Texas: General Elections 2006

by Bryan Comer

So Ricky decided to post segments of a televised debate on his website. Now, if I was him, I’d make myself look good… but ya know, that’s just me.

Here’s the link by the way: http://rickbolanosfortexas.com/

So first, the moderator refers to him as republican. That’s excellent for a democratic candidate don’t you think?

Anyways, he starts off OK. On Iraq, he says that we must stand down in order for Iraqi’s to stand up. If we don’t stand down they have no incentive to risk their lives to secure their country. He does say that Iraqi’s should be paying the ultimate price for their freedom, not Americans. That probably goes over well in his district.

He attempts to link incumbant Henry Bonilla to the White House. He says that Bonills cares about “corporate wealth” instead of “commonwealth.” And that we need a “transparent government” that everyone can see what’s going on behind the scenes. He even goes as far to claim that appealing to interest group pressures is the same as “prostitution of our nation to the highest bidder.”

Doing OK so far, maybe a little risque with the prostitution theme, but ok.

Now’s where things get interesting. Bolanos is asked a question regarding illegal immigration; given that the 23rd district is a border district. Here’s how he explains the problem:

“My Dad used to tell me that, if you give a donkey a carrot and let him taste it, and then put the donkey’s head toward a carrot – hang the carrot right in front of it, the donkey will start running after that carrot because it has that desire to get that carrot.”

He equates the carrot to jobs in the U.S. and, by default, defines the donkey as Mexicans.

I’m shaking my head right now…

Why would you equate Mexican’s to donkeys? Why, why, why? The 23rd is 55% Hispanic. This is a very big mistake. What’s better, is that his solution to the “donkey problem” is getting rid of jobs in the U.S. so that people from Mexico wouldn’t want to come here anymore. He wants to “take away the carrot.”

Does anyone think he won over his district? Me neither.