The Strayhorn campaign ought be careful
Rebecca Chapa's column in the San Antonio Express-News is worth a read, but what caught my eye is this:
Through a series of political missteps, Democrat-turned-Republican Carole Keeton Strayhorn is quickly proving herself to be not One Tough Grandma, but One Kooky One. The latest blunder, a phone call from one of her right-hand staffers to Democratic candidate Chris Bell asking him to bow out of the governor's race, makes the campaign look schizophrenic.Chapa voices the conventional wisdom is shaping and is starting to repeated by politicos and journalists alike.
See this quote from relatively disinterested Chris Bell spokesman Jason Stanford:
"Luis and I talk every once in awhile, trying to figure out what in God's name (Strayhorn) is going to do, and we've learned through observation that applying logic is an ineffective means of analyzing her," Stanford said. "He and I have a gentlemen's agreement to campaign aboveboard and do whatever we can to beat each other's boss."Now it could be argued that Democrats would rather face Perry than Strayhorn, but I think it's more likely that Stanford was simply telling the truth. What Stanford says is what I hear from different people.
Now, as I've pointed out before, Strayhorn has quite a bit of cash on hand which she can use to take her message directly to the people.
The problem is that paid media is most effective when it dovetails with what people hear in free media. If the newspapers are saying something different than your paid advertising, then it muddles Strayhorn's message on tv and radio commercials.
If I were the Strayhorn campaign, I'd be concerned about this. As for Perry's campaign, I believe they planned to make this argument.
Posted by Evan @ 12/29/05 06:18 AM
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I hear Strayhorn is going to run as a Libertarian.
Posted by Pink Lady @ 12/29/05 10:06 AM
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