Clarkie to run for governor in Texas?
Submitted by Stan4Clark on November 13, 2005 - 10:32pm.
Kathy Oeffinger has posted in the Yahoo! groups that long-time Clark stalwart Bob Gammage, former Texas state representative, state senator, U.S. congressman, and judge on the state court of appeals and supreme court, is contemplating a run for governor of Texas.
What fantastic news!
Here is my reply at the Yahoo! groups:
Oh, shit. That's gonna cost me some money!
I met Bob Gammage in New Hampshire for the Draft Invasion Weekend in January 2004. We spent the better part of an afternoon together, as we went together, just the two of us, in my car to pick up a couple of his fellow Texans from their hotel and take them to the Manchester Clark headquarters.
After meeting Bob, in about 37 seconds, I felt I had known Bob all my life. He's one of those people you instantly like, and he seemed like he was my favorite uncle. Bob is just a big old Texas Teddy Bear -- one of those people who never met a stranger. If you didn't know his résumé, you'd think he was just a teacher and probably a Sunday School teacher.
I remember the story about his being a Clark surrogate in some kind of Texas presidential forum, and he blew them away.
Let's see...my friend Bob Gammage running for governor, my friend Ed Perlmutter running for Congress in my district (the most highly targeted and important in the country), my friend Eric Massa running for Congress in New York, the dynamite Paul Hackett running for Senate, the recently-met retired Air Force lieutenant colonel Jay Fawcett running in Colorado's CD5 congressional seat (Colorado Springs), and to top it all off, the president of my Be the Change USA organization probably running against Tom Tancredo in Colorado's CD6 for congress.
My investment account is going to suffer big time in 2006.
DEMOCRATS ROCK IN 2006!!!!!!
For a picture of Bob, click here. He's in the foreground, with New Hampshire for Clark co-chairs Susan Putney and George Bruno in the background.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
BE THE CHANGE you wish to see in the world.
If not us, WHO? If not now, WHEN?
I was impressed by him too during the Clark campaign down here in Texas. I'm busy gathering some information on Democratic Clubs in Texas so he will know who to go talk to and when they meet etc, if he decides to run.
I think Bob can generate some heat --he is a very good speaker--and we really need that at the top of the Democratic ticket down here. Even if Perry et al end up winning due to campaign coffers as deep as the Grand Canyon, we can get a whole lot of benefit in local races from having someone at the top of the Democratic ticket who is seen both as interesting and as someone with gravitas.
He's not only a really good guy, but he also is eminently qualified and could handle the job admirably. He has been a Texas State Representative, State Senator, U.S. Congressman, and Texas Supreme Court Justice.
Further, re: DeLay and his dirty tactics, you never know-- by election day things may have changed a great deal from how they were in 2004; the worm is slowly turning even here in Texas!
YES!!!!! I am truly excited to hear this. What a perfect candidate!
Anita
Hello All:
Bob Gammage was instrumental in the DraftClark movement adopting the "Crank It Up"
slogan. He did, and we did, and we all worked hard to encourage and then support
General Clark in his 2004 candidacy.
At the urging of a number of concerned Democrats across the state, Bob is considering
running for Governor -- the filing deadline is January 2, 2006. Governor is at the top of
the ticket. We need not only an inspiring, competent and compassionate candidate who
understands the issues facing ALL Texans. We need a gubernatorial candidate who can
deliver an aggressive 2006 campaign message. We need a messenger, with a compelling
public message about what the Democratic Party believes in. We need a messenger whose
presence at the top of the ticket will help generate turn-out for our down-ballot
candidates.
Texas is at a crossroads and we face a crucial decision in November 2006. Do we continue
the politics and policies built on the desires of the far-right, cronyism, and most
importantly, corrupt and incompetent leadership...or do we seek a change. We have less
than two months before filing ends for the 2006 elections. The primary is in four months.
One year from now, the 2006 campaign will be over.
