Chad’s Morning Brief: The Runoff Election Jeff Griffith Did Not Want, Not Much Changed on Election Night and Other Top Stories
Here is your Morning Brief for the morning of May 12, 2014. Give me your feedback below and tune in to The Chad Hasty Show for these and many more topics from 8:30 to 11am. Remember, you can listen online at KFYO.com or on your iPhone/Android with the radioPup App.
Important Election Dates:
Early Voting for GOP and Dem. Primary Runoff: May 19 – May 23
Election Day for GOP and Dem. Primary Runoff: May 27
Election Day for Lubbock City Council District 3 Runoff: June 14
The Runoff Griffith Did Not Want
It was not a great night for Jeff Griffith in District 3. Yes he made the runoff and yes most people including myself believed there would be one, but it was still a bad night. Griffith had out-raised and out-spent everyone in his race for Lubbock City Council and he finished in second place. Not only did Griffith finish in second place, but he finished behind the woman who raised very, very little money. It goes to show that money doesn't always win locally.
The race between Deanne Clark and Jeff Griffith isn't the race that the Griffith camp could have possible seen happening or even wanted. Griffith spent most of his time attacking Maurice Stanley and it seemed to have worked since Stanley finished in last place. Still, it was easier to be against Stanley. Stanley openly talked about raising taxes and was not embraced by the pro-growth crowd. Stanley had openly argued before against annexation and growth in SW Lubbock. Stanley was an easy target in many ways. Clark on the other hand, not so much.
Deanne Clark is not Maurice Stanley. Stanley talked tax increases while Clark talks fiscal restraint and no new taxes. Stanley had a slight bend to the left. Clark is the most conservative candidate Lubbock has had since Paul Beane, in fact she might be even further to the right than Beane. Meanwhile the knock on Griffith has been that he hasn't defined himself. Over and over again listeners have told me that they like Griffith personally, but they have no idea where he stands on many issues. That is a problem Griffith has to fix and he must fix it quickly if he wants to win.
Another problem for Griffith is that it is hard to go after Deanne Clark. I've been thinking about this since Saturday night and I can't see a good way to attack her. What are you going to say about her? She is anti-tax, anti-wasteful spending, anti-big government. Mayor Glen Robertson has attacked the organization she is part of (SPAFF) as being "militant" but if you ever meet Clark, she is anything but militant. Some locals refer to her and others as being part of the "CAVE" movement... Citizens Against Virtually Everything, but when she speaks about fiscal restraint it's because she wants to balance the "needs" of the city versus the "wants".
Griffith can attempt to go after her for not owning a business, but that argument only goes so far. Sit down and speak with Clark for ten minutes and you will know that she has done her research on City Hall. Let's not forget that attacking Clark could also backfire because she is a genuinely nice person. Attack ads probably won't work here.
Is Deanne Clark perfect? No, but if you are Jeff Griffith Clark is not who you wanted in a runoff battle. Her people are ready to vote and will show up on Election Day. Griffith will have the money, but will he be able to define himself and turn people out to vote? What is his argument against Deanne Clark?
I don't believe that Jeff Griffith is a liberal, but that doesn't matter now. The longer he stays undefined the easier it will be for people to make assumptions and paint him as a moderate to left-leaning candidate. Griffith said on my show Friday that he isn't a liberal, but his stance on some items leaves people scratching their heads. We know that Deanne Clark is a conservative and we know what her message is. What will Griffith's be?
To sum this runoff up right now, it would be like two candidates running for one open spot for U.S. Senate in Texas. Though this scenario would never happen, suspend reality for a second. Two candidates that are well liked, but one is more establishment and can raise all the money. The other a far right conservative who wants to slash government and is attempting to energize the grassroots. This race would be like Ted Cruz and John Cornyn facing each other in a primary. You can decide for yourself who is who.
Districts 1 and 5
In the race for District 5, it turned out to be a blow-out. Councilwoman Karen Gibson sailed to victory over Dr. Brian Carr with 63% of the vote. While I may not agree with Gibson on many issues, she was the best choice in this race. Dr. Carr may have campaigned on fiscal conservatism, but thankfully the voters were informed enough to know his background and what he has written in the past. While the City Council may not have turned more conservative on Saturday, it certainly did not take the more liberal turn in could have.
In District 1, Councilman Victor Hernandez captured 50.59% of the vote to 37.65% for Frank Gutierrez. Lana Bear Moore came in third with just 11.76% of the vote. If Moore had not been in the race it is possible that Hernandez would have failed to reach the 50% threshold. A report from the AJ claims that Gutierrez will challenge the results and call for a recount. Though the likelihood of the results changing is slim.
If I had any advice for those wanting to defeat Victor Hernandez, it would be this. Find one candidate and rally behind him or her. Start this process early and build momentum. Otherwise, Hernandez seems to have a seat for as long as he wants.
Other Top Stories:
These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of The Chad Hasty Show. Tune in mornings 8:30-11am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard online in our podcast section after the show at kfyo.com.
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