Debra Medina Shakes Up GOP Governor Race In Texas
 

Insurgent Debra Medina Shakes Up GOP Governor Race in Texas

Following a series of elections where conservative activists, Tea Partiers, disgruntled independents and energized Republicans have shaken things up, a political neophyte in Texas is riding that same kind of wave and may affect the outcome of the race for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.

Debra Medina, who was a former GOP county chairman and runs a medical billing business, has pulled within four points of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who, like Medina, is mounting a primary challenge to Gov. Rick Perry, according to a Public Policy Polling survey conducted Feb. 4-7. (Read the Houston Chronicle's profile of Medina here.)

Perry still holds a big lead, running ahead of Hutchison by 39 percent to 28 percent, with Medina at 24 percent. The margin of error is 4.8 points.

This is the second poll that showed Medina gaining, probably at Hutchison's expense. Rasmussen Reports put support for Medina at 16 percent in a survey conducted Feb. 1, a four-point gain since the previous poll. Hutchison's numbers slipped by the same amount. Last November, Medina's support stood at 4 percent.

Medina made her gains in the PPP survey despite the fact that 51 percent didn't know enough about her to say whether they view her favorably or not. She is drawing her strength from the same kind of Libertarian base that rallied around Texas Rep. Ron Paul's presidential run, as well as the anti-establishment Tea Party movement.

The Houston Chronicle says Medina "has made herself a factor in the race. She could be a spoiler, pulling enough votes to deny Gov. Rick Perry the re-nomination. Or she could force Perry and U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison into an expensive runoff that could send a bruised nominee into a potentially tough battle against the probable Democratic nominee, former Houston Mayor Bill White."

PPP finds Medina supporters split about who they would back as a second choice. Forty-three percent chose Perry, 39 percent picked Hutchison and 18 percent were undecided.

A Rasmussen poll conducted Feb. 1 had all three Republicans ahead of White, although Medina's lead was statistically insignificant.

"The big question for Debra Medina is whether there's enough unhappy voters out there for her to get into a runoff with Rick Perry," said PPP's Dean Debnam "That would rank up there with the results of the Massachusetts Senate election as an early shocker in the 2010 political season."

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I am hoping she passes KBH, but am not sure she can catch up with Perry.

Re: Debra Medina Shakes Up GOP Governor Race In Te
 

I don't see her able to win, although I plan to vote for her.

I am concerned that the repub will give the democ ammo against them for the real race of R and D.

I do not want to see White as Governor of Texas.

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The thing that has me scratching my head here remains the same.

WHAT is Kay thinking??? This has done nothing to help her. she will not win this race and in the end this thing is going to do serious damage to her ability to be reelected in the Senate.

Medina may not be Gov. when this is all said and done, but she might very well beat Kay in a Senate race like a drum.

Re: Debra Medina Shakes Up GOP Governor Race In Te
 

I am very concerned with her comment that she will not vote for Perry or KBH if she does not win the primary. She is, in effect, directing her followers to do the same. Bad form on her part. I lost respect for her right there.

She might as well tell them to vote for White.

Re: Debra Medina Shakes Up GOP Governor Race In Te
 

She was in the single digits just weeks ago and now she stands at 24% with KBH @ 28% & RP @ 39%.

With a rise like that you still don't even think she can win?

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I think if she wins it is a strong message to the government, we are tired of your garbage.

She is doing better than I expected to be honest with you.

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She may have meant she is not going to vote. Which is still not a good message.

Hate to say it but I have lost respect for ALL politicans. Just have to look for the best of the lot. If there is such a thing.

Re: Debra Medina Shakes Up GOP Governor Race In Te
 

I concur... on both counts.

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Well, I admit to agreeing with you on that! I'm not 100% trustful of any politician and that would also include Perry.

I've just looked at the things Medina is saying she wants to change and I'm finding out it's not going to, probably, change at all.

My main issue is that she is proposing things that are in the FairTax, which hasn't been ironed out as totally operable. Her people are also saying, concerning the sales tax, that certain items such as food and medication could be kept exempt from the sales tax so that it would remain less burdensome on lower-income families.

They aren't saying they will be, but could be. So, really, the whole thing is just really iffy.

She is rising in the polls and that will send a message to the Government. I don't really have a problem with that. Her win certainly will not hurt us in any way.

I just have a problem with people crying - keep my guns and property - without searching further into whether her plans will ever get off the ground. That is my only problem with her candidacy.

Re: Debra Medina Shakes Up GOP Governor Race In Te
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j2Ov...layer_embedded

"Holy Cow. I'm going to hear from people in Texas. I expected her to say, No, absolutely not."

Re: Debra Medina Shakes Up GOP Governor Race In Te
 

The news is running wild with this, no surprise. She clarified later that she believes muslims flew into the buildings and she does not believe the government was involved in that. I think what she was trying to convey is that she is not sure the government has done all that can and should be done in regards to the attack.

