1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:05,600 Speaker 1: Through the first phase of this election. We're in the 2 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 1: dog days of summer early to mid July before a 3 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: March primary. The way this works for the Democrats is 4 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: candidates are making the rounds right now and they're tying 5 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: up the big money guys. And in Democrat circles in 6 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: Harris County is very different than Republicans. The big money 7 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:44,160 Speaker 1: guys don't pick the candidates, fund the candidate, and choose 8 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:48,839 Speaker 1: who will be in office. On the Republican side, the 9 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 1: most influential is Texans for lawsuit Reform. They will identify 10 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: their candidate, often grooming them along the way. They will 11 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: bring them up through the ranks through a state rep seed, 12 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: a state Senate seed. They will raise the money and 13 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: and they've they've got a lot of it, and they 14 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 1: will put the consultants on it. They've got very smart people. 15 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: Dennis Calabres is very bright. They've got Carl Rove type people, 16 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: and perhaps Carl Rove. They've got a network of people 17 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 1: who've been giving. Now, these guys are getting a lot older, 18 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 1: but in in in many of their family offices, the 19 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,959 Speaker 1: Sun now runs the family office. The Sun is the 20 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: scion of the family and and he's got and those 21 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 1: folks trust Dick Week, Dick Weekly, and and Dick Trabulsi's 22 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: kind of more behind the scenes. Dick Trabulsi is the 23 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 1: uh Richard of Richards Liquor. If you remember the Richards 24 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: that have a black logo with the white cursive writing 25 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: of Richard's real he high end liquor store, befitting a Randalls. Well, 26 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: the Onsted family didn't want to have liquor stores. They 27 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 1: don't have liquor in their store. So there was kind 28 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 1: of a wink nod nod because when you were picking 29 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: up your groceries, you also wanted to pick up your booze, 30 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 1: so you would go to Randalls and then you'd have 31 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,639 Speaker 1: to come out of the Randall's door and walk next 32 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: door to Richard's, a separate shop if you will. To 33 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 1: buy your booze in a liquor store that didn't feel 34 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:36,919 Speaker 1: like you were going to get robbed. There wasn't a 35 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,960 Speaker 1: homeless guy sitting on a box in the corner, you know, 36 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 1: there wasn't foreign language music playing. It didn't stink you 37 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:49,920 Speaker 1: could use the bathroom it was. It was a very boutique, 38 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: nice liquor store. And Dick Trebulsey had, I don't know 39 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:58,239 Speaker 1: how many, he must have had twenty of those. And 40 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: for those of you who were around when Randall's was 41 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:04,679 Speaker 1: the dominant chain before you had Whole Foods and h 42 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: GB really stepped up their game to the higher quality 43 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:13,359 Speaker 1: and the fancier stores, Randall's was the store on stats 44 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 1: were very, very influential people in this community and they 45 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,119 Speaker 1: were everywhere, and their stores had a different feel to them. 46 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 1: They would put the brown flooring more intimate, more cozy, 47 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: more welcoming and warm inside. If you remember those stores, 48 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 1: if you want to get a feel for what that 49 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: store looked like, the last one I know of that's 50 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 1: like that is on West Timer at about Guestner, and 51 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 1: it's tucked in there. There's a l Tempo on Guestner 52 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 1: about a block north of West Teimer. On the southeast 53 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: corner of the Guestner West Teimer intersection there's a big 54 00:03:56,200 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: Tesla store. Then on the northeast corner there is a 55 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: I think it's an excellent station, and then set back 56 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 1: in that strip center is a Randalls. If you want 57 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: to get a feel for what Randalls used to be like, 58 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: that was it. It feels a little bit dated and 59 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:19,040 Speaker 1: a little quaint now, like going to your grandmother's house 60 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: in Tanglewood. My grandmother didn't live in Tanglewood, but we 61 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: all know these type of people. If you grew up 62 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:28,160 Speaker 1: in Houston and you went to Saint John's or Kincaid 63 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:34,040 Speaker 1: or Saint Francis or Memorial or Saint Thomas, and your 64 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: grandmother had that kind of nice home in Tanglewood, but 65 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: it was getting a little bit dated. That's what Randalls became. Anyway, 66 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:45,280 Speaker 1: I got a little distracted. Dick Treboulsi is a major force. 