Bringing a cannon to a knife fight...

The knives are out... Kay's campaign is running a relatively hard hitting television ad right now hitting Rick for cronyism... but her oozing hypocrisy on ethics and lobbying is making it hard for her attacks to stick without backfiring...

Liberal Glenn Smith who helped run Democrat Ann Richards' winning campaign in 1990 has some advice for Kay. Excerpt follows...

There were only a few weeks left before the election. The attacks on Ann from Mattox and White are now part of Texas legend. They were scurrilous, lowdown and mean. But like most political attacks, they were working, even as people condemned them.

Before I get into the details of how we mounted a successful comeback despite the political street geniuses who said it couldn’t be done, some preliminary advice. Stay in close touch with your sense of humor. When the first public poll showed us trailing, our only response was to release a copy of a recent National Enquirer cover: “55% Believe Elvis Lives!” Ann had spirit. Her campaign had a heartbeat. It was a lot better than the usual dull response to campaign poll trouble: “The only poll that matters is on election day.”

How did we do it? As the saying goes, if you’re going to be in a knife fight, bring a gun. We brought a cannon.

Here's the problem though... Kay doesn't have a good sense of humor and is not as feisty as Ann Richards for one... but two... Kay has clearly been running a more negative campaign... a more personally negative campaign. Kay's attacks even when they are issue based really are about cronyism and personal conduct things... Rick's attacks are more disciplined and focus on a few unanimously weak points in Kay's record...

Moreover... I think Kay is the one who has been bringing a knife to the fight... and Rick is just sitting there waiting with his cannon... waiting... to paraphrase Glenn Smith... until he sees the white of her eyes...

Take this new generic cookie cutter campaign ad from Kay...

Any campaign could make this ad about any other incumbent... it is just bland. It is a steak knife...

Rick's peeps responded with a web based cannon on Washington Kay (link). Excerpt follows...

Senator uses more than $12,000 in taxpayer money to reimburse lobbyists, corporations and donors for use of their jets; has spent more than $518,000 for 154 private flights

Will Rick's keeps put some actual money behind an ad similar to this? Or what else do they have up their sleeves? So far Kay is the one bringing the knife... and Rick is the one bringing the cannon... Kay's going to have to bring some missiles... but again those missiles may be inflicting damage on Rick but they are also damaging Kay... and Medina as the untainted non incumbent is the beneficiary mostly at Kay's expense... and Kay is now at serious risk of coming in third place...

I would love to see a Rasmussen or other public survey question that asks "Do you think Kay's attacks on Rick are fair?" and "Do you think Rick's attacks on Kay are fair?" Even though Kay is a woman I bet her attacks against Rick would be rated as much more unfair than his attacks on her. What do I base this on? In my line of work I talk to a lot of people... and almost all of them seem to have strong opinions on this very issue.

People can smell hypocrisy from a mile away, and more people see Kay's attacks as more personally mean spirited, hypocritical, and recycled from old campaigns from Democrats... while more of them see Rick's attacks as revealing, eye opening, and sharp...

Mostly I am seeing and hearing that Republicans in general are uncomfortable with the attacks from both sides, and some of those peeps are going to Medina... but even people who say the intra family attacks make them uncomfortable also say that Kay is the one who picked the fight... she prison shanked Rick in the yard... so almost any response he makes will be justifiable homicide based on self defense...