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She should have simply said, NO, Esther. She didn't.

Love this comment I read: "As far as the "9/11 Truth" movement goes, when somebody tells me they are a part of it, they might as well be wearing one of those "I'm with Stupid" T-shirts..."

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I think her inexperience in politics has caught up with her on this. Mostly because she has been honest in her thoughts and now realizes that sometimes your thoughts may not line up with the majority.

This could be her death in politics.

Time will tell.

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I've always believed she was a fringe of the tea party movement. This just proved that to me. A simple, no, would have sufficed.

When she comes in riding on a Republican ticket and then says she won't vote for a Republican if she doesn't win the primary - she's fringe. :thumbsdown

But, you already know how I feel and I won't belabor the point.

For the record: I think Beck's comment about "french kissing" Perry was pretty stupid. I'm going to tell him so. :thumbsdown

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This quack believes that the U.S. government had something to do with 9-11.

After she admits this, she denies it??? :(


You folks in Texas should probably stay away from this chic-- but I'm just a border-Yankee transplant living in a state where English is the second language.

Re: Debra Medina Shakes Up GOP Governor Race In Te
 

Mrs Medena now has 0% chance of getting my vote.

guess its Rick

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Glenn Beck is an idiot. I guarantee you he's either in Perry's or Hutchinson's camp and wanted to make this lady look bad to help his candidate out. My guess is he's supporting Perry.

Ridiculous. I shut him off after the conversation with her when he started comparing Debra to Hitler. HITLER!? You've gotta be kidding me. Unbelievable. No wonder people think Beck is a wacko.

Up til yesterday, I listened to his show off and on going home from work. I usually only catch the last half-hour, but after this I won't be listening to him anymore.

It was a deliberate, political hack job to make her look bad because Debra has been rocking the debates and beating Perry and Hutchinson.

Re: Debra Medina Shakes Up GOP Governor Race In Te
 

Regardless of Beck's drama, the fact still remains that Medina's answer was that she is a "Truther". She tried to correct that later, but for most of us with our heads screwed on straight we understood her pivot. She needed to pivot and hard. But, alas, it is too late. Anyone in their right mind knows that she should have answered that question a little better. You can't turn around and try to change that.

There are clear signs that the movement is not based on rational thought but instead a lunatic fringe group backing Medina. Medina herself was at the forefront of this when she filed a frivolous lawsuit against the Republican Party of Texas after the "fringe" Ron Paul supporters guerilla tactics didn’t work at the convention. The lawsuit has been since thrown out and Medina ordered to pay court fees.

Her past record of managing the Wharton County GOP (which has been roundly criticized by her officials in the county) has not been properly examined.

Just as, in the beginning, no one thought that Obama could beat Hillary, he was not properly vetted. Joe the Plumber was more vetted than Obama. Same thing with Medina. She has the "fringe" lunatics running after her. She has not been properly vetted. Yesterday, the spot light was on her and that is very fortunate. From her first video appearance that I viewed, I had her pegged. She's a "fringe" tea partier and we don't need those kinds of people to affect any change in our state.

One example would be the TTC, which many were against. What came of that is we passed some legislation (Tx Prop 11) which addressed the Eminent Domain issue and will be good legislation to take that a step further. It didn't totally solve the issue, but opened the door for further correction. It is an excellent process and we did not need a gun toting Libertarian, masquerading as a Republican, to get that done.

I hope someone is paying attention to that.

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I admit, I don't know much about Medina. But Beck's assault on her was wrong ... especially the nearly 10 minutes he spent comparing her to Hitler.

I read her statement after the fact, and it was a good statement.

Pretty straightforward denial.

Bingo! Why did Beck bring up something completely unrelated, completely ridiculous ... something that had absolutely nothing to do with her candidacy or the race?

Bingo again. I don't care if it's a Democrat or Republican administration - the government is NOT immune from questions. It is absolutely the right and the duty of the people to question and hold the government accountable.

Beck was out of line here, and I won't listen to him again.

Re: Debra Medina Shakes Up GOP Governor Race In Te
 

What happened?

Weren't you for her before?

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Indeed...

And their reaction on the show and some of the reactions that I have seen here are ridiculous.

Purely and totally ridiculous.

When asked if she would get rid of someone who was an adviser and held these beliefs she said it would depend on how vocal they were or how much it affected their views and the talent they brought to the table.

Do you kick someone off of your team because they believe in UFO's?

Not if they can keep those beliefs out of the mix. If they are vocal about it and allow those beliefs to affect policy then they need to be sent packing but you don't kick someone out because of personal beliefs they have and hold in their personal lives.