67 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:47,799 Speaker 1: I don't know the extent to which he's still involved 68 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: with Texas for lawsuit reform. It's still really primarily Dick Weekly. 69 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 1: And Dick gives a lot of money, and he's very smart, 70 00:04:56,080 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 1: and he likes to win well. On the Republicans side, 71 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:04,720 Speaker 1: you've got the money guys very influential in who the 72 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: canidate will be. On the Democrat side, it's not like that. 73 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:12,720 Speaker 1: On the Democrat side, it is operatives. It will today 74 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 1: it's Rodney Ellis. I've been involved in Houston area politics 75 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 1: as a student and a participant to varying degrees since 76 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty nine. I know the players. I know how 77 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 1: the game is played. I know who the influential players 78 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 1: are and who their friendships and alliances are, and which 79 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 1: union is going to support which way. And there has 80 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 1: been nothing like Rodney's hegemony over this area, his absolute dominance. 81 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: He is the boss, he is the godfather. And it's 82 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: not just that he's respected and people go to it. 83 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:52,159 Speaker 1: It is that he is feared. It is that he 84 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 1: is unquestioned. I've never seen anything like this, not in 85 00:05:55,720 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: the modern era. In a large city, is there one 86 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:08,919 Speaker 1: guy who has this kind of power. He picked some white, male, 87 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 1: white liberal Democrat male judges on the Harris County Judiciary 88 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: and decided that he was going to knock them off. 89 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:23,039 Speaker 1: So he went and got black women, some of whom 90 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: had really not practiced law, just happened to have a 91 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: law degree, which is requisite to being a judge, and 92 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: he took He funnels the sorows money and he through 93 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: his Justice League or Progressive He's got a couple different organizations. 94 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:42,279 Speaker 1: He starts running these ads in black newspapers, and yes 95 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: there are still black newspapers. You'll never see them, but 96 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 1: they're sent out in the mail like an old pony 97 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: sheet that it would tell you who to vote for, 98 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:55,920 Speaker 1: and those advertisements still matter. He still has the pastors, 99 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 1: and the pastors, the black pastors, the black churches on 100 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:01,719 Speaker 1: the East side of the Maine have a great deal 101 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 1: of influence even still to this day. And Rodney has 102 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: all the power sources, and he's got the rich downtown money. 103 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 1: He's got the John Arnold, who's one of the richest 104 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 1: men in the country and one of the five biggest 105 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:23,160 Speaker 1: donors to politics in the country. And Rodney's got the checkbook. 106 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 1: He writes checks for whatever he wants. 107 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 2: Experience the excitement of Oshan the Michael Berry show, everything. 108 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: You need and most everything you want. So the Harris 109 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 1: County Judge Democrat primary, I don't know that all these 110 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 1: candidates that are currently in will be in as of 111 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 1: as of the primary. I don't know that they'll all 112 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 1: make it to election day. I don't think Lenahdalgo runs. 113 00:07:54,280 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 1: We'll start there. Lena serves at Rodney's pleasure, And Rodney 114 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 1: could have kept everybody out of this race except for 115 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 1: a nice porker. She was going to run and she 116 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: doesn't need Rodney's blessing. And when she wins, she will 117 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:25,920 Speaker 1: have an uneasy piece with Rodney Ellis because it's a 118 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 1: four year term and I've seen how she can operate 119 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: with someone like him. She can be icy cold, but 120 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:40,960 Speaker 1: get along. But she's not going to do his bidding 121 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 1: the way Lena Hudalgo is. She's not going to let 122 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 1: him talk her into committing crimes. She's not going to 123 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:52,560 Speaker 1: do the corruption in graft. She is a reformer at heart. 