January 14, 2010

Texas GOP primary debate

My head is spinning from all the spin. The various fact checkers are busily doing their due diligence, so I am waiting to see the results.

Not many surprises in the debate. U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Texas Governor Rick "Goodhair" Perry spent the whole hour trading punches. Particularly disappointing, as we can get all of that from the ads. The star of the show was the new kid on the block, Debra Medina.

Ms. Medina, a former Republican Chairperson from Warton Wharton County, spent far less time jabbing at the other two, and far more time addressing the questions asked.

On the issues, jobs and taxes caught the most airtime. The rhetoric was elusive though, with Perry incorrectly claiming that he cut our taxes (care to compare my property tax statements from the past few years?) and Hutchinson ludicrously pointing to her pre-politics, small business experience of more than 20 years ago to validate her experience in balancing a budget. Perry did particularly poor when discussing jobs, very disingenuously using pre-recession data to claim his administration created jobs in the recession.

As one might expect from a Republican forum, the candidates were asked to comment on abortion, and if they would work to end Roe v. Wade. Medina and Perry took rock-hard anti positions. When Hutchison was asked directly and repeatedly if she would overturn Roe, she did a fair impression of Charles Durning in Best Little Whorehouse. Her evasiveness was palpable, but the truth is found in her Senate record, where she is one of only a few Republicans voting to uphold a woman's right to choose.

Medina, a registered nurse gained points first by doing a very good job addressing a question on the Texas Advanced Directives act, passed while Hutchison was in the U.S. Senate and Perry was Lt. Governor. Neither Perry nor Hutchison seemed to have a clue. Medina also took a swipe at EMTALA, and promoted the elimination of property taxes.

Given the choice, I’d say Medina would have my vote. Can’t wait to see the Democrat bloodletting.

~~

3 Comments:

Jennifer said...

Wharton County was misspelled (sp?), but everything else was spot on!

Bob S. said...

I missed the debate last night darn it.

Had a Board of Director's meeting for our gun club.

Plan to catch up through the newspaper but your impression re-inforces what I've seen already.

Medina is looking good.

Mule Breath said...

Thank you Jennifer. Me culpa. The typo has been corrected.

So far as the GOP candidates, Bob, I would have to agree that Medina shined. Rick has turned into a loonytoon, and Kay Cheeny Hutchison flipflops like a beached tuna.

I must admit that Medina's naïveté is what captured me. Calling herself the new kid, and admitting a lack of knowledge on one of the issues raised displayed, at least for any of the current crop of Texas Republicans, some rare honesty.