Can Beto Win?

[bullets13]

Normally I'd say he doesn't have a chance, but things are lining up to make this election too close for comfort.  Beto has moved from basing his campaign on gun control to marijuana legalization.  this is the one issue that gives him a chance.  Abbott won the last election by about 13%, which is a wide margin, but nowhere near the 20% win that Perry had in 2014.  There are a lot of libertarians out there, and most of them vote republican or waste their vote on the libertarian candidate, but almost all of them are major proponents of marijuana legalization (in fact, that's why many of them are libertarians instead of republicans).   If a good portion of the libertarian vote goes left it will tighten up the race considerably.  Add to that the fact that there are many on the right who aren't big abbott fans, and may not get out to vote, and also that the left is excited about Beto and will be out in force, and this vote could be scary.  There's also the fact that our demographics are changing in the state, and most of the influx will vote democrat.  What are your thoughts?  I know Beto is a clown, but I'm worried he might have a winning strategy here.  Even many staunch conservatives on the site here think marijuana should be legalized.  I know that won't make them vote for him, but it might be time for the right to embrace legalization as well and quit bleeding votes to the left over one issue that's been settled in many states already.

[CardinalBacker]

The guys who worship Trump are the same guys that hate Abbot because he's too moderate for them.  The guys that they supported (Huffines, West, Prather) weren't electable.... even in the primary.   But they'll sit home and pout in November instead of voting for Abbott and hand the thing to Beto. 

 

[Bobcat1]

27 minutes ago, bullets13 said:

Normally I'd say he doesn't have a chance, but things are lining up to make this election too close for comfort.  Beto has moved from basing his campaign on gun control to marijuana legalization.  this is the one issue that gives him a chance.  Abbott won the last election by about 13%, which is a wide margin, but nowhere near the 20% win that Perry had in 2014.  There are a lot of libertarians out there, and most of them vote republican or waste their vote on the libertarian candidate, but almost all of them are major proponents of marijuana legalization (in fact, that's why many of them are libertarians instead of republicans).   If a good portion of the libertarian vote goes left it will tighten up the race considerably.  Add to that the fact that there are many on the right who aren't big abbott fans, and may not get out to vote, and also that the left is excited about Beto and will be out in force, and this vote could be scary.  There's also the fact that our demographics are changing in the state, and most of the influx will vote democrat.  What are your thoughts?  I know Beto is a clown, but I'm worried he might have a winning strategy here.  Even many staunch conservatives on the site here think marijuana should be legalized.  I know that won't make them vote for him, but it might be time for the right to embrace legalization as well and quit bleeding votes to the left over one issue that's been settled in many states already.

Excited for Beto.....Is he even campaigning? I haven't heard or seen anything from him. I don't watch tv, but I'm an avid social media user. 

[baddog]

9 minutes ago, CardinalBacker said:

The guys who worship Trump are the same guys that hate Abbot because he's too moderate for them.  The guys that they supported (Huffines, West, Prather) weren't electable.... even in the primary.   But they'll sit home and pout in November instead of voting for Abbott and hand the thing to Beto. 

 

I’ll vote Abbott. You need to stop lumping people into one convenient group. 

[LumRaiderFan]

14 minutes ago, CardinalBacker said:

The guys who worship Trump are the same guys that hate Abbot because he's too moderate for them.  The guys that they supported (Huffines, West, Prather) weren't electable.... even in the primary.   But they'll sit home and pout in November instead of voting for Abbott and hand the thing to Beto. 

 

Another silly emotional post, lol.

 

[CardinalBacker]

4 minutes ago, baddog said:

I’ll vote Abbott. You need to stop lumping people into one convenient group. 

You will.... I will, too.  But in this era of scorched earth politics I'm confident that a large number of "conservative" voters won't because Abbott isn't their guy.  

 

It's this simple.  People on the extreme see everything as a fight.  It doesn't matter if they are a democrat (obviously an enemy) or just somebody who doesn't espouse every single far-right view point... they all get attacked.  It's easy from our perspective how the far left is pushing everything that's going on with the Democrat party.  It's a lot harder to recognize from the same perspective how the fringe on the right is hurting the Republican candidates.   How did an incumbent like Abbot get three challengers?  He's not crazy enough for those on the far right.  Why didn't Trump get a challenger?  It's not because he was the best, it's because the wackos on the far right supported him.  

 

I haven't forgotten the antics that the Tea Party was pushing a decade back... forcing candidates to sign pledges didn't end up so well for us at all, did it?  That's the same energy being applied today.  

 

We need to keep Abbott in office.  We won't like the alternative.  

[LumRaiderFan]

13 minutes ago, CardinalBacker said:

You will.... I will, too.  But in this era of scorched earth politics I'm confident that a large number of "conservative" voters won't because Abbott isn't their guy.  