124 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:58,320 Speaker 1: I know this to be true, and she's going to 125 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 1: battle Rodney. If Anice Porker wins the primary, an wins 126 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:09,320 Speaker 1: the general election, which is not a foregone conclusion, but 127 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 1: if that were to happen, she and Rodney would have 128 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:17,079 Speaker 1: some difficulties. It wouldn't be an open spat on a 129 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:22,040 Speaker 1: daily basis, but there would be some difficulties. She would 130 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:24,760 Speaker 1: get along much better with John Whitmyer, who does not 131 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:28,559 Speaker 1: get along with Lena Hidalgo, does not like Lena Hidalgo. 132 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:34,080 Speaker 1: And by the way, the greatest secret in Harris County 133 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:38,200 Speaker 1: politics that never gets talked about, John Whitmyer and Rodney 134 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:43,839 Speaker 1: Ellis hate each other. You don't hate a Democrat as 135 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 1: much as these two men hate each other. I'll give 136 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:51,679 Speaker 1: you a little bit of the history in the maybe 137 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:56,199 Speaker 1: late eighties, early nineties. It's also long ago that I forget. 138 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:02,880 Speaker 1: PBS was doing a series that no one knew about yet, 139 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:08,439 Speaker 1: and it was about corruption in politics. And Rodney has 140 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 1: this sort of weird need to cut deals behind the scenes, 141 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 1: very clandestine. He likes to lower his voice. He likes this. 142 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 1: He's very smart, but he also has a tragic flaw 143 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 1: that Rodney is too cute by half. And so Rodney 144 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:32,440 Speaker 1: agrees to do this thing, or probably ask them to 145 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:36,439 Speaker 1: do it with PBS where he wears a wire on 146 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 1: the floor of the State Senate. So the Senate is 147 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:43,839 Speaker 1: in session and the guys are all you know, it 148 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:46,080 Speaker 1: maybe one of the early days, and they're all talking. 149 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:49,600 Speaker 1: And I don't know if you've ever been in the 150 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:54,199 Speaker 1: locker room of a sports team, but when Trump was 151 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: called on the carpet for the grab them by the 152 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 1: Whoho coming, he says has locker room talk every at 153 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:04,440 Speaker 1: least every guy, and some women understand what that means. 154 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 1: And truthfully, for all the pearl clutching, you get a 155 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:16,200 Speaker 1: group of women together talking about their husbands, talking about 156 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 1: one of their members that they don't like because she 157 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:21,360 Speaker 1: thinks she's too good for them, or because she's always 158 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:23,600 Speaker 1: asking for this, and because she shows up and then 159 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:26,280 Speaker 1: they wish she would. You get them talk. You will 160 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:30,560 Speaker 1: hear some of the nastiest, most crass language, vile talk. 161 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 1: None of it means anything, just the way people talk. Well, 162 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 1: Rodney wears a wire for PBS and he goes up 163 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:45,160 Speaker 1: to people and he kind of induces them to say 164 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:48,440 Speaker 1: things that appear to be very corrupt. And some of 165 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:52,959 Speaker 1: them were some of us just locker room talk. Hey, 166 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:58,079 Speaker 1: screwl Molly last night. Oh no, And so there was 167 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:05,839 Speaker 1: a lot of that. PBS does this expose, and the 168 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:12,880 Speaker 1: expose is these senators, Republicans and Democrats talking in this 169 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 1: manner in the clubby atmosphere of the Senate, and it 170 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:29,120 Speaker 1: absolutely inflamed a hatred for Rodney that persists to this day. 171 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:34,440 Speaker 1: And Whitmyer will never trust him, never forgive him, doesn't 172 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:38,560 Speaker 1: like him, hates him. But I assure you the feeling 173 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:42,800 Speaker 1: is mutual. Rodney has worked behind the scenes very hard 174 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 1: to undercut Whitmyer at every turn, so the Democrat primary, 175 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:53,120 Speaker 1: so that the mayoral race between Sheila and Whitmyer was 176 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 1: effectively