Experts have been scratching their heads for awhile over Kay Bailey Hutchison’s lackluster run for the GOP gubernatorial nomination. But according to one Dallas political consultant who’s acquainted with the situation–and has no dog in the fight–the senator’s primary campaign has been “a sinking ship” for six months, with once-enthusiastic advisers exiting. The reason, this consultant says: Hutchison is “increasingly difficult to work for” and, more importantly, refuses to listen to advice.
One case in point is her first TV ad, where Kay explained why she would stay in the Senate while running for the nomination, the consultant says. Although pollsters told her nobody in the state cared about that issue, Hutchison said, “Your polls are wrong”–and the kickoff ad fell flat.
Now even some conservative state lawmakers who’d very quietly supported the senator behind the scenes have said, “We’re done,” the consultant says.
Jennifer Baker, communications director for the Hutchison campaign, says all of these charges are false–and typical of rumormongering by the Rick Perry camp. (Our source, as I mentioned, is not working for any of the gubernatorial candidates.)
Then Baker sent me a link to the latest hot rumor: that staffers from the Perry campaign are leaving to work for Debra Medina.
Now, this is getting fun.
27 comments
Why grant a source anonymity for no reason?
The Senator is done. Stick a fork in her.
This is also not news. Paul Burka has covered her implosion at burkablog for months.
I’ve never thought she was much of a campaigner, but would not have predicted she would be so inept at a race that could be so easy to win.
@Gwyon: It’s never the first choice, but sometimes you don’t get information unless you agree to keep the source’s name out of it. (See Tim’s posts this week about Leppert’s convention claims.) Suffice to say there was a good reason in this instance.
OK Glenn. Can you clarify “no dog in the fight”? Does that simply mean “not working for any of the gubernatorial candidates”? A source can have plenty of motive to anonymously trash a candidate without working for one.
Also, what is D’s policy re: granting anonymity? Can another editor verify this source is a disinterested party?
Only I dealt with this source, Gwyon, so I guess you’ll just have to trust me on this one. (LOL about that, based on our previous many exchanges.)
where’s @columbiasooner to chime in?
Can anyone name a luckier fool than Rick Perry?
I’m kinda with Gwyon on this one… I feel like ‘the source’ isn’t really adding a whole lot to the conversation, except to say that Hutchison isn’t following advice. If senators were only ‘quietly support[ing] her behind the scenes,’ then how much were they really supporting her, anyway? Is this a funds issue? IMHO, it’s not even terribly interesting as rumors go. Can’t you get another anonymous source to give you something good, like maybe a long-lost child or a secret drug ring? Anything?
Many of us said a year ago that the repub primary for governor would come down to which campaign staff, Kay’s or Rick’s, did a better job down the stretch. Sure, the buck stops with the candidate, but the fact is they are only as good as the work done on their behalf, and this is particularly true when you know going in that your candidate is weak, like Kay.
That meant that her highly paid team had its work cut out from the start. Still, it has been a lousy effort. The story of the first TV spot is telling. Regardless of whether one thinks it was the best way, strategically, to come out of the chute, it was nonetheless a lousy looking spot. They’ve all been, frankly.
So, playing the blame game, here are the six biggest salaried folks on her latest 30-day campaign finance report, as filed Feb. 1, 2010 with the Texas Ethics Commission (link below): Scott Howell, Terence (Terry) Sullivan, Jennifer Baker Coxe, Eric Woomer, James Christoferson and Hans Klingler.
Howell’s company, which produces her paid media, took in $2.8 million during this latest filing period. Terry Sullivan, her campaign manager, makes $15K a month (I thought it was $30K, but the report says $15K, so I was wrong or he took a pay cut…well deserved, if so!), Coxe, senior communications adviser, makes $11K a month, Christoferson (who came over from her senate staff) and Woomer (a former Xcel Energy and Reliant Energy govt. affairs guy) each make $8K a month, and Klingler, former Republican Party of Texas political director, takes in $7K a month.
Kay’s quality as a candidate is a given, and was always a given, and her heart doesn’t seem in it, but these folks who get the big bucks have the job of working around that sad ‘ol reality. I’d they they’ve failed so far, but there is still a month to go, and the vast majority of the war chest has yet to be spent. Kay’s team needs to hit Perry hard, and often, and immediately. It’s time for a real food fight, no holds barred! Come on, guys.
http://bbs.ethics.state.tx.us/public/441456.pdf
It really is too bad that Hutchinson’s campaign is viewed in this light. She is clearly the more able politician and less prone to hyperbolic statements and nonsense than Rick Perry.
If only that meant something these days…
“Kay’s quality as a candidate is a given…”
Why is that? I’ve heard this before, and I’m not sure why people think this. She came out on top in special election in ‘93 where the vote was split about 100 ways, then beat a Democrat in the runoff. Since then she has faced only token Democratic challengers, and some of them didn’t do that bad, considering incumbency and the GOP stranglehold.