 

It's this simple.  People on the extreme see everything as a fight.  It doesn't matter if they are a democrat (obviously an enemy) or just somebody who doesn't espouse every single far-right view point... they all get attacked.  It's easy from our perspective how the far left is pushing everything that's going on with the Democrat party.  It's a lot harder to recognize from the same perspective how the fringe on the right is hurting the Republican candidates.   How did an incumbent like Abbot get three challengers? He's not crazy enough for those on the far right.  Why didn't Trump get a challenger?  It's not because he was the best, it's because the wackos on the far right supported him.  

 

I haven't forgotten the antics that the Tea Party was pushing a decade back... forcing candidates to sign pledges didn't end up so well for us at all, did it?  That's the same energy being applied today.  

 

We needed to keep Trump in office.  We do not like the alternative.  

So now it's the fault of the voters if Abbot doesn't get elected but with Trump is was his fault...make up your mind.

I fixed your last statement for you.

[CardinalBacker]

13 minutes ago, LumRaiderFan said:

So now it's the fault of the voters if Abbot doesn't get elected but with Trump is was his fault...make up your mind.

I fixed your last statement for you.

Which abhorrent behaviors on the part of Abbott can you show that would have alienated moderate/undecided voters and/or motivated democrats to go out and vote against him? 

 

I'll wait.  

 

BUT, the main difference is that Texas has a clear majority of Republicans who can re-elect Abbott if they turn out and vote... but the Rs CAN lose if "conservatives against Abbott" stay home.  The US as a whole does not enjoy such a majority.... That was the infuriating part about Trump continuing to play to his base (who were already going to vote Trump) instead of trying to win over the middle... which you MUST HAVE if you're going to win the White House.  You NEED moderates to go "R" if you want to win a nationwide contest.  Abbot can win if he just gets the Rs to all vote for him.  

[CardinalBacker]

The things that Abbott is "in trouble" for are transgressions against Rs.... not Ds.  The lockdowns?  Dems aren't mad about that.... Rs are.  Higher property taxes?  That doesn't bother a good liberal... but it'll get you an opponent in the primaries, apparently. 

[CardinalBacker]

21 minutes ago, LumRaiderFan said:

So now it's the fault of the voters if Abbot doesn't get elected but with Trump is was his fault...make up your mind.

I fixed your last statement for you.

You're exactly right... we needed him, or someone conservative.  That's what makes the fact that he threw the election away to the worst dem duo in history so infuriating. 

 

He literally crapped the bed, and then he wants to phone down to the front desk and complain that his room has an odor... and you guys are chiming in to blame housekeeping.  

[LumRaiderFan]

13 minutes ago, CardinalBacker said:

You're exactly right... we needed him, or someone conservative.  That's what makes the fact that he threw the election away to the worst dem duo in history so infuriating. 

 

He literally crapped the bed, and then he wants to phone down to the front desk and complain that his room has an odor... and you guys are chiming in to blame housekeeping.  

He didn't throw it away, 80 million plus nitwits handed it to Biden, how's that working out.

I had enough sense to know this would go bad, why couldn't the snowflakes figure it out?

Don't answer, at this point I really don't care.

 

[Sugarbear]

Ya'll may debate who is going to vote and who isn't but the bottom line is if the conservative people in Texas don't get off their butts and vote this election and every election following, losing Texas to the clown world out there isn't that far fetched.  But hey if there has to be a conservative revolution Texas is a good place to start it.

[LumRaiderFan]

31 minutes ago, CardinalBacker said:

Which abhorrent behaviors on the part of Abbott can you show that would have alienated moderate/undecided voters and/or motivated democrats to go out and vote against him? 

 

I'll wait.  

 

BUT, the main difference is that Texas has a clear majority of Republicans who can re-elect Abbott if they turn out and vote... but the Rs CAN lose if "conservatives against Abbott" stay home.  The US as a whole does not enjoy such a majority.... That was the infuriating part about Trump continuing to play to his base (who were already going to vote Trump) instead of trying to win over the middle... which you MUST HAVE if you're going to win the White House.  You NEED moderates to go "R" if you want to win a nationwide contest.  Abbot can win if he just gets the Rs to all vote for him.  

That's the biggest problem with what we have going on right now, the so called "enlightened" undecided voter.

If you are undecided at this point against Abbott or Beto, you have no business voting, BUT they do...can't fix that.

Same for Trump and Biden, these so called moderates (uninformed) voters are killing this country.

You also can't fix the fact that there are morons that choose abhorrent policies over abhorrent behavior.  

 

[SmashMouth]

Abbott will win by 8 points or more. 

[LumRaiderFan]

35 minutes ago, SmashMouth said:

Abbott will win by 8 points or more. 

Agree, not too worried about it.

