An Open Letter to State Senator Dan Patrick

Let me start by pointing out that I am a middle class, home owning, college educated, white male who resides in your senatorial district.  In other words, there is no question that I represent your target demographic. Though I do not espouse a particular party affiliation, in the six presidential elections that I have been old enough to participate in, I have voted for the Republican candidate five times.  In the six Texas gubernatorial elections that I have been old enough to participate in, I have voted for the Republican candidate four times. The reason why I share the above information is to assure you that this is not a partisan attack of some kind. I write this as essentially a center-right independent.

Key to a democracy is the voter having the chance to weigh the positions and the judge the mettle of the candidates.  The best vehicle for this is the debate, with multiple debates providing candidates the opportunity to clarify his or her beliefs, philosophy and intended actions. Which in turn allows the voter to make a better-informed decision.  Next to the candidate debate, meeting with the editorial boards of the major newspapers that serve the people you aspire to represent better informs the electorate of what it can expect if it elects a particular candidate.

Sadly, since securing your party’s nomination it seems that you have purposefully avoided debating your opponent and have deemed meeting with editorial boards unworthy of your time.  Your spokespeople point out that as the frontrunner there is little need for you to do either. Which, in my opinion, communicates very clearly that you are more interested in winning than leading.  Not the quality I look for when evaluating the merits of a given candidate.  By limiting and postponing debate with your opponent and by not making yourself available to the editorial boards across the state the only information left to evaluate your candidacy is your record and your rhetoric.  Which have consistently been anti-public schools, anti-infrastructure and anti-inclusion. 

At this point, I cannot say that by making yourself more available to the electorate that you will secure my vote. What I can say is based on your current strategy you will not secure it.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

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