Lina Hidalgo, 2018 Democratic candidate for Harris County Judge (from her campaign's Facebook page) This longtime Green apparatchik, who has used some strong and unpleasant language in referring to the US Democratic Party, is strongly considering volunteering for a self-identified progressive Democrat's campaign in 2018.
This afternoon I sat down at Brasil with Lina Hidalgo, candidate for Harris County Judge, for a chat & chew. As mentioned previously, I reached out to her campaign after seeing her give a remarkably coherent 90-second get-to-know-me speech at the Gulf Coast Our Revolution meeting two weeks ago. If the Green Party's ballot access drive doesn't pan out, I hope to be able to help kick Hidalgo's campaign into overdrive between June and early November.
Hidalgo has no opponents at all, let alone an pro-establishment opponent in the primary race. As far as I'm concerned, that's a plus. Assuming she doesn't pull an Ahmad Hassan and bail out of the race (she assured me that she won't), she will be there and in need of support this summer and fall. Plus, when running against a moderate Republican as well liked as Judge Ed Emmett, you may as well cast yourself as a fire-spitting Progressive.
This afternoon I sat down at Brasil with Lina Hidalgo, candidate for Harris County Judge, for a chat & chew. As mentioned previously, I reached out to her campaign after seeing her give a remarkably coherent 90-second get-to-know-me speech at the Gulf Coast Our Revolution meeting two weeks ago. If the Green Party's ballot access drive doesn't pan out, I hope to be able to help kick Hidalgo's campaign into overdrive between June and early November.
Hidalgo has no opponents at all, let alone an pro-establishment opponent in the primary race. As far as I'm concerned, that's a plus. Assuming she doesn't pull an Ahmad Hassan and bail out of the race (she assured me that she won't), she will be there and in need of support this summer and fall. Plus, when running against a moderate Republican as well liked as Judge Ed Emmett, you may as well cast yourself as a fire-spitting Progressive.
It's hard for me to imagine Hidalgo pounding the pulpit in righteous indignation, railing against Harris County's Republican old-boy network. To succeed, however, she needs to communicate forcefully what motivates her to run against it. If she can educate people about how important county government is in a county of 4.5 million residents, more than many entire nations, she's already at an advantage. I believe that progressive ideas will fix what's wrong with this county, and that expressing progressive ideas in ways voters can understand is the route to victory.
Not a Gotcha Session
Over lunch, I had a good deal more than 90 seconds to gauge Hidalgo's progressivity. This did not involve rating her positions on a laundry list of issues on 10-point scales, nor did I ask any gotcha questions in hopes of writing her off as a Fauxgressive. While I got some of the answers I was looking for on important topics, I also wound up dispensing some information.
Sure, it would have been great to sit down with somebody who spontaneously and sincerely rages against Hillbots, praises Naomi Klein as an apostle of truth, or shouts "Black Lives Matter!" with her fist in the air. That's not her style.
Remainder Deleted at the Candidate's Request
Not that there were any major secrets revealed in the original posting here, but Hidalgo has asked me to take down the substance of our conversation. She is rightly cautious about distinguishing between speaking on the record and just in casual conversation, and I never made it clear that our conversation would be published. I apologize for that lapse.
Not a Gotcha Session
Over lunch, I had a good deal more than 90 seconds to gauge Hidalgo's progressivity. This did not involve rating her positions on a laundry list of issues on 10-point scales, nor did I ask any gotcha questions in hopes of writing her off as a Fauxgressive. While I got some of the answers I was looking for on important topics, I also wound up dispensing some information.
Sure, it would have been great to sit down with somebody who spontaneously and sincerely rages against Hillbots, praises Naomi Klein as an apostle of truth, or shouts "Black Lives Matter!" with her fist in the air. That's not her style.
Remainder Deleted at the Candidate's Request
Not that there were any major secrets revealed in the original posting here, but Hidalgo has asked me to take down the substance of our conversation. She is rightly cautious about distinguishing between speaking on the record and just in casual conversation, and I never made it clear that our conversation would be published. I apologize for that lapse.
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