Her hometown newspaper endorsed her opponent in the Texas race over the weekend. The Supreme Court’s decision to allow for a voter identification requirement has Democrats here even more worried about turnout. And in Texas political circles, the question is not whether Davis will lose, but by how much.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/10/wendy-davis-2014-texas-elections-112027.html
Texas Democrats managed to nominate a duo whom the Texas press has a hard time giving their enthusiastic support. Davis sued the Fort Worth Star Telegram over an editorial (she lost).
Less well known is that Lt. Governor nominee Leticia Van de Putte, also a State Senator, told the editorial board of the San Antonio Express-News a few years ago that a Republican State Senator had admonished her "If you are going to act like a Mexican you are going to get treated like a Mexican." Delighted to get a quote revealing Republicans to be evil racists, the Express-News trumpeted it.
This came as a surprise to Van de Putte, who was pressed to reveal who the Republican State Senator was. She claimed that Senatorial protocol forbade her to name names, so every Republican State Senator signed a letter to her saying "I did not say it. I did not hear it. I release you from any obligation of confidentiality if you think I said it." Van de Putte still refused to name names, but claimed that State Senator Judith Zaffirini heard the remark. Zaffirini denied it, but diplomatically added "That I can recall" to soften the fact that she was calling Van de Putte a liar.
Suing the media over editorials is not a route to their good graces. Neither is lying to an editorial board in a face to face meeting. The Express-News would have been very happy to publicize Van de Putte's allegations as a news story had they been made publicly, but by disclosing them to the editorial board behind closed doors, she got them to tie their credibility to the truth of her statement.
Don't get me wrong, the Texas press is on Davis and Van de Putte's side. But they are not at all enthusiastic.