a Democrat primary. And part of the reason we 177 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:01,560 Speaker 1: got involved was to keep Sheila from winning, because Whitmyer 178 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: was the only guy who had a chance to win, 179 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:08,440 Speaker 1: and absent a Republican candidate, you got two folks on 180 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:12,200 Speaker 1: the spectrum. All Whitmyer had to be was one inch 181 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:15,400 Speaker 1: to the right of Sheila, and he would pick up 182 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 1: every Republican vote, every moderate and Republican vote, which is 183 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 1: there's not a lot of in the city, but there's 184 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:24,080 Speaker 1: enough to win a race. He would pick up all 185 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:28,679 Speaker 1: of those if he could get them to vote. It 186 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:32,240 Speaker 1: wasn't surprising that Republicans voted for John Whitmyer over Sheila 187 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 1: Jackson Lee. Not a high bar there. What was surprising, 188 00:13:38,559 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 1: and he knows this, is that Republicans actually showed up 189 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:45,800 Speaker 1: to vote. Because if Republicans stayed home, as they normally do, 190 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 1: and all you had was thirty five to forty percent 191 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:54,840 Speaker 1: black vote, and the Jewish vote, and the gay vote, 192 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 1: and the young white liberal, the DINX and the that's 193 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 1: double income no kid Jim and you know, post college, 194 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 1: early job and then some old folks and then the 195 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 1: Hispanic vote on the East Side. If that was all 196 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 1: that showed up to vote, Whitmark gets wiped out. She 197 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:19,000 Speaker 1: wins We remember that race as being a runaway and 198 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:22,400 Speaker 1: Sheila had no chance. That's not true when you look 199 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:28,680 Speaker 1: at the numbers. Sheila, remember there was a runoff, and 200 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 1: the runoff was on a Saturday, and she had to 201 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 1: announce by Monday at five whether she was going to 202 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 1: run for her congressional seat again. She knew she was 203 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 1: terminal at this point, She's continuing to run knowing she 204 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: has terminal cancer. They deny it, but it's true. I 205 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 1: know it's true. I can't tell you how I know 206 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 1: it's true, but I know it's true. And all she 207 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 1: wanted was to be mayor. She had wanted to be 208 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:54,040 Speaker 1: mayor for all those years, which she'd love to be president. 209 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:57,680 Speaker 1: But at this point she was this close to holding 210 00:14:57,680 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 1: the scepter, and she wasn't going to pull out of 211 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 1: the race and do the right thing. She didn't care 212 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 1: if she died in office with cancer. She didn't care 213 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: if she couldn't do the job because she was suffering 214 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 1: from cancer. And the same was also true Sevester Turner. 215 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:12,520 Speaker 1: I'm sorry to speak ill of the dead, but that's 216 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 1: a fact. When you are a steward of the public power, 217 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:21,440 Speaker 1: this public responsibility and the public Treasury. You don't get 218 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 1: to have this veil of protection around you because now 219 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:29,000 Speaker 1: you're dead. No, that's that doesn't work that way. 220 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:42,000 Speaker 2: We don't do that with Nixon, Michael Berry. 221 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:46,600 Speaker 1: So here's how this race is going to play out. 222 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:53,520 Speaker 1: For the Democrat primary. I told you about the mayoral election. 223 00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 1: City versus county. City elections are in off years. County 224 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:05,160 Speaker 1: elections are in even years. City elections for the City 225 00:16:05,160 --> 00:16:07,760 Speaker 1: of Houston sort of interesting. And you see this with 226 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: other small cities around the area. Nobody votes. Only a 227 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:20,440 Speaker 1: tiny percentage of people actually vote, and so that makes 228 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:26,280 Speaker 1: blocks of votes that do show up and vote very powerful. 229 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:30,680 Speaker 1: So you could have a community that's ten percent of 230 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 1: the community that ninety percent of their people show up 231 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:39,040 Speaker 1: and vote. Now they're nine percent of the overall community, 232 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 1: not that big, but when only twenty percent of the 233 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:46,720 Speaker 1: people vote, you've got half the voters right there. That 234 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 1: gives somebody a huge, huge head start. Well, when you 235 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:57,400 Speaker 1: look at the mayoral race, which was basically a Democrat primary, 236 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 1: it wasn't just a Democrat primary, and that was my point. 