New ad from mysterious PAC running against Abbott in Texas

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

[Lovie777]

1. K & R . . .

[gratuitous]

2. Oooh, a mysterious PAC opposing a Republican scumbag

We'll find out pretty quick how much Republicans really believe in "free speech" when it's their ox being anonymously gored. You can bet that the tune will quickly shift to Something Must Be Done about all this dark money unaccountable advertising!

[brush]

7. Too late for them to stop it. It's already out there and running.

[gratuitous]

12. Won't stop the Republicans from whining, though

Which is about all they've got, seeing as how the ad is spot-on truthful, and the conclusion with Gov. Abbott defending his incompetence with "It coulda been worse" was art.

[brush]

13. Let 'em whine. We don't care is they bring more publicity to the ads.

[Buckeyeblue]

3. Great Ad

Is it true that while Texas doesn't have an income tax, all of the other taxes levied exceed tax rates in CA?

If that's true, Beto should be running with it.

[Nevilledog]

6. Yes. It's true.

https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/texans-pay-more-taxes-than-californians-17400644.php

[Buckeyeblue]

28. Interesting article I had no clue

Interesting how "fees" replace taxes. It sort of reminds me of Republicans who think we should replace income tax with sales tax. But we all know who gets the short end of the stick with that policy.

[SergeStorms]

33. It's the same in Florida.

Another red state with no income tax, but there's a "fee" every time you sneeze. You never hear about those until you move there, but then it's too late.

[angrychair]

42. Yea, I've lived in TX, FL and now WA

All have no state income tax. Of the 3, Washington has by far been the cheapest to live. I've lived in Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia that all have income tax . Now that I've lived in states with and without income tax I'm of the mind that it matters very little, they still got to get the money from somewhere. Property taxes...fees...sales tax...it's actually worse than income taxes because those things are all fixed percentages and the same for everyone, no matter their income level, so it ends up being a regressive tax on the middle class and poor.

[brush]

10. They make up for in fees on vehicle registration, drivers licensing, real estate fees, etc.

They come up with all kinds of fees in many areas of business transactions.

[onethatcares]

16. they're called "user fees" here in floriduh

$5.00 here and there and the people don't notice it, well at least the new transplants haven't figured it out yet.

[Buckeyeblue]

45. I used to have to travel to Orlando for work

One thing I noticed was the number of toll roads. And sometimes you don't realize you're on them.

I guess the states with no income tax have to find a different funding source.

[brush]

4. Damn, that's good. Hope they run it 24/7. And it's all true.

[crickets]

20. +1

[SheltieLover]

5. K&R!

[MontanaMama]

8. That's flat out excellent.

Last edited Fri Sep 9, 2022, 04:37 PM - Edit history (1)

It Coulda Been Worse, LLC - https://www.texastribune.org/2022/09/09/greg-abbott-beto-orourke-tv-ads/

The name — Coulda Been Worse — signaled that it would be an anti-Abbott effort, but otherwise, few details were known about it, which remained the case Friday.

A group by the same name was registered as an LLC late last month in Delaware, according to records there. Its registered agent is Corporation Service Company in Wilmington. Delaware is notorious for having some of the most lax corporate laws in the nation, allowing people to form corporations there while providing little public information about themselves.

As an LLC, the group is not immediately subject to state requirements to disclose its donors as more traditional political action committees are required to do. The group would have to register with the Texas Ethics Commission — and face the state’s disclosure requirements — if it met the state’s definition of a political committee: “two or more persons acting in concert with a principal purpose of accepting political contributions or making political expenditures.” But whether it meets that definition remains unknown unless the group volunteers more information about itself.

[Hortensis]

30. Absolutely and thanks. Love, love, love the name and theme. $6M in ad time.

[PufPuf23]

9. Go Beto Go !! Be a big Texas, fail GOP. You earn it. kr

[MagickMuffin]

11. Sounds like a Lincoln Project ad

Glad there are people fighting back against ABBOTT.

[Johnyawl]

18. That was my first thought!

This looks like it has Rick Wilson's fingerprints all over it.

