Get The Word Out-- THIS Gene Kelly Can't Dance

[TexasLawyer]

SHAME on Texas Democrats for allowing Gene Kelly-- who is a perennial joke on Texas politics-- to challenge Barbara Radnofsky in a run-off for U.S. Senate. Texas Democrats MUST get the word out regarding the importance of the upcoming run-off election on Tuesday April 11, 2006-- strong, viable candidate Barbara Radnofsky needs a decisive victory over clown Gene Kelly.

Barbara Radnofsky is a strong contender for the Senate seat currently occupied by Kay Bailey Hutchison. Barbara is campaigning throughout Texas with her well-considered positions on immigration, the Iraq war, veterans' affairs, health care, and other vital issues facing Texans and the nation as a whole. Barbara Radnofsky deserves your vote-- and she needs your efforts.

I personally have had the honor of working with Ms. Radnofsky for the last 20 years at the law firm of Vinson & Elkins. Barbara is earnest, hard-working, articulate, ethical and SMART. As a candidate, she would attract contributions, Independent and cross-over Republican votes, and dedicated volunteers. As our U.S. Senator, I know that she would make all Texans proud of her leadership.



http://www.radnofsky.com/

By contrast, run-off opponent Gene Kelly is an octogenarian who has made four pathetically ineffective runs for U.S. Senate. This man doesn't campaign. Instead, his political "successes" rely entirely on "name recognition". Not recognition of his OWN prior successes, mind you, but the successes of Gene Kelly of "Singin' in the Rain" fame!

Sadly, as this run-off proves, Mr. Kelly DOES get political traction with his name. That is really the only possible explanation for his most recent election results. As reported February 17, 2006 in the Houston Chronicle: Gene Kelly refuses to spend ANY money on his race-- not his own money or anyone else's money. Kelly told the Chronicle, in a rarely granted interview: "if somebody sends me a dollar I send it back."

Kelly also "shuns invitations to appear at candidate forums and bypasses opportunities to lay out his campaign ideas." Unbelievably, Mr. Kelly rejected a suggestion by the Chronicle that, as a candidate, he may have a responsibility to partake in a dialogue with voters.

So here's the bottom line-- Do Texas Democrats want a joke candidate or a REAL candidate for U.S. Senate? Get your friends, family, neighbors, political clubs, and everyone else to the polls on April 11, 2006 to vote in the run-off. And, visit Barbara Radnofsky's web-site and consider making a contribution and/or help in the Barbara Radnofsky campaign.

http://www.radnofsky.com/


THANKS!
Katie O'Harra aka
TexasLawyer

[sui generis]

1. unfortunately the real issue behind Mr. Kelly

being in the runoff is poor voter recognition of the candidate names.

To be honest, in yesterday's ballots I had little to no idea who the judges were that we were selecting for, and I'm sure the same could be said of many people voting for other opposed positions.

It's embarrassing but a fact - even my S.O. came out shaking his head. The real problem is how do you reach likely primary voters effectively, especially 60 hour workweek people?

I voted for Barbara, and Other Mr. Sui said he voted for the female candidate whenever there was a question, so she got two votes from us.

[TexasLawyer]

2. KBH CAN be defeated!

We just need the right candidate.

Here is BAR's one page campaign resume.
http://www.radnofsky.com/press/general/bar_bio4.pdf

http://www.radnofsky.com/press/general/campaign_fact_sheet.pdf
Here is the "fact sheet" supporting Radnofsky's candidacy. Hutchison's poll numbers are declining, and she has a lousy record.

[acmejack]

3. I regret I have but one vote to cast!

It was dutifully dialed in for BAR. As a dedicated Kay Bailey Hutchison hater, I have a vested interest in seeing Ms. Radnofsky dispensing with this runoff and getting down to the serious business of winning this election. I have to admit I didn't even think there was anything to be concerned about in the Primary.

I have candidates who I support on a monthly basis with modest contributions. BAR is among their number, talk is cheap, volunteering & financial support is what counts in politics.

edit for the usual reasons

[Czolgosz]

4. Amen!

[TexasLawyer]

5. Thanks AcmeJack!

You're a hero. I am sure that Barbara was conserving her advertising spending for the actual election-- where it really counts.

BAR knew-- and so did anyone else who took half a look-- that she was the only viable candidate who could emerge from the primaries.

Why did Gene Kelly and Darrel Reece Hunter get votes? I don't know. Usually people voting in the primaries are the die-hards who research the candidates and who know what's going on, particularly in the elections for national offices.

One possible explanation is failure of the Dem party to get the word out, and failure of the electorate--in this particular instance-- to figure out that Kelly and Hunter were joke candidates.

Another possible contributing factor--Republicans voting in the Dem primary.

Another possible contributing factor-- election manipulation.

hmmmmmmmmm...