What if a oneness person was running and they asked them if they believed that those who believe in the trinity were going to hell? (hence... most christians) I can assure you there would be a similar reaction if they answered in the affirmative. Does one being a oneness believer affect their ability to execute their office well? No... not in the least. But this WOULD be put into the mix and light minded people would change their voting positions and for no good reason whatsoever. They have simply bought into the hoopla.

It is a contrived flashpoint designed to hit the light minded and easily swayed.

It is... ridiculous beyond all belief.

The policies are still the same.
The things she has campaigned on are still the same.
The things she would do if elected are still the same.
And she said she believes that muslims flew planes into the WTC and that the government wasn't involved according to Esther.

But. The accusation is enough.
Remember the days when that was a catch phrase for sexual abuse cases? The accusation is enough. They don't even have to be guilty... just because the accusation was brought against them is enough. We have to got to wake up from this nonsense.

To allow this to affect ones vote is mind boggling.

The power of the press is phenomenal.

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PO

You keep saying the Tea Party mindset. I thought you agreed with the Tea Party when it first formed. Something change?

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There are two elements involved in the Tea Party Movement. One is the "fringe" crowd. Of course, that is always with anything, religion included. They are the ones that give the party a bad name.

Anyway, I did read a poll that said 62% of voters would go for a Tea Party candidate.

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I'll leave it there (:D) and add my favorite quote. I might use it in my signature line: "As far as the "9/11 Truth" movement goes, when somebody tells me they are a part of it, they might as well be wearing one of those "I'm with Stupid" T-shirts..."

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I read the transcript of the Beck interview. you cannot clarify that position.

when presented with a chance to distance from the 9/11 truther junk she didnt.

politicians dont get a chance to revise their statments.

I was for her before this. I will not vote for someone who believes such nonsense. or someone who tollerates such nonsense.

Re: Debra Medina Shakes Up GOP Governor Race In Te
 

First.. she never said she did.

Second... how does it change any of the policies you were all for just a few days ago?

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I'm sorry, Digging, but she did.
The "clarity" or the "inability to be clear" was the deal-breaker.

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Quote please.

Also... on the quote about it being a 2 person race again...

That is exactly what this entire thing was for.

She was growing... change was coming... they did what it took to take her down.

Too bad Americans don't have a mind of their own.

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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/32857.html

Digging,
The thing is, I recognized her for a radical at her first rally. I believe my previous posts will testify of that fact. Other than, most of the policy changes she is touting, she would have no control over changing. I thought there was something that wasn't right.

Anyway, fortunately, it showed up in the Beck interview. Now the mystery is solved. I knew what was really bugging me about her. That is the heart of the issue - where she stands at the base of things. Not ever voting for "fringe" anything.

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Funny how they don't have issue with Kay being clear on her stance on abortion.

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The Texas voters have big issue with that, Esther. After the first debate that was all the talk - how she hedged around it.

I understand where she is coming from and I don't have a problem with that. You can't make immoral people moral. You can't legislate morality. I am on the side of Scott Brown when he wants to implement religious exemptions for people in the medical industry and stop federal funding of abortion. Where we are now in our freedom, these seem to be the only things we can do.

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we evidently dont read the same. I read the trasnscript.

she clearly had the opertunity to distance and chose instead to suggest otherwise.

you know my propensity to stand against conspiracy theories.

Re: Debra Medina Shakes Up GOP Governor Race In Te
 

Quote please.

I want to read the confession you & PO read.

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"they" didnt take her down.

Digging GLENN BECK who is NO REPBULICAN nor a friend to the republican party asked her a question.


SHE took herself down. SHE did it without any help from anyone else.

There was no hit piece. there was no report about her. there was no person stepping forward to say she had done something wrong.

SHE used her own words and distroyed her own political career.

Re: Debra Medina Shakes Up GOP Governor Race In Te
 

here is the transcript of the radio exchange bettween Glenn Beck and Mediana

http://www.glennbeck.com/content/art...cle/196/36197/


here is the part in question

GLENN: Right. Here's then let me be more frank and ask you the question: Do you believe the government was any way involved with the bringing down of the World Trade Centers on 9/11?

MEDINA: I don't, I don't have all of the evidence there, Glenn. So I don't I'm not in a place, I have not been out publicly questioning that. I think some very good questions have been raised in that regard. There are some very good arguments, and I think the American people have not seen all of the evidence there. So I've not taken a position on that.

GLENN: I think the people of America might think that might be a yes.

MEDINA: Well

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I don't see her admission.

They must have removed it.

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She is clearly not denying a conspiracy, Digging.

I've gotta run!

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Looks like a yes to me.

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Then you are seeing what you want to see. Cut and dried.

This kind of nonsensical junk just makes my blood boil and there isn't much that does that.

Closed mindedness to the endth degree

I'm out of these conversations.

There is no hope you will ever see differently and there never was.

There is no reason to raise my blood pressure over this nonsense.