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| Does Texas need a more conservative governor? Greg Abbott sure thinks so | Does Texas need a more conservative governor? Greg Abbott sure thinks so |
| (6 months later) | |
| Can you imagine Texas even more conservative than it already is? | Can you imagine Texas even more conservative than it already is? |
| Although the 55-year-old Texas attorney general Greg Abbott, the state's chief law enforcement officer, won't discuss whether he'll be standing for governor in 2014, he is, according to the San Antonio Express News, "in overdrive on all the issues that make him a leading contender for the GOP nod" – even if Rick Perry (the current governor) runs for re-election. | |
| Abbott certainly ticks all the boxes as far as the lunatic fringe (read: Tea Party) of the Republican party is concerned. You only have to follow him on Twitter to see that. | Abbott certainly ticks all the boxes as far as the lunatic fringe (read: Tea Party) of the Republican party is concerned. You only have to follow him on Twitter to see that. |
| Take guns, for instance. Earlier this month, officials in Austin (the state capital) and Travis County were preparing to vote on whether gun shows could be hosted in the publicly owned Exposition Center. Before they even had a chance to discuss it over a frozen margarita, Abbott tweeted: | |
| If Austin or Travis Co. try to ban gun shows they better be ready for a double-barreled lawsuit. shar.es/4cOOy | If Austin or Travis Co. try to ban gun shows they better be ready for a double-barreled lawsuit. shar.es/4cOOy |
| — Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 9, 2013 | — Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 9, 2013 |
| Inevitably, it ruffled a few feathers. "If we have an attorney general who's going to threaten lawsuits via Twitter, he might want to reconsider his legal opinions," Austin city council member Mike Martinez told a local news station. | |
| Two days later, though, Travis County commissioners reversed course on the proposal. The next morning, Abbott tweeted: | Two days later, though, Travis County commissioners reversed course on the proposal. The next morning, Abbott tweeted: |
| The Gun control debate was settled... in 1791#Txcot @republicangop | The Gun control debate was settled... in 1791#Txcot @republicangop |
| — Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 15, 2013 | — Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 15, 2013 |
| But Abbott has not been content just voicing his opinions on Texas politics. Two days after his 1781 tweet, he launched an internet ad campaign which ran on a variety of media sites in New York. According to the Wall Street Journal, one ad read: "Is Gov Cuomo looking to take your guns?" Another said, "Wanted: Law abiding New York gun owners looking for lower taxes and greater opportunity." | But Abbott has not been content just voicing his opinions on Texas politics. Two days after his 1781 tweet, he launched an internet ad campaign which ran on a variety of media sites in New York. According to the Wall Street Journal, one ad read: "Is Gov Cuomo looking to take your guns?" Another said, "Wanted: Law abiding New York gun owners looking for lower taxes and greater opportunity." |
| In other words, Abbott was inviting New Yorkers to move to Texas. | In other words, Abbott was inviting New Yorkers to move to Texas. |
| If his rhetoric seems a little distasteful ("double-barrelled lawsuit"; a gun ban will be "shot down in court") – particularly, considering the main reason we're all talking about this now is because of the Sandy Hook massacre – then the logic behind it all is plain bonkers. | If his rhetoric seems a little distasteful ("double-barrelled lawsuit"; a gun ban will be "shot down in court") – particularly, considering the main reason we're all talking about this now is because of the Sandy Hook massacre – then the logic behind it all is plain bonkers. |
| "More people have been killed by clubs and hammers than there have been by rifles," Abbott told one reporter, which is probably the most vacuous, nonsensical argument against controlling access to weapons designed to kill that I've ever heard. | "More people have been killed by clubs and hammers than there have been by rifles," Abbott told one reporter, which is probably the most vacuous, nonsensical argument against controlling access to weapons designed to kill that I've ever heard. |
| Then, there's Abbott on abortion. | Then, there's Abbott on abortion. |
| In 2010, attorney general issued a legal opinion preventing state abortion clinics from using pre-recorded phone messages to fulfill their statutory obligation to tell women about the dangers of the procedure. He has attended several high profile pro-life rallies, and according to the conservative non-profit organisation Freedomworks, he has been pushing legislative measures "that will slowly but surely make abortions in Texas a thing of the past." | In 2010, attorney general issued a legal opinion preventing state abortion clinics from using pre-recorded phone messages to fulfill their statutory obligation to tell women about the dangers of the procedure. He has attended several high profile pro-life rallies, and according to the conservative non-profit organisation Freedomworks, he has been pushing legislative measures "that will slowly but surely make abortions in Texas a thing of the past." |
| Like most Texas conservatives, Abbott's religious views clearly inform his politics. In March 2005, he personally appeared before the US supreme court to defended the constitutionality of the Ten Commandments display that adorns the Texas Capitol grounds. | Like most Texas conservatives, Abbott's religious views clearly inform his politics. In March 2005, he personally appeared before the US supreme court to defended the constitutionality of the Ten Commandments display that adorns the Texas Capitol grounds. |
| According to NPR, Abbott has openly bragged of his penchant for suing the federal government, with some 24 lawsuits costing more than $1.25m, several of them aimed at the Environmental Protection Agency. But he hasn't got very far. The US court of appeals denied the lawsuits saying: | According to NPR, Abbott has openly bragged of his penchant for suing the federal government, with some 24 lawsuits costing more than $1.25m, several of them aimed at the Environmental Protection Agency. But he hasn't got very far. The US court of appeals denied the lawsuits saying: |
