Whitmire Outsourced Attacks To Folks With Uncertain Commitment To Democracy

​The Houston Landing recently wrote a story about John Whitmire's successful race for Mayor of Houston. 

From the article:

.....Whitmire repeatedly proclaimed that he would not stoop to negative attacks himself. He kept buying millions of dollars worth of ads, according to campaign finance reports, and his canvassers kept knocking on doors, according to Orta. ...The campaign never seriously considered going negative itself, his consultants said....Jackson Lee was getting attacked-but not by Whitmire. Instead, a pro-Whitmire political action mailer sent out mailers accusing her of wanting to defund the police.

Senator Whitmire outsourced the negative attacks to law enforcement unions and to the super-nasty  Republican echo chamber. Above is a picture of one of the many "public safety" union mailers I got. I think I got 5 total. 

On one hand, that's just politics.

But on the other hand, the law enforcement unions involved support without apparent hesitation candidates and officials who have tried to overturn our Harris County elections. Republican voters are propelling Trump to the 2024 Republican nomination even as he uses Hitler-like language. As you see above, far-right Governor Greg Abbott congratulated  Sen. Whitmire on his win.

So sure John Whitmire did not himself go negative. He left the negativity to folks with a tenuous commitment to democracy. It got him elected and made Houstonians who value democracy less safe. There is no public safety without democracy.

Will John Whitmire stand-up to his electoral allies as authoritarian threats rise?  I'd not wager so much that prospect.  
        
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