Bob Gammage helped lead Texans For Clark in 2004 to bring about change at the national
level. He donated, fund-raised, recruited, organized, and knocked doors for General Clark
in New Hampshire and Oklahoma. When Wes endorsed Democratic Presidential candidate
John Kerry, Bob immediately went to work helping the Kerry Campaign, and continued
helping John Kerry and the Democratic Party with fundraising, organizing and volunteer
recruitment right through election day when he worked a poll for Kerry/Edwards in New
Mexico.
Today, Bob is considering stepping up and putting his name, family, and life on the line to
take Rick Perry to task for his incompetence and lack of leadership. Personally, we believe
there is no one better suited than Bob. He speaks from the heart. He means what he says.
Bob has a compelling message and he can deliver it directly to the current Governor. He
can deliver our message, broaden our base, and has a proven ability to reach across the
aisle to solve problems in the public interest.
Many of you may not be aware of what Bob has accomplished. A lawyer and a teacher, as
well as a veteran of both Army and Navy service, including a tour of duty in Korea, Bob was
elected from the Houston/Gulf Coast area to serve in the Texas House of Representatives,
the Texas Senate, and the U. S. House of Representatives. He was later elected to the
Texas Court of Appeals from a 24-county Austin/Central Texas district, and in November,
1990, Texas voters elected Bob to the Texas Supreme Court in a statewide election.
Bob entered politics to clean up corrupt and incompetent leadership. During his very first
session, he was a member of the "Dirty 30", of whom Texas Monthly wrote:
"IDEALISTIC? YES. REFORM-MINDED? ABSOLUTELY. BIPARTISAN? THAT TOO. [During the
62nd Legislature], the state representatives who came to be known as the Dirty Thirty
were everything you've learned not to expect in politics. The group —- which eventually
numbered 35 members -- put aside party loyalty to force out Speaker Gus Mutscher, who
ruled the chamber like a dictator and would soon become entangled in the infamous
Sharpstown stock-fraud scandal. Even more unlikely, perhaps, is that they were
successful. Though the Dirty Thirty was a clear minority in the 150-member House, it
continued to apply pressure. The next year, Mutscher resigned, marking at least one
instance in which the little guys actually won."
Against overwhelming odds, Bob challenged the corrupt and incompetent practices of the
day and became a successful member of both houses of the Texas Legislature, U.S.
Congress, and Texas Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Texas. In the very next
legislative session, only his second, Texas Monthly named Bob as an Honorable Mention in
the Ten Best Legislators. The magazine wrote Bob "carried one of the largest legislative
programs in the Senate (including a number of controversial measures like portions of the
Speaker's reform package, consumer protection, and the eighteen-year-old rights bill),
fought for it in the rough-and-tumble tradition of Babe Schwartz, and got much of it
passed."
Bob sees incompetent leadership saddling our children and grandchildren with decades of
future problems. Just how many special and regular sessions does it take to get school
finance right? And sadly, that's just the tip of the iceberg.
We encourage you to read Bob's note below. E-mail your thoughts to Kathy who will get
them to Bob. You can reach her at tx_demkat@yahoo.com. Time is short. If you believe as
we do that Bob should take on this challenge, join with us and let's see if we can elect a
competent leader with a heart.
Thanks for your consideration.
=====
Bob' Note:
"I'm sending this to a few personal friends in order to get your candid opinions. About a
year ago, I was approached by a group of people in the north Texas area and asked to
consider running for governor. I was flattered that they would think of me and honored by
the thought that anyone was even speculating about such a possibility, but I respectfully
and firmly declined. A few days ago, I was contacted again, on the same day by
individuals representing two other groups of people in different parts of the state who
were unaware of one another, also asking that I consider running for governor.
Other than working on issues I think are important and supporting candidates I believe
are or would be good public servants, I thought my political days were behind me. And
maybe they are, but I have agreed to think about it and run it by people I care about, who
care about my family and me, and whose opinions I respect.