237 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:06,800 Speaker 1: It was a Democrat primary plus all the Republicans over 238 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 1: here that don't normally vote and Republicans went for Whitmyer 239 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 1: because we and everybody else said, vote for Whitmyer so 240 00:17:16,840 --> 00:17:20,359 Speaker 1: we don't have Sheila Jackson Lee. And there was a 241 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:25,640 Speaker 1: concerted effort behind the scenes by Republican organizations to help 242 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:29,280 Speaker 1: Whipmyer win. Not because Whitmyer's our guy. He ended up 243 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: endorsing Kamala Harris half heartedly. We did not because Whitmyer's 244 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:37,040 Speaker 1: our guy, but because we knew that Sheila Jackson Lee 245 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:39,720 Speaker 1: would be the end of Houston. So he had the 246 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 1: great good fortune of running against someone who was so 247 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:46,800 Speaker 1: hated that people would show up just to keep her 248 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:49,119 Speaker 1: from winning. You've got to really be hated to be 249 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 1: at that level. Now, the Democrat primary that will be 250 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:59,400 Speaker 1: the county Judge will not have that benefit. Republicans are 251 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:03,160 Speaker 1: not going over there to vote in that race, especially 252 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:06,440 Speaker 1: if Lena stays out of it. Republicans are going to 253 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:11,800 Speaker 1: be more worried and and and energized over voting uh 254 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:15,480 Speaker 1: Dan Crenshaw out in his congressional race, voting for the 255 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:20,119 Speaker 1: attorney general, voting in the US Senate race for Paxton 256 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:24,360 Speaker 1: against Corning or if they replace Cornyn, which looks more 257 00:18:24,359 --> 00:18:28,919 Speaker 1: and more likely, and the more he says they're not, 258 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:31,720 Speaker 1: the more he is having to deal with. This is 259 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:35,399 Speaker 1: the same thing's going on with Lena Hudalgo. Methinks the 260 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:39,080 Speaker 1: girl does protest too much. She keeps saying I didn't 261 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:40,880 Speaker 1: say i'm I didn't say I'm not running. Quick quit 262 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:42,640 Speaker 1: saying I'm not I said I wasn't running. I never 263 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:46,520 Speaker 1: said that. And now she's gone. You know, she's unstable. 264 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:49,040 Speaker 1: And she gets caddy, and when she gets caddy, she 265 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:53,199 Speaker 1: gets middle school caddy. The level of her caddy is 266 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:59,880 Speaker 1: not very sophisticated. So Letitia Plumber Kamala Harris of Houston 267 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:05,600 Speaker 1: City Council. She's a half Yamani Indians, so Indian live 268 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:09,679 Speaker 1: in Africa and half black. She appears to be pretty smart, 269 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:16,080 Speaker 1: she's attractive. She's on city council. Now, what she wasn't 270 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:18,760 Speaker 1: supposed to do was announce that she was running. Because 271 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,480 Speaker 1: the minute she announces she's running, that triggers that she 272 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:24,399 Speaker 1: has to step down from city council. When she's no 273 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:27,520 Speaker 1: longer on city council, then the people doing business with 274 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 1: City council have no reason to give her money in 275 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:33,800 Speaker 1: a county seat. So she's not going to be able 276 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:37,400 Speaker 1: to raise money, and they don't want to give her 277 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:43,440 Speaker 1: money in a county seat because Rodney controls the contracts, 278 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:48,399 Speaker 1: and if they piss Rodney off, they'll lose their county, 279 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:51,920 Speaker 1: their county jobs. So Rodney's got this pot of money, 280 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:54,760 Speaker 1: which is the county jobs. That's why you know Lena's 281 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:58,360 Speaker 1: not running because all of the engineers, which is who 282 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:03,120 Speaker 1: funds these elections, theeers, surveyors to a less extent because 283 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:06,479 Speaker 1: it's low bid street pavers and all that sort of stuff. 