First I thought it was pretty amazing in 1995 when Carol Reed elected the city’s first black mayor. But in 2007 I think it may be more amazing she was able to elect a white Republican member of the Dallas Country Club. I wish in 2011 she would try to elect a one-legged Frenchman who kisses other guys on both cheeks and smokes. Just for grins. To see if she can do it.
In the last few weeks, Oakley’s campaign has been way worse than he deserved, especially given the amount of dough he’s throwing around. The robo calls at my house (“Don’t believe Republican Tom Republican Leppert’s Republican lies …”) got so annoying even my 97-year-old mother-in-law may have used a curse word -- or part of one -- while slamming down the phone. It was just awful. Carol Reed’s appraisal was right on – a classic example of a campaign imploding.
But I do think people see something of the candidate’s character -- they catch a glimpse, anyway -- when a campaign starts making bubbles in the mud like that. So what’s next for Oakley?
On Monday, somebody has to give him a call from Caven Enterprises and say, “Uh, Ed, I need to inform you that you run a construction company. No, really. You do. And it builds stuff for us. Yeah. It’s a construction company. Well, Ed, it constructs stuff. Could you get over here ASAP?”
Life does go on.
I am so disappointed about Betty Culbreath. That was going to be my box of popcorn and a folding chair for the next year -- Tom and Betty, sittin’ in a tree. Bad for him. Fun for me.
But something will come up. --Jim Schutze
