Vaught’s Seat Still Up for Grabs

State Rep. Allen Vaught Lauren Mish, the youngish campaign manager for Allen Vaught, is confident that her candidate will score a victory over former Lakewood-area state Rep. Bill Keffer, the Republican challenger. Talking to her as she set up her laptop in the front corner of the boisterous Lakewood Tavern,…

So, Houston, Do We Have A Problem?

Sam Merten The scene at the Radisson Hotel As Dallas County GOP chair Jonathan Neerman told me earlier, a 20-point margin for Barack Obama would amount to an insurmountable lead to overcome for local Republicans. Of course, with early voting showing just that — a 20-point lead for Obama –…

Dallas County’s Early Birds See Blue

Brandon Thibodeaux Lowell Cannaday and Lupe Valdez during one of their debates The troops are scattered hither and yon: with the Dems at Bishop Arts, with the Republicans at the Raddison, and we’ve even pulled Pulle back into the fold for a night to hang with Alan Vaught at the…

Rangers Sign Maddux! Finally Get Pitching Help! Wait … What?

Slowly but surely, Big Tex is rounding up his bad-ass buddies Gotta admit, I was a little jazzed yesterday when I heard the Texas Rangers signed Maddux to help their long-suffering pitching. I mean, since 2000 the Rangers have baseball’s worst staff and biggest ERA at 5.14. Granted he’s 42…

What’s the Good Word, Mayor Tom?

There have been many, many parodies of Shepard Fairey’s Obama “Hope” posters, few of which elicit even the faintest hint of a giggle. (Always did like the Luke Skywalker “New Hope” version, though the execution doesn’t top the concept.) What you see above is, of course, our version courtesy Observer…

Razor’s Mind Vitamin for the Day

Daryl Reaugh, the Dallas Stars’ beleaguered-of-late broadcaster and a Canadian to boot, wonders today why Election Day in the U.S. and A. isn’t a national holiday, then makes his case for such. To which he adds: Oh, and since I can’t vote I will use the free time as a…

Free I-Voted-Today Doughnuts. Is There Anything They Can’t Do?

Elaine Liner As of 11:30 a.m., the Krispy Kreme on Greenville Avenue had given away 343 free doughnuts to folks who said they’d voted. You have your choice of any doughnut, but the most popular today is the sprinkle-topped, star-shaped glazed pictured at right. And children of voters are getting…

NFL Quarterback Rankings: Week 10

Please, for the love of God, rescue us! You catch any of Steelers over Redskins last night? Weird. Could’ve sworn I saw Pittsburgh lose its starting quarterback to an injury, only to insert a backup who actually helped them win the game. I know. Crazy. By my count six backup…

Not Even Jim Schutze Can Ruin Election Day for Ron Kirk

Ran into Ron Kirk just now at the Lakewood Starbucks. Our former mayor and one-time Democratic U.S. Senate candidate (and, of course, a real big Barack Obama worker) did a double-take upon seeing his favorite Dallas Observer columnist, latte in hand. He said, “Oh, man, this is Election Day. Don’t…

Speaking of Bush and Bye-Byes …

This brief from The Onion this morning, which more or less reads like the Newsweek piece referenced below. –Robert Wilonsky WASHINGTON — In a press conference held this morning on the White House lawn, President Bush formally asked the assembled press corps and members of his own administration if, in…

In a Few Months, George Bush Moves Back to His Bummer-Free Zone

As we prepare to adios George W. Bush from office, Newsweek wonders whether he’s bothered by the mean things John McCain’s been saying about him from the stump. Or whether it means anything to Dubya that he’ll leave the White House with “the lowest approval ratings of any modern president.”…

Rod Dreher’s Trick, a Treat

A Friend of Unfair Park read News-er Rod Dreher’s post yesterday, concerning trucked-in trick-or-treaters who ain’t from ’round these here parts (“always Latino folks”), and offers this observation: “Remember when you were a kid, there was always one family in the neighborhood that didn’t participate in Halloween and dad either…

Poll Position

[Editor’s note: Apologies to Friends of Unfair Park who tried to post comments earlier this morning; they were stuck in a dead server, which also delayed posting and which has since been repaired. So I’ve been promised.] Took all of three minutes to vote this morning at Leonides Cigarroa Elementary…

The Top 10 Most Athletic Presidents in U.S. History

A taller, more liberal Avery Johnson? Obama vs. McCain? Let’s see, McCain is a Phoenix Suns fan who played junior varsity football in high school and boxed in the Navy. Eh. Obama is a White Sox fan who threw out the first pitch in Chicago before Game 2 of the…

The Day Before the Big Game, Bruce Sherbet’s Pep Talk

Bruce Sherbet, Dallas County’s elections administrator, will leave his office this evening at about 5, 5:30, like any other day. He will grab dinner, do some reading and try to fall asleep by 11 p.m. But he fears he won’t be so fortunate. Already, he has “night-before jitters,” as he…