[baddog]

3 hours ago, bullets13 said:

Normally I'd say he doesn't have a chance, but things are lining up to make this election too close for comfort.  Beto has moved from basing his campaign on gun control to marijuana legalization.  this is the one issue that gives him a chance.  Abbott won the last election by about 13%, which is a wide margin, but nowhere near the 20% win that Perry had in 2014.  There are a lot of libertarians out there, and most of them vote republican or waste their vote on the libertarian candidate, but almost all of them are major proponents of marijuana legalization (in fact, that's why many of them are libertarians instead of republicans).   If a good portion of the libertarian vote goes left it will tighten up the race considerably.  Add to that the fact that there are many on the right who aren't big abbott fans, and may not get out to vote, and also that the left is excited about Beto and will be out in force, and this vote could be scary.  There's also the fact that our demographics are changing in the state, and most of the influx will vote democrat.  What are your thoughts?  I know Beto is a clown, but I'm worried he might have a winning strategy here.  Even many staunch conservatives on the site here think marijuana should be legalized.  I know that won't make them vote for him, but it might be time for the right to embrace legalization as well and quit bleeding votes to the left over one issue that's been settled in many states already.

Is the legalization of marijuana really that big of a ticket item? Most of the states that have passed legalization I consider loony toons states anyway. What could be better than a whole country full of Cheech and Chongs?

 My anti-Beto feelings stem from his anti-gun platform. He gave Cruz a good run so there are legit reasons to fret. I just don’t think legal weed will attract enough voters. 

[bullets13]

24 minutes ago, baddog said:

Is the legalization of marijuana really that big of a ticket item? Most of the states that have passed legalization I consider loony toons states anyway. What could be better than a whole country full of Cheech and Chongs?

 My anti-Beto feelings stem from his anti-gun platform. He gave Cruz a good run so there are legit reasons to fret. I just don’t think legal weed will attract enough voters. 

absolutely.  how big of a deal would it be if making alcohol illegal was on the ballot.  Pot may not be that big, but it's close to that big.  It's  a huge deal for the majority of voters under the age of 40.  

[bullets13]

3 hours ago, CardinalBacker said:

The guys who worship Trump are the same guys that hate Abbot because he's too moderate for them.  The guys that they supported (Huffines, West, Prather) weren't electable.... even in the primary.   But they'll sit home and pout in November instead of voting for Abbott and hand the thing to Beto. 

 

I'm afraid this is a very real possibility.  I'm hoping Beto becomes what Trump was for the left... motivation to get out and vote against somebody.

[5GallonBucket]

If conservatives got behind even medical marijuana it would concrete conservative control of this state.

anyone for Beto is a looney.

him going back on his word of guns is a lie. 

[bullets13]

2 hours ago, LumRaiderFan said:

That's the biggest problem with what we have going on right now, the so called "enlightened" undecided voter.

If you are undecided at this point against Abbott or Beto, you have no business voting, BUT they do...can't fix that.

Same for Trump and Biden, these so called moderates (uninformed) voters are killing this country.

You also can't fix the fact that there are morons that choose abhorrent policies over abhorrent behavior.  

 

this is a problem on both the far right and far left... anyone who doesn't align with you can't have different opinions, they're just uninformed or too stupid to see things the "right" way.  and when you start ignoring these "uninformed" moderates, you start losing elections.  

[bullets13]

2 minutes ago, 5GallonBucket said:

If conservatives got behind even medical marijuana it would concrete conservative control of this state.

anyone for Beto is a looney.

him going back on his word of guns is a lie. 

I agree.  A LOT of conservatives are fine with legalization at this point, and there are too many new democrats in the state to think the right doesn't need the libertarian and moderate vote to get elected.  

[bullets13]

1 hour ago, SmashMouth said:

Abbott will win by 8 points or more. 

I'll be shocked if it's by that much.  Even with a less galvanizing candidate from the left, I'd expect his margin to be tighter than last time after lockdowns and ERCOT.  

[Ty Cobb]

I’m voting for Abbott

[Unwoke]

3 hours ago, LumRaiderFan said:

Another silly emotional post, lol.

 

Yep….. Feelings……TDS😂🍊🍊😂

[CardinalBacker]

29 minutes ago, bullets13 said:

this is a problem on both the far right and far left... anyone who doesn't align with you can't have different opinions, they're just uninformed or too stupid to see things the "right" way.  and when you start ignoring these "uninformed" moderates, you start losing elections.  

This is all I've been saying.  I've been to actual Republican meetings over the last few months.  Local leadership way is obviously way down on the Democrats, but equally nasty about "RINOs."  You know, anybody that isn't goose-stepping along with every single item on the platform.  Let's say that you're for lower taxes, support the police, a strong border, oppose abortion, believe in the second Amendment, but believe that we should explore legalization of Marijuana?  You're a dirty RINO and they're going to do their best to silence you. 

 

You can say things like "I believe 100% of everything that you guys are fighting for.... but I've been waiting over a year for some actual proof that there was widespread voter fraud and I just don't see it" and Reagan and the rest of you will start all of the name-calling.

Not following group think puts you on the outs with the loudest party voices... And we can't beat the other side if we're fighting each other in house.