Or maybe someone learning from Wilson example.

[Gaugamela]

14. K&R.

[Sky Jewels]

15. Finally! That's how it's done!

Bravo!!!

[Native]

17. Man that is a thing of beauty!

[Obvious85]

19. Impressed! I would donate to the LLC if I could

Keep em coming! Let's not forget:

Texas Republicans believe that a woman’s health choices are a private matter between her ra/pist, her Senator, the local sheriff, and Abbott. The rest of you can just butt-out of her business

[Skittles]

41. excellent way to put it, Obvious85

I cannot understand how even rabid repukes can put up with the gubmint making decisions for "their" women.

[Joinfortmill]

21. Wow!!!

[Just A Box Of Rain]

22. Excellent!

[SledDriver]

23. They need to state that Abbott is to blame though

IDK Watching this out of context, I could see the "It could have been worse" part being interpreted as
"It could have been worse if the Democrats were allowed to continue ruining Texas. Thank God Abbott came along and is here now to fix things."

[Hortensis]

31. Abbott shockingly said that about 19 children and 2 teachers dead in Uvalde,

though, so he's already extremely negatively associated with it. And this group has purchased $6M in ad time.

Go get him!

[calimary]

24. I like that ad! Presents him as sinister without saying it.

[Ghost of Tom Joad]

25. We need an ad like that here in Florida

It would sure get our governors shorts in a twist.

[Duppers]

26. K & R

[Pepsidog]

27. Great ad. How Texans can elect this incompetent creep is beyond me.

[onecaliberal]

29. Outstanding!

More of that.

[dchill]

32. Political Ad Perfection!

[Hekate]

34. Applause

[Hermit-The-Prog]

35. Abbott resembles the Shrub.

Roe, Roe, Roe your vote
against theocracy!
Republicans revoke your rights
and kill democracy!

Donate to 38 House candidates: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217067267
Stick 'em up for a blue wave: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217078977

[lobointexas]

36. Spot On!

Can I recommend this 1,000 times?

[keithbvadu2]

37. OUCH!

[NQAS]

38. Mysterious or not

It’s a great ad. Ad long as it’s running nonstop everywhere in Texas.

[LudwigPastorius]

39. LOL

Republicans wanted the unlimited dark money that Citizens United would bring to elections.

Well, how do you like them apples now, GOPers?

[niyad]

40. KNR

[dalton99a]

43. Great ad.

[UTUSN]

44. k&r

[mopinko]

46. massacre. yes. call them what they are. they arent shootings. they're mass killings.

school shooting makes it sound like the lads at the prep school are going stalking a stag.

extremely well done. f'ing perfect.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

47. I saw this ad tonight

[LetMyPeopleVote]

48. Mysterious group targeting Gov. Greg Abbott reserves $6 million in TV ads ahead of November election

I saw this group's ad tonight

Link to tweet

https://www.texastribune.org/2022/09/09/greg-abbott-beto-orourke-tv-ads/?utm_campaign=trib-social&utm_content=1662736978&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

A shadowy new group has purchased at least $6 million in TV advertisements ahead of the November election and is airing an ad that targets Gov. Greg Abbott as he runs for reelection.

The minute-long ad from Coulda Been Worse LLC, which started airing Friday, rattles off a list of major calamitous events that have happened on Abbott’s watch, such the Uvalde school shooting and 2021 power-grid collapse. As the narrator speaks, a picture slowly zooms out to show Abbott’s face.

“Any one of these — a terrible shame for Texas,” the narrator says at the end. “All of these — a horrific sign something big is terribly, terribly wrong.”

The spot ends with a clip of Abbott saying after the Uvalde massacre that it “could have been worse,” increasingly a rallying cry of Abbott’s critics. Abbott made the comment while praising the law enforcement response to the shooting, which has since been been widely criticized for taking well over an hour to confront the shooter. Abbott later said he was “misled” when he made the comment.

The advertising represents a significant escalation as Abbott fights for a third term against Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke. Abbott has led O’Rourke by mid-single digits in polls throughout the summer

[uponit7771]

49. K&R,