Capitol Annex interviews Karen Felthauser

In my link dump post from yesterday, I mentioned that Vince at Capitol Annex had begun a series of email interviews with legislative candidates, beginning with Sherrie Matula (HD129) and Kathi Thomas (SD25). He's got a third one up now, Williamson County's Karen Felthauser, running in HD52. You can read it here.

Two points I want to make. One is that if there are any State House races that may come out of nowhere to surprise people, this one would make my short list. The reason for this is simple: It's all about the Trans-Texas Corridor. The TTC is unpopular everywhere, especially in the greater Austin area where there's been a lot of toll road-related activity. Felthauser is running against one of the architects of the TTC, State Rep. Mike Krusee. The district is basically 60-40, so it won't take that big a swing to make it competitive, and Williamson is slowly trending blue. I wouldn't bet money on a Felthauser win (not without getting some odds, anyway), but I will not be at all shocked to wake up on November 8 and see that Krusee had a narrow escape, say in the 53-47 range.

Two, I agree wholeheartedly with what she says here:

Q: During your time on the campaign trail, or in public office, what’s the funniest, craziest, or silliest thing that’s ever happened to you?

The craziest thing I have run across is when members of some groups that should be wholeheartedly supporting your candidacy because of shared goals and values, hesitate to jump on board with your campaign. I am flabbergasted when they decide, instead, to support the incumbent, even though they have been abused by that representative and give as their reason that they have a “tenuous” relationship with the incumbent. I would liken these relationships to those of a battered wife and the spouse she is afraid to leave. I would encourage such persons to clear their heads and then stand up for themselves.

This is in a way analogous to the national situation, where groups like the Sierra Club and NARAL have endorsed Republicans who meet a certain issue list threshhold despite the fact that what matters more than anything nowadays, especially for their own legislative priorities, is who's in the majority. The Texas Lege isn't quite the parliamentary system that Congress is now - there's still room for a Hochberg 14 to throw its weight around - but as long as Tom Craddick is wielding the gavel, it's much more like that than not. Now is not the time for anyone who has a stake in the 80th Lege to go wobbly. Play for the win or don't play at all.

Anyway. Good interview, good candidate - go read.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on September 22, 2006 to Election 2006 | TrackBack