I would like for you to give this some deliberate thought and then share your honest,
unvarnished and critical opinions with me. We are all aware of the reasons why we need a
strong candidate on the ballot next November, but at this point I'm sincerely more
interested in the reasons I should not make this race.
The only announced Democratic candidate I am aware of so far is Chris Bell. I have met
Chris and seen him on the campaign trail. He is a nice guy, I like him and I share most of
his views on the issues of the day, but he doesn't seem to excite or inspire the crowds of
actives before whom he appears who make up the Democratic base, and I question
whether he could effectively appeal to those audiences beyond that base who are
necessary to win a high profile statewide election. And, as bad a fund-raiser as you know
me to be, Chris apparently hasn't been able to accumulate a campaign war chest or
assemble a meaningful campaign organization.
The filing deadline is two months away, and the primary elections are in four months.
Obviously, a decision needs to be made quickly, and I will truly appreciate your critical,
well-thought-out reactions. Please consider this, and, if you wish, get the views of other
people whose insight and judgment you trust. This is not idle speculation, nor is it any
great secret. Whatever the decision is, I want it to be realistic, made in the light of day
with eyes wide open, and with the benefit of your thinking. The timing and circumstances
are similar to those that existed when I made the decision to run for the Supreme Court
15 years ago -- time passed and despite recruiting efforts, no strong candidate had
emerged, and some of you thought that with my record of running successful, late- starting, underfunded campaigns in several parts of the state I might have a chance of
pulling it off statewide. Well, much to the surprise of ourselves and most other folks, we
did. But this is a race for governor, and the popular perception is that a lot more is at
stake and the intensity will be much greater. This is obviously true, but, who can we get
to run? Or, more pointedly, who should or should not run, and why?
The personal down-side is I would once again have to postpone a number of things I've
been working toward and hoped and dreamed I would be doing for the next few years. My
wife's extended family and my own children think the prospect of such a race is, in a word,
"awesome!" But we all know how ugly and mean-spirited such a race could be. I don't
enjoy any more than anyone else hearing, or having my friends and family hear, the
accusations and the aggressive, creatively invented negatives that can be conjured and
thrown up by the opposition in an intense campaign. Been there and done that. But it was
worth it then and we managed to do some good along the way, and if the fates ordain it, it
would be worth it now in the effort to move our state, its policies and its resources in the
right direction. But those are discussions for another day, IF and when the decision is
made to run. In complete honesty, I never thought I would ever be considering running
for governor. I'm a little stunned that I am now, and I need you to tell me whether I
should now be considering it.
Several friends have asked me why I'm not considering a run for Lieutenant Governor,
Attorney General or some other statewide office. The answer is, I'm not considering
running just to be elected to something. The primary reason I'm considering the
Governor's race is because it is the top of the ticket, and we need an aggressive campaign
message and messenger at the top in order to focus attention on the issues, refine the
public message about what the Democratic Party stands for and to help our down-ballot
candidates generate turn-out on election day. Lieutenant Governor and other statewide
offices don't generate that kind of interest or command that kind of media attention.
Your thoughts, please.
"Thanks, Bob"
Texas Clarkies, please keep us posted about the progress on this. I can't promise much but I would send along any $$$ I could. Bob is such a Clarkie force, and so positive.
Also, a special thanks Stan for posting the photo. I confess that I peeked into your albums, and found myself on memory lane at the Manchester Headquarters. Heady Days. Oh well.
You have not converted a man because you have silenced him.--J. V. Marley
Did the sun come up today?
I had dinner and drinks with Florence Upton of Alexandria, Minnesota's Cheryl Poling, Portland's Rachel Fox/SitkaFox, England's Deb Darnell, D.C.'s Howard Park, and Tricia Spiegel from Santa Cruz.
Among others I know are coming tomorrow include Maria Wells, Ruth Benedict (both of Pennsylvania), and Carmel's Kelly Flinn.
