DALLAS – (WBAP/KLIF) – Democratic candidate for Texas Governor Lupe Valdez continues to have little luck in persuading Republican Governor Greg Abbott to agree to debates beyond the one hour, one night deal sealed for Friday, September 28th at 7 pm – Texas “Football Friday Night”. While Abbott has newly agreed to add Spanish language televisions to the expected broadcasts, Valdez seems to have some trouble even getting assurances Abbott will also agree to a translator that night.
It’s a strategy SMU Political Science Professor Cal Jillson has seen before. When candidates are sitting “in the cat-bird’s seat” such as Abbott, with an approximate 20-point lead in polls, and leading with millions in campaign funding as compared to Valdez’s several hundreds thousand dollars, the less one debates in public offers fewer challenger opportunities to score points. With this strategy, Jillson explains, Abbott allows less of a chance for Valdez to curry favor with voters with debate arguments or “one-liners” that might be written in history books.
The debate is now scheduled as a one-shot, one hour debate live from Austin, Friday September 28th, at 7 PM – Texas “Friday Night Football” night.
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