284 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:11,120 Speaker 1: But all the engineers and architects who and vendors who 285 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:15,320 Speaker 1: sell things to Harris County government, they're not about to 286 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 1: touch anybody other than who Rodney tells them because he 287 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:24,439 Speaker 1: controls the contracts. However, the fact that Lena is not 288 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:27,919 Speaker 1: raising any money right now, when Rodney can snap his 289 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 1: finger and give her a bunch of money, he's bleeding 290 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 1: her out. So's he's easing her out, but emotionally she's 291 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:38,800 Speaker 1: not ready to be out yet, so she is tearfully 292 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:41,919 Speaker 1: on his shoulder, begging to be back in office, and 293 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:46,680 Speaker 1: resentful that he's working behind the scenes to help Erica 294 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: Lee Carter run her campaign and replace her. Well, we 295 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:55,600 Speaker 1: were all pretending that well, Lena's going to step down, 296 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 1: and that you know, the day she steps down, we're 297 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:01,520 Speaker 1: going to have the bunting all ready and we'll have 298 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:04,200 Speaker 1: you know, our various freak show groups that will all 299 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 1: show up to show we have a coalition. We'll have 300 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 1: all that ready. Well, that takes time, because the day 301 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 1: Lena stepped out, let's say that's a Tuesday, that afternoon 302 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 1: you want to say. We want to say that Lena 303 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 1: Hidalgo was a great county judge and she led us 304 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:23,159 Speaker 1: through tough times and she's the captain of the ship, 305 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 1: and oh this is great and she was a wonderful 306 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:27,680 Speaker 1: and pay tribute to her. And I want to continue 307 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:31,159 Speaker 1: her long line of great leadership and I want to 308 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 1: be the next county judge. So all that has to 309 00:21:34,119 --> 00:21:40,000 Speaker 1: be set in motion. Well as that's being put together, 310 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:43,200 Speaker 1: the players that put put that together were with Lena 311 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 1: before and now they're not so Lena. It's Lina sees 312 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:53,400 Speaker 1: the writing on the wall. They're interviewing her replacement. So 313 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:59,359 Speaker 1: Erica Lee Carter, Sheila Jackson, Lee's daughter, being Rodney's choice 314 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:02,719 Speaker 1: is going to get There is a certain group of 315 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 1: people and I know this is going to shock you. Really, 316 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:11,639 Speaker 1: it's going to befuddle you. There's a certain group of 317 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 1: people that actually think that Sheila Jackson Lee was some 318 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:20,679 Speaker 1: sort of legendary civil rights icon. Yeah, they've been told 319 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:25,120 Speaker 1: it and they believe it. They're not very smart, they're 320 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 1: really fat and really stupid, and they just keep repeating this. 321 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:32,400 Speaker 1: They like to think that they were in the presence 322 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:36,440 Speaker 1: of greatness. You know, like Barbara Jordan. Sheila Jackson Lee 323 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 1: was no Barbara Jordan, not even close. In fact, worlds apart, 324 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:47,240 Speaker 1: Barbara Jordan would have despised what Sheila Jackson Lee was. 325 00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:51,480 Speaker 1: She was evil, she was mean spirited, she was petty, 326 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:55,520 Speaker 1: she was corrupt, and she did a lot of damage. 327 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:58,280 Speaker 1: I don't want to minimize that. She did a lot 328 00:22:58,359 --> 00:23:02,320 Speaker 1: of damage. And she wanted her daughter to come up 329 00:23:02,359 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 1: through the process. So they put her on the little 330 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:08,359 Speaker 1: county Education board and they had some little ticky tag 331 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:10,800 Speaker 1: stupid stuff so it would make it look like she 332 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:16,119 Speaker 1: had a career of public service. He doesn't. And then 333 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 1: for Sheila's seat, they put Erica Lee Carter in there 334 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:23,439 Speaker 1: to serve out the term so that she could call 335 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:27,480 Speaker 1: herself congressman. So now in all of her political materials. 336 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:34,680 Speaker 1: They're referring to her as congressman, a congresswoman, Erica Lee Carter. 337 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:37,600 Speaker 1: You got to keep the Lee in there, because that's 338 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:42,440 Speaker 1: Sheila Jackson Lee, and that's important. I'm surprised they don't 339 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:45,959 Speaker 1: call her Erica Jackson Lee Carter, which is really too 340 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:48,080 Speaker 1: bad because Elwin Lee, which is where she gets her 341 00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:50,760 Speaker 1: last name, is a great guy and I actually like him. 342 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:53,359 Speaker 1: Sheila's husband, wonderful human being. But I leave that's at 343 00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:58,359 Speaker 1: So now you got Rodney very quietly plotting with Erica 344 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:02,400 Speaker 1: Lee Carter's campaign. You've got a niece over here, and 345 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:06,880 Speaker 1: she's got