[TexasLawyer]

6. Please vote this up.

I want people to know about it.

THANKS!

[WestHoustonDem]

7. K&R. I'm really disappointed with some of the notes flying

around the blogosphere today making the assumption that BAR can't win. It will be a tough fight, but we can't just run another perennial loser with no campaign to speak of be on the ticket against KBH

[MrTriumph]

8. What a predictable embarrassment

What a predictable embarrassment. BAR has been aggressively campaigning, yet is forced into a run-off with a do-nothing. Go ahead and flame me, but it all goes back to BAR’s DINO message as confirmed by TexasLawyer:

“As a candidate, she would attract contributions, Independent and cross-over Republican votes…”

Sorry, TexasLawyer, I am not interested in a Democrat that appeals to Republicans. This coming election is about change, not more of the same. If BAR’s positions appeals to Republicans, they’ll vote for the real thing: KBH. There is a great opportunity for Democrats with candidates that present a no-holds-barred Democratic Party message.

And about her “well-considered positions on immigration”, say what? Her position is all over the map.

And get ready to cry. I am sure there are many fine lawyers who are good people at your firm. But most voters don’t rate lawyers very highly. (Duh!) And as a lawyer in Enron’s firm of choice, the emphasis on being a lawyer is NOT working.

Time for BAR to fire her staff and, if she’s not a DINO, take off the gloves.

[TexasLawyer]

11. cross-overs

KBH votes 100% with the Christian Coalition, 90% with the John Birch Society and 8% with the League of Conservation voters. She has been a Bush rubber-stamp and a vehicle to carry out Rovian ideology.

There are a lot of voters out there-- Republicans and Democrats-- who are sick of that kind of record. That's the reason for my hope on cross-over votes. It's not because Barbara Radnofsky takes quasi-Republican positions.

If "this coming election is about change," then what alternative do you propose at this point? Gene Kelly is NEVER going to win. No rising tide against Bush is likely to lift that man's boat.

(An interesting aside re law firms-- KBH's husband is a partner in the V&E Dallas office. BAR is a partner in the Houston office).

[MrTriumph]

13. You asked. Here is the answer to the question: What should BAR do?

To your inquiry: If "this coming election is about change," then what alternative do you propose at this point?

1) Tell BAR to stop talking about her dad in her stump speech. Few in her audience need reminding about what our nation owes veterans. Voters want to know about HER and what she stands for.

2) The two things she does say about herself is that she is a lawyer and a woman. News alert: Most voters do not consider her being a lawyer a positive. (BTW, I am married to a lawyer and I am very proud of her. Were she running for office I'd give her the same advice). Second news alert: She will be running against a woman in the fall. Texas has had women legislators & state wide office holders. It is not unique that she is a women. It might have been in 1970. But this is 2006.

3) Her lengthy web site is awful. Among other things, cut the Mediation stuff. Texans want people who stand for something and don't want to compromise. In fact, where the section is about mediation, replace it with something like "I am a Texan that will not compromise on Texas Values: A good job with fair wages. Making good on the promises we made to our vets. Supporting our US Constitution."

4) Tell her to talk about her positions, in clear, simple terms, not the position paper blather on her web site. If she can't boil her positions down into concise positions, or if as I suspect she is too busy trying prevent offending people by taking wishy-washy positions, she should get out of the race.

KBH is going to steamroll BAR unless BAR changes what she's doing. This primary should have been a cake-walk as evidenced by the over-confident e-mails her staff has been sending me about her victory party for the past 2 weeks.

[TexasLawyer]

15. sounds like good advice

thanks for taking the time to write this up. I'm planning to send her campaign this thread.

[johncoby2]

14. So why do you think she is a dino?

I haven't heard of anything she has said that makes me think that.

What is your proof?

[Career Prole]

9. I've been contributing.

And anyone who thinks "Barbara Ann" has less name recognition than "Gene Kelly" needs to update their I-pod. :)

She's got me rockin' and a-rollin', rockin' and a-reelin', Barbara Ann!

[AnneD]

10. Voted for her yesterday

will vote for her in April. Thanks for making me feel good about voting for her.

[crispini]

12. I checked on my precinct

01 = Gene Kelly (DEM) 11 votes
02 = Darrel Reece Hunter (DEM)3 votes
03 = Barbara Ann Radnofsky (DEM) 74 votes -- 84%.

Thank HEAVENS, the vast majority of Dem voters in my precinct appear to have brains. Where on earth all of these Kelly voters come from, I don't know.

Would anyone with a wee bit of spare time care to do a county by county breakdown of Kelly vs. Radnofsky? Raw numbers or percentages or both would be cool. I would be very interested to know where, exactly, these nimrod Kelly voters live.

