MJ vs Royce: A media analysis view

MJ would be ConservaDem, former Libertarian voting gun nut M.J. Hegar.

Royce would be Legiscritter, or rather, Legisgrifter Royce West, friend (at arm's length at many times) of Our Man Downtown etc.

And the "vs" would be the runoff for the right to face John Cornyn, who once seemed halfway like a Texas version of a Bob Dole conservative, but is now clearly Havana Ted Cruz's running buddy. Maybe he was always somewhat that way and the mask is slipping.

Anywho, in one sense, the runoff doesn't matter to me. I've voting Green David Bruce Collins. But, he chose not to pay the post-HB 2504 filing fee, and the third-parties federal lawsuit over this and other issues isn't set for trial until next year ...

But in that case? I'll write somebody else in, or not vote.

But, the Dems' runoff is worth analysis.

Here's my two cents, round one.

If statewide media engagement is a key, and if said engagement reflects candidate degree of enthusiasm for the race, and candidate perceived degree of backer enthusiasm, Hegar is going to kick West's butt.

I've gotten a dozen or more blast emails in the last week about Hegar doing this, that or the other. Zip, zilch, nada from West.

I've seen this once or twice before. Can't remember if it accurately reflected final results, but I thought it worth noting.

The other differences are that Hegar has more moolah and West more (natch, establishmentarian) endorsements.

What's also funny and/or interesting is that all of Hegar's email blasts are about Cornyn. Nothing about West.

BUT ... in the post-George Floyd world? West is black and Hegar is not. West has background on racial issues, like the annual traffic stops report cop shops have to make, and the Sandra Bland Act. Hegar has none of this. So, she has to act like her lead is insurmountable. And, that's probably part of what's behind this mass email blast. I saw nothing more from her than from West until within the last few weeks. And now, the shift could be a game-winner for West. And Cornyn's "Radical Royce" is a laughter. He's a ConservaDem, or more a GrifterDem who's less conservative than Hegar, nothing more.

But, neither is David Bruce Collins.