her long term friendships and some of them 346 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:09,919 Speaker 1: will go with her instead of Rodney's choice. And then 347 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:12,120 Speaker 1: you got Letitia Plumbers out there. I don't think she's 348 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:14,240 Speaker 1: a big one. And then you still got Lena over 349 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:19,080 Speaker 1: there going here everybody, just because I'm at counseling doesn't 350 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:21,199 Speaker 1: mean I can't make it to the meeting. In a 351 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:27,040 Speaker 1: period of less than ten years, it's easy to forget this. 352 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:33,879 Speaker 1: Harris County went from a beacon of good government, relatively 353 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:38,520 Speaker 1: well run, to be in an absolute in terms of 354 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:47,520 Speaker 1: government craphole. This is what happens in Detroit wants great city, 355 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:53,639 Speaker 1: Baltimore wants great city, Atlanta wants great city. This is 356 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 1: what happens. Ten years ago you had ed emm And 357 00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:05,840 Speaker 1: as county judge, not particularly partisan. Just the fact is, 358 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 1: if somebody is running as a as an it's an 359 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:13,640 Speaker 1: administrative type position, if it's done right, which is how 360 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:17,280 Speaker 1: Adam It did it, and to a large extent, how 361 00:25:17,359 --> 00:25:20,320 Speaker 1: how Robert Echles did it as well. But if the 362 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:24,680 Speaker 1: county is being run properly by the county judge, then 363 00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:30,680 Speaker 1: that person is not known as a party leader. They're 364 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:34,760 Speaker 1: an executor. It's a ministerial position. Keep keep the trucks 365 00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:37,639 Speaker 1: running on time, keep the grass mode, keep the trash 366 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:44,399 Speaker 1: picked up. And that's how it was. You had. You 367 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:48,719 Speaker 1: have four precincts in Harris County. So think of Harris 368 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:52,520 Speaker 1: County as a tick, as a as a a box 369 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:55,800 Speaker 1: top left top right, bottom left, bottom right, for ease 370 00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:57,840 Speaker 1: of purpose, and that that was kind of how the 371 00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 1: precincts looked before precincts. So you have a four precinct, 372 00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:04,240 Speaker 1: you have four precinct commissioners. They are the they are 373 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:08,800 Speaker 1: the lord of the manor of their precinct. Unlike a 374 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:12,199 Speaker 1: city councilman who has individually no real power, or a 375 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:15,080 Speaker 1: member of Congress who has individually no real power. A 376 00:26:15,119 --> 00:26:19,280 Speaker 1: commissioner has complete authority over his commission. If he wants 377 00:26:19,359 --> 00:26:23,920 Speaker 1: to build a park right there and name it Jim 378 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:26,080 Speaker 1: Mudd Park or a monroeless park, he can do it. 379 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:30,360 Speaker 1: If he wants to convert a property to a gun 380 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:32,840 Speaker 1: range or a soccer field or anything else, he can 381 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 1: do it. And he's got a budget for it. He 382 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:37,520 Speaker 1: has a crew. They have crews and trucks and all 383 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:41,720 Speaker 1: that you've probably seen maybe in Galveston or at at 384 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:44,879 Speaker 1: maybe in Round Top. You'll see these buses that are 385 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:49,720 Speaker 1: painted red, white and blue, and it'll say you'll see 386 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:52,320 Speaker 1: a bunch of old people getting off pensioners as an 387 00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:54,640 Speaker 1: English call him, and it looks like a Bengal hall 388 00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:57,120 Speaker 1: load up and and the old people will get off 389 00:26:57,119 --> 00:26:59,920 Speaker 1: and they're going to you know, they're down in Galas 390 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:03,560 Speaker 1: and they're going to this or that restaurant. That is 391 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:07,520 Speaker 1: a little scheme that the county commissioners run where they 392 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:11,160 Speaker 1: have a bus that they take old people and they 393 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:14,320 Speaker 1: take them places, they take them for events, and they 394 00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:18,639 Speaker 1: use the county funds and it's coordinated by somebody that 395 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:23,680 Speaker 1: is kind of their old people voter coordinator, and these 396 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 1: old people get to have a day out, and the 397 00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:29,920 Speaker 1: county commissioner presumably has loyalty from these voters, and that's 398 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:33,120 Speaker 1: kind of how little process works. So anyway, you had 399 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:36,200 Speaker 1: four county commissioners and then the county judge, who's sort 400 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,359 Speaker 1: of like the mayor of the county. This is the 401 00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:45,360 Speaker 1: person who is the face of the county in regional stuff, 402 00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:51,720 Speaker 1: the person who is the county wide director. Well, ten 403 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:56,480 Speaker 1: years ago you had Cactus, Jack Cagle and Tom Ramsey, 404 00:27:56,640 --> 00:28:03,119 Speaker 1: both Republicans, and ed Emmett as a county judge. So 405 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:06,000 Speaker 1: you had three of the five. In fact, there have 406 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:08,960 Speaker 1: been four of the five, and most of the time, 407 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:13,960 Speaker 1: going back thirty years, four of the five commissioners were Republicans. 