What the Opposition is Up to

We don't hear much of this candidate on the Democratic side so I found this very interesting.  It's from the Houston Chronicle.
Shami camp fights gaffes, image issues
By R.G. RATCLIFFE AUSTIN BUREAU

Businessmen Clayton Williams and Tony Sanchez bought instant credibility in their runs for governor through large investments of their personal fortunes, but hair-care millionaire Farouk Shami isn't finding it so easy.

Political professionals say he isn't being taken seriously because he has shown a naivete about state government (he did not know the names of the state comptroller or attorney general when asked who they were), has had a series of miscommunications and had his professional campaign staff turn over twice. He fired one staff after they'd been on the job for 10 days, and the second quit Wednesday.

Even Shami's gaffes have gotten little media attention.

“It's a campaign where the only thing serious about it is it involves serious money,” said Dave McNeely, a former political columnist who now lectures at the University of Texas.

McNeely said if it was not for the $5 million Shami personally has lent his campaign, the media would not take him any more seriously than the five other long-shot candidates who have filed to contest the party's nomination with former Houston Mayor Bill White.

Shami received little more than a media blip from his statements that there may have been a government conspiracy in the 9/11 terrorist attacks or that white people do not want to work or that Texas needs foreign workers because a day without Mexicans is “like a day without sunshine.”

“People aren't taking him seriously, and there's a bleed-over in the media,” said UT journalism professor Bill Minu­tagli.

Of course, if he were a Republican or Conservative making gaffes we might hear more about it.  The highlighting and emphasis are from Rockport Conservative.