Oh, and Eric Massa.
There will be a host of others, but those are the names I know.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
BE THE CHANGE you wish to see in the world.
If not us, WHO? If not now, WHEN?
I don't want to say too much about this, because I don't know enough about Texas politics, and I don't know Bob but he sounds like a fine individual.
But why do we keep doing this? He thought his political days were behind him. For a good reason! Why do we expect the same people to serve and serve and serve until they drop dead? And look at us, most of us aren't kids anymore either. Shouldn't we DO something about this? Where's the farm team? Where's the new generation of activists and public servants we ought to be nurturing along? We're not going to get very far if we have to keep relying on the same pool of people over and over again.
Just felt it was important to bring that up, regardless of what happens in this particular instance. It seemed like a good opening to make the point.
Barack Obama, Paul Hackett on the national scene. Here in Colorado, we have Bill Ritter (about 50), Andrew Romanoff (38 or 39), Jay Fawcett (40s), and some 40s-50s legislators.
There are lots of them. Dean, Kucinich, and Clark have brought them out.
Veterans in particular are stepping up.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
BE THE CHANGE you wish to see in the world.
If not us, WHO? If not now, WHEN?
it has been difficult to foster the next generation of Texas Democratic candidates. Remember, Bush was Governor here for two terms before he became President. We have suffered far longer than most of you! We have one of the most right-wing Republican state legislatures I can think of. I watched a great deal of the doings of the state legislature in 2003 and they were overweening and absolutist in manner and deed. All of the state-level officials, including the Supreme Court, are currently Republicans, I think--I haven't done a complete nose-count because it would shatter my state of denial.
The first signs of recovery came in the 2004 elections, with the election of a few Democrats not expected to win. We also took back Travis County (Austin) in 2004. My local state rep, an arrogant young Republican, just resigned (he barely won in 2004): he saw the writing on the wall after his funding was linked to the DeLay scandal. With everyone starting to recognize the pitfalls of Bushism, we are hopeful, but we need a stong candidate to top the state Democratic ticket.
Bob is contemplating this effort because Texas needs someone who can speak to everybody, not just the special interest groups, or the one-issue groups, but all Texans.
You ask "Where's the farm team?". The political gypsies who claim to be consultants have them all wrapped up in little packages waiting for it to be 'their turn", or waiting for the poll numbers to give 'em a sure thing.
Grassroots politics has gotten lost in an era of robo-calls, push polls, media buys and "image". The farm team understands less about grassroots politics than the older guys. What we have 're-discovered' in the last couple of years is what poliitics before 1980 always was. Personal contact by the candidate, neighbors talking to neighbors and commitment and effort by people who volunteered because they believed in a candidate.
Why do the older guys do it? Why did General Clark answer the Draft? Because I truly believe what was happening in the country hurt his soul, because he thought he could make a difference, because it was the right thing to do, because he had something to teach the whole country.
On a smaller scale, Bob is doing the same thing. His is not a national campaign, but it's going to be very difficult and will take as much out of his life. The Bush administration practiced all their dirty dealings in Texas before moving them out onto a national stage. Many in the Democatic Party in Texas have run and hid because it's that scary down here.
The Democratic Party in Texas has forgotten how to fight. The farm team seems to want to BE elected so that they can be called a 'leader'. They don't seem to understand that you have to be a leader first.
It's actually pretty scary to be a Dem in Ohio these days too. But, change begins with each of us taking responsibility for our immediate environment and making the world safe for Democrats again. We have to start with our own neighborhoods--our precincts--finding those other likeminded people and getting organized and involved. The precinct system is broken here. Howard Dean recognizes this and has bitten off the goal of rebuilding the party from the ground up and making it functional again. This strategy will only be successful to the extent that we all pick up the ball locally and run with it.