408 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 1: The only Democrat was l Franco Lee, So Elfranco was 409 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 1: running his own little scheme out of Precinct three, I 410 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:26,440 Speaker 1: think he was, but he wasn't able to corrupt the 411 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:32,399 Speaker 1: entire county. You had longtime county commissioners Jerry Eversold, Steve Raddock, 412 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:35,120 Speaker 1: and Robert Eckles who been there for a long time. 413 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:38,280 Speaker 1: And then you had I think it's Precinct two, which 414 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:41,640 Speaker 1: is the Southeast precinct, which is kind of east Side 415 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 1: politics and Pasadena. Now there was a little bit of 416 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 1: give and take there because you had some competing power 417 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:53,680 Speaker 1: bases and you would have a Republican and Democrat going 418 00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:57,000 Speaker 1: back and forth. And in fact, Sylvia Garcia, really really 419 00:28:57,120 --> 00:29:01,080 Speaker 1: ugly congressman that serves from that area, was a county 420 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:06,959 Speaker 1: commissioner from that precinct. So a Democrat could win that 421 00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:10,880 Speaker 1: precinct if they mobilized the Hispanic vote and they were 422 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:15,000 Speaker 1: able to get labor, which is very influential in that precinct. 423 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:21,000 Speaker 1: But now that's Adrian Garcia. Well, that precinct went solidly Democrat, 424 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:25,480 Speaker 1: and Rodney, who had the one precinct, he took over 425 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:29,880 Speaker 1: for l Franco Lee. He then started plotting to get 426 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:34,719 Speaker 1: three out of the five and the county judge, the 427 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:38,960 Speaker 1: county mayor, and lo and behold ten years later, four 428 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:41,680 Speaker 1: out of the five the county judges a Democrat, Lena, 429 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:44,440 Speaker 1: Then there's Rodney, then there's Leslie Brioni's who he just 430 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:52,320 Speaker 1: placed there, Adrian Garcia, and there's those four and then 431 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:56,000 Speaker 1: the lone Republican left is Tom Ramsey, how they drove 432 00:29:56,120 --> 00:30:01,200 Speaker 1: Cactus Jack Cagle out of office, and almost nobody talks 433 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:03,080 Speaker 1: about it. I'm not sure how many people know it. 434 00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:09,440 Speaker 1: Jack Kegel was a very popular county commissioner. Rodney just 435 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:13,200 Speaker 1: went in because he questioned everything Rodney did. He's the 436 00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 1: one who brought up the Elevate Strategies contract, the allegedly 437 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:23,800 Speaker 1: illegal contract that got Lina's top three people indicted. And 438 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:28,680 Speaker 1: by the way, to be clear, Lena didn't cook that 439 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:34,880 Speaker 1: scheme up. Lena's not smart at all. When I'm not 440 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:39,640 Speaker 1: saying this to insult her, Lena is dumb, as in 441 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:48,160 Speaker 1: really dumb. She's the kind of dumb that if she 442 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:52,920 Speaker 1: worked for you and you gave her a project. I'm 443 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:58,680 Speaker 1: not saying she's slow. I'm saying she's not in any 444 00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:02,160 Speaker 1: way a person that you trust to make good decisions 445 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:09,720 Speaker 1: on much of anything. And yeah, well I'll leave that 446 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:15,080 Speaker 1: there for now. Yeah, it's going to be a very 447 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 1: interesting It's going to be a very interesting Democrat primary. 448 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:26,760 Speaker 1: On the Republican side, I will only say that I 449 00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:30,840 Speaker 1: don't think there is a strong candidate that has emerged. 450 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:34,960 Speaker 1: I do realize that people are desperate to find a 451 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 1: non white woman to run as the front runner because 452 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:41,600 Speaker 1: a lot of Republican power brokers think that's the only 453 00:31:41,640 --> 00:31:47,200 Speaker 1: way a Republican can win countywide in Harris County, which 454 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:53,320 Speaker 1: they say, which is really sad, And I think that's 455 00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:55,760 Speaker 1: going to have a big effect on who the candidate 456 00:31:55,880 --> 00:32:00,520 Speaker 1: is that is chosen, and I'll leave that there for now.