First, the University of Texas admin had its shorts in a bunch over a perennial Affirmative Action bake sale by the Young Conservatives of Texas. That they weren't upset over "Cocks not Glocks" earlier this year was the subject of a Tracker article just this week.
Not 24 hours passes before UT launches another full-on assault on political incorrectness. This time, UT's Sorority and Fraternity Life department of the Office of the Dean of Students is going out of its way to make certain Greek student organizations do not hurt anyone's feelings.
So don't even think about taking your date to a Halloween party dressed as a Cowboy and Indian. (Shhh ... don't tell the Longhorn Band!) Instead, dress as ...
Too often this election year, true-believer conservatives have been myopic about their ballot choices -- only seeing the top of the ticket as worthy of discussion (and dissension in some cases) while ignoring the merits of an overwhelming number of qualified and talented down-ballot contenders.
We have our own Travis County Commissioner incumbent for Precinct 3 Gerald Daugherty to thank for bringing some much-needed attention to our local races as the spotlight is most certainly on Trump versus Clinton.
Daugherty's ad has been featured in the Washington Post and CNN (not the usual GOP cheerleaders, in other words) and continues to go viral with well-over a million hits on YouTube. We include the ad above if you haven't yet seen it.
"The response to the ad has been overwhelming," said Daugherty, via Facebook. "It’s gratifying that so many people across the country have felt a connection to it, and I hope that it also reminds voters of the importance of the little-known elected offices at the bottom of the ballot."
Daugherty's video touches a nerve many politically interested people deal with: Family members (yes, even spouses) who are every bit supportive but have their limits when it comes to lively political discourse and wonkish conversation about the issues we face. That it continues to resound as one of the best ads this political season also tells us that the nation is ready to laugh after such a taxing 2016 election cycle.
The earned media is well-deserved. Daugherty was the first major donor to the county GOP as they attempted to resurrect their bank account following the Robert Morrow debacle. Daugherty was also one of the hangers-on during a period of unrest a decade ago and formed a PAC to keep donations and volunteerism directed toward conservative candidates at the grassroots level. Not only that, but Daugherty has spent years as the sole Republican voice on the Travis County Commissioners Court -- no easy feat.
This moment of fame couldn't have come for a better candidate.
Move along ... nothing to see here (which is good!)
Ok, so "Anderson Mill-Gate" might be taking the whole "-gate" eponym too far. Regardless, this is a story that needs to circulate for the next few weeks as it frames the overall vibe of this year's Austin District 6 City Council election: that is, a defeated 2014 candidate spending the entire two years until the next election positioning for the office and doing next-to-nothing to help the actual powers-that-be govern effectively.
Our friends at Cahnman's Musings certainly have their fingers on the pulse of the students and faculty currently occupying the Forty Acres. They noted a blatant hypocrisy on Texas' flagship campus in a "tale of two protests." The unflappable Adam Cahn writes:
We deliberately ignored the "Cocks not Glocks" (CnG) protest earlier this year because it was stupid. Nevertheless, yesterday's kerfuffle over YCT's 'affirmative action' bakesale got us thinking. There's a contrast. ...
If you think it's noble and a proper exercise of government to offer reduced prices and financial assistance based on race for higher education -- but that it's morally offensive to give complimentary discounts for baked goods -- then click here. You'll thank us one day.
So what is Democrat incumbent Celia Israel waiting for? An invoice from her constituents, perhaps?
Below is a press release from the Ceasar Ruiz for Texas House District 50 campaign questioning the logic behind Rep. Israel's tightwad of a campaign.
AUSTIN, Texas -- Hillary Clinton is buying TV ads in Central Texas and Battleground Texas is expending resources in southern Williamson County.
They know the writing is on the wall of a rising Republican tide and are doing everything they can to push back -- even in conservative territory.
So why is Texas House incumbent Celia Israel refusing to spend in her campaign against GOP challenger Ceasar Ruiz?
"My opponent's near-total lack of spending on campaign communications shows a profound disrespect for the voters of HD 50," Ruiz said. "The voters deserve to know more about where each candidate stands on the issues that are important to them."
A press release from the Don Zimmerman re-election campaign counters a strong rumor going around town that his Democratic opponent Jimmy Flannigan is responsible for placing improvements to Anderson Mill Road on the upcoming transportation bond.
We post the entirety of the press release below. Zimmerman is the incumbent for Austin City Council District 6.
AUSTIN, Texas -- Council Member Don Zimmerman’s opponent, Jimmy Flannigan, has been exposed for his exaggerations and deceit regarding his marque accomplishment claim: having Anderson Mill Road added to the Mayor’s Transportation Bond proposal.
Zimmerman first noticed this claim while listening to the Sept. 12, 2016, Austin Monitor interview when Mr. Flannigan said that the reason that Anderson Mill Road was included in the Mayor’s Transportation Bond proposal was because of Mr. Flannigan’s Northwest Austin Coalition (NWAC) work.
A consultant for the pro-bond campaign, David Butts, said the polling they’ve done sought to weed out how conservatives and liberals think about getting around.
“Republicans represent a certain philosophy,” said Butts. “They’re more inclined to see roads and cars as being something that’s absolutely necessary and something we should be trying to accommodate.”
While county-wide race candidates with an R by their name may rarely win in Travis County, they can still take around 40 percent of the vote with little cash and minimal advertising. This is a demographic even liberal consultants cannot deny when pushing a non-partisan issue such as public bonds. We expect to see more of this in the near future as Austin's economy and dynamism continues to draw the best and brightest.
Who needs hotel asparagus, a boring talk about the most recent session of Congress, and speech after speech thanking the event planning committee?
The Travis GOP has a better idea: a hero of the Benghazi raid as the guest of honor, a Q&A with donors, your choice of two activities, plus the Alamo Drafthouse and Red's Porch booked on a beautiful weekend in Austin! We hear rumors of an all-you-can-eat taco bar at the evening receptions. Way to raise the bar, Republicans.
Unbelievably, tickets are still available ... probably only because this event was announced about two weeks ago. If they had longer to promote this bad boy no doubt it would be a sell-out event.
You can read more about it at BenghaziATX.com -- movie trailer, VIP options, and more. We recommend our Tracker readers attend (Sunday worship services permitting, of course).
Newly elected Travis GOP Chairman James Dickey answers a few questions from veteran newsie Karina Kling about the miraculous turnaround of the county party in this week's episode of "Capital Tonight" on Channel 8YNNTime Warner Cable News Spectrum News.
Circular firing squads consisting entirely of the Austin political establishment are fine with us. Yet the Republican challenger for House District 46 reminds East Travis County voters that a high-stakes elimination contest among the local Democratic elite to replace Rep. Dawnna Dukes does not have to take place at all.
And it may not have had to happen if any of the Democrats throwing their hat into the ring for this (as-of-yet entirely hypothetical) special election race would have actually bothered to challenge Dukes in the Democratic Primary! See below for Gabriel Nila's latest submission for more reasons why he is "the one" to represent East Travis in the 85th Texas Legislature.
