Abortion, Inflation and Uvalde: Texas Governor’s Debate Preview
real clear politics vote average Abbott scored eight points in the race. Here are some themes to keep an eye on while colliding.
O’Rourke to Coming Out Swing
The incumbent has good reasons, and Abbott, like many before him, has benefited from it.
Expect O’Rourke to get involved in various issues against incumbents. Power grids, abortion restrictions, and the shooting at Uvalde’s school are all his one of the challenger’s most frequent rhetorical attacks.
But the longest-standing problem with O’Rourke’s arsenal of power grids and the state’s response since the 2021 collapse may be less pronounced after the power grid. Beyond A test of this summer’s rising temperatures and surge in power demand.
Recently, O’Rourke’s rhetoric has rising costs This is the result of the state’s post-collapse caution in operating the grid, and the early introduction of more backup generations comes at a premium.
Democrats got fundraising boost Since the U.S. Supreme Court decision, dobbs vs jacksonwhich overturned Law vs Wadebring the issue of abortion restrictions back to the states.
State Republicans passed a “trigger ban” on abortion in 2021. egg. this Total ban on abortion Although it made assisted abortion a felony, it does not punish the mother or take steps to save her life in a medical emergency.
Since then, O’Rourke and other Democrats have called for abortions. top features In particular, it emphasizes that there are no rape or incest exceptions to the law.his TV advertising It attacked incumbents for “signing up to the most extreme abortion ban in the country.”
Recently, Abbott has turned his rhetoric strongly back to dissenters and defends state laws. say it“Abortion takes the life of a baby. Our goal in passing the laws that are passed is to protect the lives of those babies.” I hit
Back in May, when asked if there were any legal restrictions he would support, Democrats Said The Texan It’s a “woman’s decision”.
Extensive polls show that most public support is somewhere between Texas legal restrictions on abortion and O’Rourke’s position of no restrictions.
After Uvalde, O’Rourke gazed at Learn about gun restrictions, including red flag laws, universal background checks, and raising the age to buy a rifle to 21.
He also said, “The AR-15 and the AK-47 [possession in] community,” and if elected, he softened it by only saying that he might have to “compromise a few things about it.”
O’Rourke also linked the state’s recently passed Unlicensed Carrying Handguns Act to the Uvalde shooting, a crime that doesn’t involve a handgun.
Before tomorrow’s debate, O’Rourke will host a press conference to join the families of Uvalde school shooting victims to call for raising the age to buy a rifle.
“It has been more than four months, or 18 months, since Abbott told Uvalde’s 21 families that the sixth mass shooting under his supervision ‘could have been much worse’. Weeks have passed,” O’Rourke’s campaign said in a release.
“These families have repeatedly called for accountability, justice and action after five of the deadliest mass shootings in American history by Texans during Abbott’s presidency.”
These issues, though not all-encompassing, may be among the rhetorical arrows O’Rourke casts at Abbott. And O’Rourke, who is consistently out in the red in the top single digits, has to earn some ground in his only one-on-one clash with an opponent.
Abbott connects O’Rourke and the White House
Both inflation and illegal border crossings have reached considerable heights in the country, and Abbott focuses on both. Frequently, he has taken out his anger on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and his resident, President Joe Biden.
Abbott has also habitually linked O’Rourke to these issues.
Biden’s approval rating in Texas is low, pegged at a net minus 18 points by the latest Quinnipiac. pollVoters in polls put border issues far above their list of priority issues, followed by abortion and inflation.
O’Rourke, who parted ways with the Biden administration over border disputes, is calling for “order and rule of law,” including turning back asylum seekers without credible claims. changed. Facilitate Deportation of Illegal Border Crossers to Prevent Epidemic Spread – Biden Administration Has tried Ends from May.
Over the course of the week, O’Rourke liked Eliminate Title 42 enforcement, criticized The White House admitted to discontinuing carts before the horse, and then decided to support phasing out carts for an extended period of time.
the border guard encountered Over 2 million illegal immigrants have crossed the border this year, not counting those who evade detection.
Abbott has continually slammed the Biden administration for “ignoring the crisis on the southern border” and ramped up Operation Lone Star. This is the deployment of the state’s Texas National Guard to try to plug the many holes left by lax federal enforcement.
Recently the governor started bus Illegal immigrants to other large, self-proclaimed “sanctuary cities” across the country have attracted national media attention. specify A Mexican drug cartel that trades fentanyl as a “terrorist”.
Regarding inflation, Abbott tied both federal spending — highlight The president’s recent edict to forgive some outstanding student loans — Biden’s energy policy as a driver of rising prices.
Governor wrestles with president over energy direction — claim The use of erroneous data to justify increased regulation of oil and gas producers in the Permian Basin – and turned the cards on O’Rourke’s past statements.
During this campaign, Democrats expressed support for increased oil and gas employment and production, especially to replace Russia as the top supplier to Europe. But during the presidential election and through the current election, O’Rourke supported policies such as the cap-and-trade system, which sets limits and tradable credits on private sector emissions. Prohibits excavation on state land. Stop offshore drilling in the Gulf.
for gas bills spiked In June, Abbott’s campaign took a toll on the opposition.
Similar jibes can be imposed during debates.
On both issues, Abbott has an edge in the polls. in early September poll from dallas morning newsthe governor boasted There was a 24 point trust advantage for ‘border security’, 11 points for ‘improved economy’ and 14 points for ‘reduced crime’.
The only area where O’Rourke had an advantage was a one-point lead in “bringing people together.”
Houston casts a Texas-sized shadow
As the state’s largest city, it’s not just populous, it’s also a big presence in political debates. It is used both as a progressive talisman and a conservative punching bag in politics across the state.
Harris County report There will be 720 homicides so far in 2022, a 65% increase from 2018. An increase in these murders has been attributed to criminals, often violent, release A small bail or personal bond and then continue killing. Since 2018, 183 people have been killed by criminals who have received these releases.
Abbott made it a feature of his campaign. Press conference“Harris County’s revolving bail doors are literally killing people.”
He has since pledged to reform state bail even more than the state did in the last Congress.
Harris County and Houston aren’t the only places in Texas to have this policy in place, but it’s been the subject of criticism.
The county also became the latest face of a police “defund” after the Texas State Comptroller issued an order. discover Especially since more than $3 million in rollover funds were removed from the Constable budget.in the county suedcontesting that claim by the state.
Abbott campaign aired on television sales pitch A ban on funding state police departments passed last year calls for additional bail restrictions.
Harris County has also been in the limelight at election-related events such as: randomly selected For the second year in a row, for the Secretary of State’s election audit this fall, the not included 10,000 total votes on primary night.
O’Rourke criticized the Republican marquee election reform bill passed last year as a “voter suppression law.”During last legislative session, O’Rourke rallied Raised funds for state House Democrats who opposed the election bill and flew to Washington, D.C. to break the quorum and stalled the process.
Part of the law is increased scrutiny of vote-by-mail applications, resulting in higher rejection rates by county elections offices. O’Rourke criticizes this. say it“Instead of Abbott’s extreme and anti-democratic voter suppression agenda, online and same-day voter registration must pass, reduce barriers to voting by mail, and expand access to voting sites in Texas.” .”
Houston and Harris County may not be mentioned by name in the discussion, but the state’s largest cities and counties loom larger than any other on these two issues in particular.
The contest will begin at 7:00 p.m. Friday and will be available for broadcast and streaming in every county in the state.
https://thetexan.news/abortion-inflation-uvalde-a-preview-of-the-texas-governors-debate/ Abortion, Inflation and Uvalde: Texas Governor’s Debate Preview