A busy week ahead...

We are in the home stretch now. Just one more week and it will be election night. Finally, the race is getting heated! Yesterday, Gene Locke and Peter Brown held dueling press conferences. Brown at 1:30pm, Locke at 3:00pm. Both men had supporters and campaign signs waving everywhere, and both men indicated that this campaign combat shows no signs of stopping.

This explosion of controversy is more than just last minute campaign theatrics by guys who want to be mayor. Sure, it keeps those of us who cover this stuff entertained, and it gets the candidates much needed free media coverage. On a deeper level though, it shows the power a group of people can have when they vote, and do so regularly.

Political experts have long pointed out that African Americans vote, and in far greater percentages than Hispanics. You can see the reality of this by simply going to early voting locations. Locations in predominately African American areas are generally far busier than those in largely Latino neighborhoods.

Groups that reliably vote and do so in large blocks generally get more attention from politicians, and they are not just grouped by ethnicities. We hear politicians talk about “home owners”, “working families,” and “seniors,” etc. All good buzz words. But you know what the biggest group is? Tax Payers! Congratulations, you pay taxes you vote, the candidates for Houston Mayor want you to head to the polls! Good luck.

Comments

[JT]

KHOU/KUH just released another independent poll showing Peter Brown with a nine point commanding lead over Parker, with Locke and Morales trailing far behind. I wonder what those camps will target Brown on now. The first poll released by Chron showed Brown leading all candidates, so Locke immediately targets Brown’s activity in the black community… I wonder what Locke will spin this time?

[Rick]

I don’t know what was more pathetic about today – Parker’s last minute press release showing she has a lead in an INTERNAL poll to try and soften the KHOU/KUHF poll showing that she in fact is behind Peter Brown by 9 points, or the fact that Roy Morales’ looney commercial appeals to me.