[Horse with no Name]

17. He won in my county

:puke:
Darrel Reece Hunter 85 24.49% 400 25.80%
Gene Kelly 158 45.53% 703 45.35%
Barbara Ann Radnofsky 104 29.97% 447 28.83%

[Horse with no Name]

18. Here is the breakdown of counties

http://enr.sos.state.tx.us/dem1race0.htm


By looking at this--it looks like he could very well win the rural vote.:scared:

[crispini]

19. Yep, all of the little counties with not very many voters

are voting for him, and there are a LOT of little counties out there, so it all adds up.

[robbzipp]

16. she's safe

Since there won't be very many run-offs, I believe most people who support BAR will go out and vote for her again. I wish we could stop Gene Kelly from running, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen until it kicks it.

[MagickMuffin]

20. Nor can he win!

http://www.issues2000.org/Senate/Gene_Kelly.htm

I just clicked the profile on that page and it directed me to wikipedia's entry to Gene Kelly the actor:rofl:

I can see how people can get confused by this nonsense. Gene Kelly has risen from the grave (from over 10 years) to ran as a Senate candidate in the Texas race. Watch Gene tap dance his way into the Senate chambers. Watch Gene sing about legislation he will pass.

I would hope people are smarter than this, but alas I don't have much faith in people's intellect:shrug:

[sonias]

21. The dancer is dead, long live Barbara Ann Radnofsky

Gene Kelley is dead. Maybe we need to take out a few bulletin boards across the counties where Kelly, not the dancer, did well and print the dancer's obituary.

BOR Diary The Dancer is Dead
http://www.burntorangereport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=399

Gene Kelly, dancer, actor 1912-1996
Long Live Barbara Ann!

Oh and let's do our part to help BAR get her name out there more.
http://www.radnofsky.com/

Sonia

[NoPasaran]

22. County-by-county map

On BOR

[bonzotex]

23. The Real Shame

Gene Kelly is a joke and BAR is a fine candidate. People are poorly informed if not plain old ignorant. Agreed.

Approx 4.2% turnout by Dems in Texas says more about the problem than vote totals for Kelly. This low turnout hurt the best candidates in primary races across the state. Where was the TX Dem Party as an organization?

In my precinct we had 317 ballots cast out of 5325 registered voters. Results are similar across the State. I live in a true blue precinct that reliably votes 70-80% Dem across the slate in general elections. I have no illusion that primaries will ever draw a big turnout, but this is ridiculous.

We can be mad and blame dumb voters, but I blame the TX Dem Party. They can't get the vote out and do a shit job educating our base on both the importance of primaries and the agenda of each candidate on the Dem slate. Active Democrats like you and me and anybody else involved might take the time to educate ourselves on the candidates and issues, but the average Democratic voter doesn't have the time or interest. The Party organization doesn't do jack to educate or increase interest.

And yes, I volunteer for the Party, I give them money ....and I wonder why? I'll go to the runoff, I grab my friends and such to go and cast a ballot again for BAR. We'll vote again and watch again as Democrats get hammered in almost every race across Texas in Nov.

The turnout we see in the primaries is numerically a sub fraction of the people who have actually physically been contacted by a campaign or is already active in Dem groups. If as a Party we can't oust horrible DINOs like Cuellar, or bury vanity candidates like Kelly, we will never have a chance in the general elections.

Lets not blame the "dumb" voters. Lets get back to work and get our Party organization off life support so Dem voters know, care and vote.

[Bouncy Ball]

24. Hear, hear, bonzotex.

I am continually dismayed by the primary turnout numbers.

Although I will say I was proud of my county. Nice turnout. But I live in a densely populated county.

[TexasLawyer]

25. Great post, Bonzotex

yes, we have work to do.

[jobycom]

26. I really hope that's not Radnofsky's attitude.

I understand your frustration, but no candidate has ever won by telling the voters they are idiots. They win by learning from their mistakes.

The bottom line is that Radnofsky didn't campaign well enough to even beat a perrenial ballot gimmic in her own party. Rather than blaming Gene Kelly or the stupid voters, she should figure out what she did wrong and fix it. Otherwise, we'll be better off with Gene Kelly against Hutchison. If she's short on name recognition, she needs to advertise. If she's short on money to advertise, she needs to learn how to raise funds. If her message isn't selling, she needs to tweak it. She won't win by saying (publicly or privately) that voters are idiots for choosing Gene Kelly. For all we know, the voters meant to choose him as a protest against her. I've done that before in a primary hoping to spur a runoff, just to hear more about a candidate. In other words, the outcome may not have been a mistake.

I hope Radnofsky's campaign gets it right in time for the runoff. The stakes are high, and Hutchison is beatable, but not by someone who is forced into a runoff with Gene Kelly. KBH is popular amongst Repubs and independents, so Radnofsky's job is difficult to start with.