So why the reputation?
It really isn’t that complicated.
The thinking of the average Republican primary voter in a nutshell:
1) Isn’t Kay Bailey our Senior Senator?
2) So why is she running for Governor?
The answer to question 1 worked against her and she was never able to adequately answer question 2. Her whole campaign premise is based on a fundamental miscalculation. She/they thought that Republican voters were so fed up with Perry that they would embrace her in the primary as the real solution to Texas’s problems. That premise was proved quite wrong early on. So she had to change her strategy. So it became, “rick perry hasn’t been good enough” and she went after him on some issues. But her attacks were weak. Property rights? Really? That is the issue that Texans are so concerned with? She hardly touched education, the biggest issue. In short, she hasn’t even proved a prima facie case that she will be any different, much less more effective, than Rick Perry.
So why the hell should anyone vote for her or support her?
On the other-side, Perry branded her as having Washington values and not understanding Texas issues.
The real unspoken truth is that her entire run for Governor is a very selfish move. Republicans don’t want to lose a lot of seniority in the Senate to gain a Republican governor in a state that already has a Republican governor! It just never made any damn sense, except when you view if from Kay Bailey’s point of view.
At this point, I’m more interested in Mayor Tom Terrific, who has intense interest in KBH’s situation. Specifically, why has he been laying really low since the beginning of the year?
Chris might claim he’s, “focused on Superbowl planning,” with an upcoming visit to Miami. Cynics would says he hunkered down and planning a senate campaign.
I’d respond B.S. to those explanations because this high profile guy has almost been persona non grata. What gives with the Mayor?
@Steve: Nope. And that’s the exact subject of Texas Monthly’s cover story.
@ChipHoratioWestinghouse: To expand on your answer as to why Kay’s got a weak reputation, she’s never really run against an incumbent, much less one from her own party. And I don’t count the equally weak Democrat Bob Krueger as a real incumbent, because he was appointed by Governor Richards to fill Lloyd Bentsen’s seat for about 20 minutes until Kay beat him in an increasingly Republican state.
And since that ‘93 race, she’s gone 17 years without any pushback at election time. She’s lost her chops, which were never that stong to begin with, and she’s not gotten any younger.
Besides, this is just the Republican primary. Waiting in the general election wings is Bill White, and it will be refreshing to hear from someone not toadying up to the Dick Cheney’s and Sarah Palin’s of this world. Plus, if Medina mounts an Independent run to November (which I think she will), that three-way between Perry, White and Medina could make for a close finish!
Really? A “Dallas political consultant who’s acquainted with the situation–and has no dog in the fight”? Did he ask you to use both qualifiers? I bet he did. Weak.
Any chance you asked for names of those fleeing the campaign? Did the Dallas political consultant have those?
I’m betting not. Probably because they don’t exist…?
I don’t care who gets in, as long as it isn’t Perry. He and his cronnies (McCraw especially)are destroying DPS! Spending is out of control and all they want to is to make a Jr. FBI. In the law enforcement community the FBI is considered to be one of the most incompetent organizations in existence. Soon DPS will be too.
Who wants an able politician ? I want representation with the ability to talk out of just one side of their mouth, not both. Tell me one thing then do the exact opposite. Some people call that lying and fraud, and in some places it’s actually a crime. I’m voting for Debra Medina for Governor of Texas. I’m sick of being lied to, I want to eliminate my property taxes, which she will work to do. I like my freedom and want to keep my land and home that I PAID FOR, NOT THE STATE OF TEXAS.
There’s no such thing as a Republican political consultant who doesn’t have a dog in this fight. Just because someone isn’t working for one of the candidates, doesn’t mean they aren’t allied with one of the camps. If a consultant trashed the Hutchison campaign to you, it’s because the Perry campaign asked him to, plain and simple. You can’t believe anything you hear going into this final stretch, especially from people who aren’t willing to go on the record.
I can confirm a lot of this. I am close with someone who was advising the Hutchison campaign informally for a year, and this individual has become so exasperated that (s)he has just disengaged from it all. “I am done with that” were the exact words.
@Jamie: Sorry, but I don’t believe I said anything about a “Republican political consultant.”
Glenn source–whomever s/he may be–is accurate.
Medina FTW!!!!! medinafortexas.com
Anonymous commenters (Anonymous, Please?!)and consultants are pathetic. Please don’t reveal who I am because I cannot stand behind what I say.
She is like most GOP they gave away the country then come back and say Those Darn Democrats etc etc
Obama has caused good Americans to finally wake up
Tea Party perfect??
Of course not
But getting rid of the dirt is a start
American starting to show signs of common sense
Now if we can just get out local DA to lock up criminals
KBH is sinking and Medina is gaining. If there is a runoff, it will be between Medina and Perry.
Confirmed!
Rick Perry staffer speaks out, joins Debra Medina team
http://www.journal-post.com/2010/02/08/2938/rick-perry-staffer-speaks-out-joins-debra-medina-team/