Feb
9
Written by:
Andy Hogue
2/9/2010 3:04 PM
The moderators must have gotten the stack of Republican question mixed up with the Democrats': Vouchers, Voter ID, abortion, etc., topped the list of questions at the KERA Democratic candidates' edition of "The Texas Debates."
The two candidates meeting debate criteria, former Houston Mayor Bill White and haircare product magnate Farouk Shami, also locked horns on a variety of other issues closer to the hearts of Democratic voters including regulating Barnett Shale energy production, immigration policy, and the death penalty.
A video of the debate may be viewed here.
The debate took a downright surreal turn at times, with Shami guaranteeing a job for every Texan and offering $10 million of his own money if he does not reach a 10,000 threshold in job creation. He said White oversaw the loss of 43,000 jobs in Houston.
"As a governor, everybody will have a job. That's why I'm running for governor," Shami said.
Naturally, the debate moderators and panelists asked Shami what, specifically, he would do to create jobs. His response was, simply, that he would be the CEO of the state of Texas, and the he could create jobs -- at one time calling for a partnership with community colleges to build solar panels.
Though light on specifics, Shami directly answered a few questions such as what to do about the Voter ID plan from the last session. But he answered the Voter ID question incorrectly, stating that polling places already ask to see a drivers' license (under current statute, a voter can substitute a voter registration card or a utility bill as proof of eligibility).
Shami took several shots at White, attributing his city as one of the top polluters in the nation when he was mayor, and citing budgetary problems which White denied were due to his mayorship.
Shami, who made "green energy" his main platform, asked White whether he would support shutting down Barnett Shale natural gas wells if high levels of Benzene were found in the air. White said he would favor addressing the wells one at a time rather than harming "such a valuable industry" for North Texas.
White addressed education as one of his main subjects of the evening, claiming that Texas is next-to-last in the nation in terms of high school completion rates. Both White and Shami denied that vouchers were a good idea, and favored non-specific reforms to public education in Texas. White said there should be more choice for parents in terms of selecting a school, noting charter schools.
Each of the candidates supported legalized abortion, but Shami said he opposes abortion in the first trimester calling abortion "a very controversial issue." And speaking of terminating lives, Shami called for a moratorium on the death penalty as a means of preventing the death of the possibly innocent. White said while he believes the death penalty should be used less frequently to ban capital punishment would "disrespect" the families of murder victims.
White took a shot or two at Gov. Rick Perry, claiming that he has "brought Washington politics to the statehouse" and that he would be a better alternative come November -- assuming it's a White vs. Perry race in the general. In January, White made several statements which bordered on compliments for U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Perry's chief rival, possibly designed to siphon away anti-Perry voters to his side. No references were made to Debra Medina, the Republican placing third in most polls who appeared with Perry and Hutchison in the Republican edition of "The Texas Debates."
White's only goal, in the meantime, is to clear 51 percent of the vote -- and that was evident last night. But with several other candidates on the Democratic ticket -- Alma Ludivina Aguado, Felix Alvarado, Bill Dear, Clement E. Glenn and Star Locke -- a runoff is theoretically possible should Shami close in on White. In his closing remarks, Shami said it is "time for a Brown governor in Texas," referencing his Palestinian ethnicity and perhaps attempting to gain the multiculturalist and Hispanic voters who may choose a candidate based on his or her last name.
Shami, though also calling for a departure from "business as usual," seemed more interested in catching up to White than knocking the Perry administration. He came off as unknowledgeable on several issues. Though his emergence as a top-level candidate is worthy admiration, his performance and difficulty in understanding questions from the debate panel most likely did not help his candidacy or his image much.
Again, White just about ignored all of Shami's barbs and made the incumbent governor his main target -- certain that White would emerge as the victor in the primary.
Stay tuned after March 2.