Abortion Barbie as Republicans like to call Wendy Davis has long since taken off her pink tennis shoes and the filibuster that made her famous. Gone too is any mention of Women’s reproductive rights – it is now women’s health – that put Wendy Davis on the map to become the Democratic nominee for the governor of Texas.
A pro choice stand in Texas means a probable election defeat by over 30 points. She is behind now by only 16 points which is rather good for a Democrat in a state wide office here in Texas. But she is now in big trouble with her numbers now projected to fall.
She has done right by Texas in joining Republicans in campaigning to add handguns to the present assault rifle open carry laws. And even though she has voted to pass laws that would help execute more people for less reason, the Abbot campaign has dug up a show stopper on.
14 years ago when DNA testing began and there was some talk of a few innocent people being executed, she voted for a temporary moratorium on executions in Texas.
This is unheard of in a Christian state like Texas and could doom her back up to a 30 point loss. Here in Texas executions are a traditional Christian family value that no one had better mess with. That and having government force women into having children they do not want.
A reminder. We often hear that Texas has not elected a Democrat to a state elected office for 24 years, or since Ann Richards won the governors race back in 1990.
To put that in perspective, just weeks before the election the stars aligned with two things happening that got her elected when there was no way a female Democrat could possibly become governor of Texas.
First off only weeks before the election her Republican opposition, rancher Clayton Williams, said about rape, “If it’s inevitable, just relax and enjoy it.” Adding to the bombshell he also refused to shake her hand. Clayton Williams does not shake hands with Democrats.
And secondly, the serendipity of having elections in the Fall – hunting season. Just weeks before the election Ann Richards got her picture on the front page of most every newspaper in Texas holding a shotgun with a dozen bloody dead doves draped around her neck.
I might also add that when Ann Richards lost in 1994 she went on to become a high paid lobbyist for the tobacco Industry to help spread the lie that smoking was not a health hazard.