Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

A behind the Scenes Look at a Political Campaign

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » Places » Texas Donate to DU
 
Smarty Pants Liberal Donating Member (267 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-18-06 08:39 AM
Original message
A behind the Scenes Look at a Political Campaign
Edited on Fri Aug-18-06 08:56 AM by Smarty Pants Liberal
O.K., guys there was a lot of smack talk over this race as well as others during the primary. It's time to kiss and make up and get this guy elected. Jim reminds me of one of the first candidates that I ever helped. I stuffed lots of envelopes and even tried my hand at making telephone calls. I was supposed to dial a number and play a recording but the instructions weren't clear to me and when I called the first person I panicked and said, "Vote for Bob Hervey!" then hung up the telephone. I was seven years old.

Louis Welch was the mayor of Houston from 1964 - 1973. I'm too young to remember if he ran in 1973 and I can't find anything that says he did but it was definitely time for a change. Louis Welch lived one street over and down the block from us when he was mayor and when my father planted his perforated steel kiosk in the ground with two signs for a mayoral candidate facing each direction and block-walked the neighborhood every night to tell the neighbors it was time for a change our house became a target for silly vandalism. I remember that Dick Gottlieb was the favorite in our neck of the woods. The kiosk wasn't going to go anywhere because my father poured concrete in the front yard to bolt it into the ground from Labor Day to November. The kiosk was made for the George McGovern posters in the 1972 primary that my father had to replace just about every morning. So Fred Hoffheinz won the race that year. He wasn't the candidate my father campaigned for but he was overjoyed when police chief Herman Short resigned, and the halting reform of the notoriously racist Houston Police Department began.

It broke my heart to see the mudslinging during the primary here and on other blogs. If you've never met Jim, he's the same type of candidate as my high school friend, Bob Hervey or Fred Hoffheinz. They were running for equality. When I come home at the end of the day - I'm working for Jim so this will probably be my only post about his activities - I have the same feeling as I did when I was 7. Yes, there was reform after the Civil Rights Act was passed but we're backsliding with the once subtle laws that are being passed by the GOP. They're not subtle at all anymore. John Culberson, Jim's opponent has sponsored a bill that would cut federal funding to police departments that refuse to enforce immigration laws. He also voted yes to all four of the harmful amendments of the Voting Rights Act. Believe me, the people who are coming together to work on this campaign may not share the same ideology but one thing is clear, we understand how important it is that this Tom DeLay protege be defeated. WestHoustonDemocrat and I licked our wounds after the primary and started campaigning for the Democratic Party nominee the day after the primary. The Gammage sticker came off of my car and the Chris Bell sticker went up within less than a week. Had to wait to see WHD to get the sticker though. Had Al Bennett been the candidate in the runoff against the incumbent, I would have been on his porch the next day. And (big sigh) if the incumbent of HD 146 had won the race, I would have done my best to try to persuade him to take care of his district. There's no persuading John Culberson.

There's a guy that knows what the heck he is talking about at U of H that says Jim Henley can win. The numbers are there. We only need to get out the vote.

Jim Henley does not accept PAC money. This campaign is a true grass roots campaign. Come see Jim on Sunday at the Bellaire Civic Center. I'll be sliding in sideways as I come from Camp Wellstone. Look for the big yellow school bus, the campaign's only billboard!

The Perplexing World of Politics


A behind the Scenes Look at a Political Campaign


Featuring Jim Henley: Congressional Candidate for District 7



The main issues and Henley's positions in the upcoming November election

What goes into running a political campaign

How teens not old enough to vote can still make a difference


Date: Sunday August 20

Time: 4 to 6 PM

Location: Bellaire Civic Center
7008 S. Rice * Bellaire, TX 77401
(See map: Google Maps, Yahoo! Maps)
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
PDittie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-18-06 09:42 AM
Response to Original message
1. Kick and Recommending
so that we can one day tie John Culberson down on the (light) railroad tracks (running down Richmond).
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
amykate Donating Member (5 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-18-06 11:41 PM
Response to Original message
2. Jim Henley at NWC area Dems on Aug 21st
Great post, Smarty-Pants! For me, volunteering for the Henley campaign is a wonderful antidote to all of the anger and despair of the last six years - in the face of all that angst, it's great to feel so excited about a candidate. And why am I so excited about Jim, in this year of exciting Texas Democrats? Come meet Jim on Sun in Bellaire and find out! Or, for DU'ers in the northwest, Jim will be at the Northwest Crossing Area Democrats meeting Mon evening (Aug 21st) 7-8:30 pm at Denny’s at 12862 Northwest Fwy (290 N) on the north frontage road between Bingle and Hollister (next to TGI Friday's).

Jim's supporters are an incredibly diverse group, and there are more of us every week. Democrats have a better shot at TX-07 than we've ever had before - let's go for it!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Smarty Pants Liberal Donating Member (267 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-20-06 07:56 AM
Response to Reply #2
3. Thanks, AmyKate!
So I've been at Camp Wellstone for a couple of days with WestHoustonDem, PDiddie and Lisa0825.

Here are some quotes from Paul Wellstone that we should all be using:

“Politics is about TEACHING for a bigger audience!”

When a Republican says that they only support Republicans, say "I’m a Democrat and I’m supporting you."

Paul Wellstone visited a public school every week and make the following statement: "The future will not belong those who sit on the sidelines, the future will not belong to the cynics. The future will belong to those who work long and hard and believe in the beauty of their dreams. I want you to work to achieve the beauty of your dreams."

See you this afternoon!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
newyawker99 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-20-06 01:22 PM
Response to Reply #2
4. Hi amykate!!
Welcome to DU!! :toast:
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
merci_me Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-20-06 02:46 PM
Response to Original message
5. He IS an inspiration.
Watching the complete admiration, from his students, going back to his first class in 1986, right up to the ones he's currently teaching and all the parents, spanning the years, just brings tears to the eyes of this long-time campaigner. How great to have the forces joined!!

I won't be at the Bellaire event, but I did board the big yellow bus, before Jim even was able to christen it! Today, I'm sitting here taking a break, from working to get another list together to e-mail you tomorrow. I'll try to get to the NWC group tomorrow night. My husband maybe tied up at a meeting with Goodwill Pierre. I have our granddaughter, but Denny's has sundaes with sprinkles.

Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Fri Apr 26th 2024, 12:09 PM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » Places » Texas Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC