Medina adds fire, uncertainty in governor's race [and other TXGOV tidbits]

AP via American Statesman & others ^ | 1-8-10 | Jay Root & others

[deport]

The Republican race for governor has mostly been a heavyweight showdown, with the senior U.S. senator from Texas trying to knock out the state's longest-serving governor.

But Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Gov. Rick Perry aren't the only Republicans in the race. Fiery GOP activist and gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina, who has strong libertarian views and does not rule out seceding from the union, could affect the contest, even if she loses, as experts anticipate......

"I feel it in my gut," said Medina, a registered nurse from Wharton, just south of Houston. "I am not quitting. I am not taking my foot off the pedal. Not one inch."

Medina has been waging a low-budget guerrilla war against Perry and Hutchison — at the last reporting in July, she hadn't broken past $50,000 in contributions — using the Internet, social media and the heady enthusiasm of her volunteers to raise her profile. The strategy paid off this week , when Medina snagged a coveted spot in the upcoming statewide televised debate in Denton on Thursday with the two GOP stars.

Though she's critical of Hutchison and Perry, Medina sees her main rival as Perry and she reserves her harshest remarks for the governor....

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[bgill]

True. We used to have the best roads anywhere but that hasn’t been the case now for a few decades and in more recent years has down right plummeted. However, Houston has the HOV lane now which is beneficial but they’re still bad for traffic. San Antonio has always been easy to get around in. Dallas seems to have improved directional flow even with the mixmasters though coming out of downtown south never will improve. Miss the exit and you’re doomed. Austin is just a nightmare, nightmare, nightmare. Where we lived years ago (decades ago) it would take like 40 minutes to get to wherever you wanted to in Austin, now days it’s double the time or more. Then they (Perry) put in the toll road to supposedly make things better but I don’t see it’s done anything. I refuse to drive on it out of principal. Never have driven on it and never will.

[bgill]

I’ve heard Shami’s ad, and he sounded very conservative

You heard him or he sounded, what?!? He has a new ad out? The only one I've seen is a spokesperson is speaking for him because he supposedly has such a thick ME accent that it would run off voters. I'd heard he wasn't going to speak unless necessary.

[YellowRoseofTx]

I heard his ad done by a spokesman. There are several things Texas does not need and a Muslim governor is at the top of the list. BTW, the ad doesn’t say what party is represents.