Bell and Friedman

First, some good news for Chris Bell: It looks like John O'Quinn will follow through on his post-debate promise to give his campaign a financial boost.

After Friday night's see-saw gubernatorial debate, Houston personal-injury lawyer John O'Quinn gave Democrat Chris Bell a potentially record-breaking lift, promising to give his campaign $1 million now and to give or raise $4 million more later.

Bell's campaign picked up the million-dollar donation Monday amid plans to shoot fresh TV ads. If O'Quinn's offer plays out, Bell could compete with GOP Gov. Rick Perry and independent Carole Keeton Strayhorn in prime-time advertising through the Nov. 7 election. It costs an estimated $1 million weekly to reach every media market in Texas.

"Chris is not going to lose because he doesn't have the money," O'Quinn said Monday. He called the $5 million figure "my goal."

"They tell me that's what they need," he said.

As I said before, I just hope it's not too little, too late. I can only wonder how this campaign would have gone if folks like O'Quinn had been there earlier. I'm not ungrateful for the support, mind you, just a little frustrated at what it's taken to get it.

Bell also sent out a press release yesterday saying he'd raised almost $1.5 million last quarter, which is more than Strayhorn's total. He still trails significantly in cash on hand, though at this point that matters a lot less.

The not-so-good news is that an attempt by Bell to get Kinky Friedman to drop out was unsuccessful.

Mr. Bell left a voice mail message on Mr. Friedman's personal cellphone Tuesday, asking for a meeting at the mystery writer and former bandleader's ranch near Kerrville, Mr. Friedman said.

Mr. Bell later confirmed he sought a meeting so he could try to talk Mr. Friedman into dropping out of the four-way race, which is in its home stretch. The election is Nov. 7.

Bell campaign aides said that Mr. Friedman performed poorly in Friday night's candidate debate and that Friedman supporters have told the Democrat that they'd support him if he could persuade Mr. Friedman to step aside.

Mr. Bell said he placed the call at his staff's request. He acknowledged that Mr. Friedman is siphoning votes away from him and Republican Gov. Rick Perry.

"He's taking from both," Mr. Bell said. "But he's taking more from me."

Mr. Friedman, campaigning in Brownsville, said of Mr. Bell and his advisers: "They're desperate and scrambling."

Asked whether he would consider the Democrat's arguments for stepping aside, Mr. Friedman said: "No. You're kidding, for Chris Bell. What do you take me for?"

A bad candidate with no chance of winning? I totally understand what Bell did, but I don't know what kind of response he expected. Friedman has made his contempt for the entire process and the people involved in it very clear from the beginning. Maybe he got a tip that Friedman was getting wobbly after the debate, and maybe he tried this on his own, I don't know. Either way, while it makes theoretical sense, I don't see how it was going to succeed. I just don't see Friedman as perceiving himself in a position where he'd be better off conceding. Friedman is running for himself, not for any principle that I can discern. It's all about him, so he has nothing to gain by dropping out. Which is a shame, but that's how it is.

Anyway. Via Vince, here's Bell's statement on what happened. We'll see how this plays out.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on October 11, 2006 to Election 2006 | TrackBack