bush in 2007 over his handling of the Iraq War and his identification as an independent afterward.

[Irish_Dem]

1. What happens to our party if GOP leaders flip to Dem?

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. The eeffects are different in Red States than in Blue States

I can accept that in red states and red leaning purple states in the short term, if the ex-Republican in question has some personal integrity and reasonable core convictions, even if they are to the right of where I want our Party to be. In a sense it is a transition strategy away from Republican rule. At some point if that state's electorate keeps trending blue, than a "centrist" of that sort will no longer be able to get past a Democratic primary to run as a Democrat, unless they move to the left along with the base.

The reverse happened in the past when many Southern Democrats, including Party leaders, defected to the Republican Party, solidifying Republican rule in those states for decades to come

Charlie Crist, an ex-Republican Governor in Florida, is now a Democratic Congressman from that State

[Irish_Dem]

11. Good points, and somewhat reassuring.

If it can be a transition away from GOP rule, that is wonderful.

However I question how many ex- Republicans have personal integrity and reasonable core convictions.
And as a progressive, I hate to see my party become more conservative to accommodate wayward GOPers.

[Ka-Dinh Oy]

2. Hmm, another Manchin?

[Jose Garcia]

5. You mean someone who can actually get elected?

Because other than Joe Manchin, Democrats haven't had much luck winning state-wide in TX or WV.

[onetexan]

3. not sure how i feel about this - a former Dubya strategist turned Dem

There's been a few high profile converts, GOP Steve Schmidt among them. Hate to speculate that Dowd is another Manchinesque red-turned-blue, not to mention the fact he's never been in government although he's been a political operative for much of his life. Dowd's site https://www.dowdtexas.com/enough-is-enough doesn't say where he stands on the issues so i'll reserve judgment till i read them.

[Budi]

7. Dowd on Abbott, Patrick & Paxton.. ""One's craven. One's cruel. And one's a crook".

Interview with Matthew Dowd in
ReformAustin.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.reformaustin.org/elections/former-bush-advisor-matthew-dowd-teases-run-against-patrick-for-lt-gov/amp/

"Former Bush Advisor Matthew Dowd Teases Run Against Patrick for Lt. Gov. Seat"

Snip
"Dowd expressed his discomfort with Texas current leaders.
He describes Abbott, Patrick, and Paxton as craven, cruel, and crook.
“One’s craven. One’s cruel. And one’s a crook. And they need to go. I wish they had the gumption or wish they had the strength to resign after how much they failed the state. They won’t. So I’ll do whatever I can, in any way I can, to help in that.”

"Dowd has pledged his alliance to Texas Democrats and said he would help them win in 2022, and for the looks of it, that includes a possible run for Lt. Governor."
More...

****
He brings the Bush loyal voters who also despise how Abbott has disgraced their State, & yes there are a good number of them.
And they come with Big $$$$ which will be needed to defeat the bankroll of who we're up against.

There is no way to defeat this Tx corruption without drawing in what Dowd can bring.
That is a fact. Especially with the brutal gerrymandering taken place.
Abbot has allowed their corruption to protect & insulate themselves as much as possible.

Dowd campaigned on the road with Beto.
And he brings some solid supporters from the Bush Repubs as well as their much needed deep pockets.

[ananda]

6. I'd vote for a slugwart against Dan Patrick.

...

[Budi]

8. Same here. This is about defeating Patrick.

[Paladin]

12. My sentiments exactly.

Maybe it takes having listened to Dan Patrick on his AM hate radio stations---as I did on occasion, years ago---to grasp what a genuinely sick, evil being he is. I'd back the closest available rattlesnake for office, rather than Patrick.

[Horse with no Name]

9. I like Collier

But willing to listen

[JHB]

10. I wonder if he's expecting votes from "both sides".

[msongs]

13. looks llike a guy who is on msnbc a fair amount nt

[LetMyPeopleVote]

14. Opinion Don't give up on Texas, Democrats - The Washington Post

A good number of hard core democrats have been working to turn Texas blue for a long time. I have been active on voter protection efforts and I am part of a group organizing a Texas democratic lawyers association. The demographic trends indicate that Texas will turn blue either this cycle or next cycle. That is why the GOP is trying to suppress the vote. Greg is focused on fighting off a far right primary and setting himself up to be the 2024 nominee. Greg may have accelerated the process of turning texas blue.

Link to tweet

Democratic hopes that demography would deliver Texas have not been wrong, but perhaps just premature. The 2020 congressional races suggested that while the fight for Hispanic votes remains competitive, the sprawling suburbs around major Texas cities are increasingly moderate.

But Republicans now seem poised to accomplish what Democrats have not been able to do: The GOP has alienated sufficient numbers of voters outside their hardcore base to put the state in play in 2022 in gubernatorial and congressional contests and beyond.

A new Quinnipiac poll suggests Republicans’ radicalism has put them at odds with a majority of Texas voters. In the wake of the Texas law offering bounties to “turn in” those seeking an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape or incest, the poll reports that 77 percent of state residents say abortion should be legal in cases of rape or incest, including 66 percent of Republicans. Some 72 percent of Texans do not want the law enforced, and 60 percent want to keep Roe v. Wade in place.

Even on a quintessentially Texan issue such as guns, voters are not in sync with MAGA politicians. The pollsters found: “Roughly two-thirds (67 percent) of voters, including 58 percent of gun owners, say allowing anyone 21 years of age or older to carry handguns without a license or training makes Texas less safe, while 26 percent say it makes Texas safer. Half of voters (50 percent) say it’s too easy to carry a handgun in Texas, while 44 percent say it’s about right, and 4 percent say it’s too difficult.”

And when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic, Texas voters are much closer to President Biden than to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott:

Adults in Texas think 47 - 38 percent that Governor Abbott is hurting rather than helping efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Texas, with 15 percent not offering an opinion.
More than 6 in 10 Texans (64 - 26 percent) think the recent rise in COVID-19 deaths in Texas was preventable. ... A majority of Texans (63 - 29 percent) think it’s a bad idea that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing school districts that are requiring masks for students.
A majority of Texans say 60 - 35 percent that they support requiring students, teachers, and staff to wear masks in schools. ...
About two-thirds of Texans (64 percent) think local officials should be able to require masks in indoor public spaces if they believe it's necessary, while 31 percent do not.
More than half of Texans (53 - 41 percent) support requiring everyone to wear masks while in indoor public spaces.
A majority of Texans (60 percent) say they consider the issue of wearing masks to be primarily about public health, while 33 percent say they consider the issue of wearing masks to be about personal freedom.

Texas will turn blue and Greg/Dan Patrick are helping.

BTW, I am hopeful that a ticked of Beto, Matt Dowd and Joe Jaworski may help. I have some friends who worked on recruiting Dowd and I am encouraged

t’s in this political environment that Matthew Dowd, a former senior adviser to President George W. Bush who has backed a slew of notable Texas Democrats, has emerged as a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor. His announcement video conveys his values-oriented approach to politics:

Link to tweet

Dowd is betting that Texans want something other than pandering to the MAGA base. “The Texas Republican politicians are completely out of step with Texas values like integrity and community and no longer govern with common sense, common decency or for the common good," he told me on Saturday. “They put their ‘me’ over our ‘we.’ ”

Time will tell but I am sure that Texas will turn blue