I hope that everyone who is able will get plugged into their local party structure and help be the change. In fact I am going to URGE everyone to do this, because it's key to our success in future elections. I'm hosting an Organizing Kickoff event this evening; most of you should be able to find one being held somewhere near you. If not, study the materials that are obtainable online at http://democrats.org then find a friend and get busy spreading the info. This is how we take back our country.
Great post, Kat.
In 2004, both houses of the Colorado legislature turned blue. How did it happen?
I'll admit that the Republicans might have been a little complacent here, but there were more important factors.
First, we had great candidates. And they were women. In my county alone, all the Democratic state legislators are women, two who ran for the first time and won. JeffCoDem women rock!
Second, they worked their butts off, knocking on doors for months.
The new president of the senate is also a woman, the first ever.
Finally, the Deaniacs, Kucitizens, and Clarkies stuck around when their presidential candidates fell by the wayside. These armies of volunteers helped candidates all up and down the list of offices.
These people are still around, working in party committees, getting elected to party steering committees, and in general being a new force to make the party truly one for all people.
And the Internet had very little to do with it.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
BE THE CHANGE you wish to see in the world.
If not us, WHO? If not now, WHEN?
to even consider stepping up again, Bob! You've already given so much of your time, life and considerable talents - whatever you decide - thank you!
Having said that, I think you would make a superb Governor, and I'll do everything I can to help. Please keep all of us posted.
Kelly
"Our public servants work for us - we don't work for them. We have an obligation, as citizens of this country, to always remember that - and to never let them forget it." - DeadMessengers
and a dedicated one. But what happened to Kinky Friedman? I liked the idea of his campaign.
The General gets it right. Competence--What a concept!
Texas Gubernatorial Race May Heat Up
Bob Gammage for Governor?
Why the hell not? Even though Bob sounds like a good candidate, I'm a Kinky guy.
He has to get 45,000 (valid) signatures to accumulate from registered voters that do not vote in the March 06 primaries. That means anyone who wants to vote for other candidates running in other races in the primaries can't vote at all -- and still sign Kinky's petition. So primary voters are not just sitting out the Governor's race, but ALL races in the primary.
He can't even start collecting signatures till after the primaries are over next year, then he has about 2 months.
It's an effective way to destroy what's left of the Democratic party in Texas, though.
We'll see what motivates Kinky eventually. Bob's actually Kinky's sort of guy. Not to be wishful, but I could see him leaving the race at some point and endorsing Bob (after his new book/music contracts are signed, of course).
As far as the destruction of the Democratic party goes, I don't really care what the party's called. I want candidates with principles, intellect, commitment, populist leanings and creativity. If that person is called a Democrat, so be it. If that person is a third-party or an independent, just as fine.
This is not a shot a Dems, by any means, but we could use a lot less focus on parties and a lot more on people.
Because we can actually win the Governorship of Texas with Bob Gammage. That would be HUGE! If the Democrats can retake Texas it changes the entire national political landscape. Kinky was fun as a protest vote if you thought Texas was hopeless, nothing against Kinky in particular, but this is light years better than that. This isn't a protest, this is the retaking of America in the belly of the beast, Think of Crawford, think of George H. Bush International Airport. Think of Tom DeLay. Think of beating those bastards for the top office in the State. Think what that means!
Though I never met Bob Gammage personally, I trust the many Clark supporters who know him well and say only good things about him. I can say this. I honor what Bob Gammage has done with his life AND I honor what he did for Wes Clark in 2004. This man was knocking on doors for Clark in a New Hampshire winter. It's cold there for anyone, but very cold for a Texan. Seriously, Bob Gammage understands what grassroots Democracy is about, He is part of it, he's been in Congress, he's been on the Texas Supreme Court, but he is one of us. This is great news. The Hell with political theater and quirky candidates. I want my country back! Texas is an awfully big and important chunk of it. We can strike terror in Republican hearts. We can elect Bob Gammage Governor!
Texas has been rigged by DeLay.