| The EPA is not required to re-prove the existence of the atom every time it approaches a scientific question. | |
| In case anyone was confused about Abbott's stance on environmental issues, he tweeted recently: | In case anyone was confused about Abbott's stance on environmental issues, he tweeted recently: |
| I'm in mighty #Midland today. Earlier it was about 25 degrees. Whatever happened to global warming? | I'm in mighty #Midland today. Earlier it was about 25 degrees. Whatever happened to global warming? |
| — Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 16, 2013 | — Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 16, 2013 |
| This, don't forget, is the chief law enforcement officer of Texas. | This, don't forget, is the chief law enforcement officer of Texas. |
| You have to wonder, does Abbott really believe all this stuff or is he just playing a political game? I asked Dave Mann, editor of the progressive news magazine the Texas Observer. "It's hard to get a precise read on him," Mann says. "Whether he's that rightwing or just knows that's what you need to do in order to win the Republican primary in Texas." | You have to wonder, does Abbott really believe all this stuff or is he just playing a political game? I asked Dave Mann, editor of the progressive news magazine the Texas Observer. "It's hard to get a precise read on him," Mann says. "Whether he's that rightwing or just knows that's what you need to do in order to win the Republican primary in Texas." |
| Interestingly, Mann says, Abbott has been incredibly helpful on open records requests – crucial for journalists researching in-depth investigative stories. | Interestingly, Mann says, Abbott has been incredibly helpful on open records requests – crucial for journalists researching in-depth investigative stories. |
| We had a case where we were trying to get records from the Department of Public Safety. And Abbott not only ruled in our favour but when the DPS refused, he went to court to get the records for us. He really has cracked down on public offices that haven't complied with open records requests, so he's not been bad at all from a public information / open government standpoint. | |
| The question for Abbott, if he has got his sights set on the governor's office in two years' time, is what to do about current officeholder Rick Perry. Perry is the longest-serving governor in Texas history and, as Mann says, he has caused a traffic jam at the top of the Texas Republican party. | The question for Abbott, if he has got his sights set on the governor's office in two years' time, is what to do about current officeholder Rick Perry. Perry is the longest-serving governor in Texas history and, as Mann says, he has caused a traffic jam at the top of the Texas Republican party. |
| Abbott wants to be governor; David Dewhurst (currently lieutenant governor) wants to be a senator. But Perry doesn't want to move along. | |
| There are no term limits in Texas and some are already calling Perry "governor for life". But Mann says his awkward and unsuccessful run for president in 2012 harmed him. That may open the door for Abbott. | There are no term limits in Texas and some are already calling Perry "governor for life". But Mann says his awkward and unsuccessful run for president in 2012 harmed him. That may open the door for Abbott. |
| Just last week, Abbott tweeted a link to a Politico article that suggested college students were edging towards the political centre. "Fewer college kids consider themselves liberal," he tweeted, adding: "I've observed this trend in Texas too." | |
| The story was based on a survey of incoming college freshmen by the University of California's Higher Education Research Institute, and it did indeed show that 47% of college students identified as "middle of the road" when it came to politics, up 4% from 2008. | The story was based on a survey of incoming college freshmen by the University of California's Higher Education Research Institute, and it did indeed show that 47% of college students identified as "middle of the road" when it came to politics, up 4% from 2008. |
| What Abbott conveniently forgot to mention was that the same survey said 75% of college students supported marriage equality, up four percentage points from 2008. It also said there had been a 4% increase in support for marriage equality among those students calling themselves "conservative". | What Abbott conveniently forgot to mention was that the same survey said 75% of college students supported marriage equality, up four percentage points from 2008. It also said there had been a 4% increase in support for marriage equality among those students calling themselves "conservative". |
| And get this: 65% of those same students surveyed thought the wealthy should pay more taxes, up from 60% in 2008. And 61% believed abortion should be legal, up from 58% in 2008. | And get this: 65% of those same students surveyed thought the wealthy should pay more taxes, up from 60% in 2008. And 61% believed abortion should be legal, up from 58% in 2008. |
| The Dallas Morning News once said Abbott is able to disarm his audiences with his "folksy charm", but that he also casts a "polarizing shadow". He and Perry are likely to announce their political intentions this summer. | The Dallas Morning News once said Abbott is able to disarm his audiences with his "folksy charm", but that he also casts a "polarizing shadow". He and Perry are likely to announce their political intentions this summer. |
| If Abbott does run, and the story he so enthusiastically tweeted last week holds true – that college students are becoming more progressive when it comes to social issues – he might make as much of a fool of himself as Perry did in his failed presidential run. | If Abbott does run, and the story he so enthusiastically tweeted last week holds true – that college students are becoming more progressive when it comes to social issues – he might make as much of a fool of himself as Perry did in his failed presidential run. |