![Wendy Davis [Image courtesy of runneralan2004 flickr]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/10/10/660x290/b_502x220x82/wendy-davis-image-courtesy-of-runneralan2004-flickr_1623747.jpg "Wendy Davis [Image courtesy of runneralan2004 flickr]")
Wendy Davis has published a piece in Cosmopolitan relating what her life has been like since the 20 percentage point blowout she suffered at the hands of Greg Abbott in her run for governor of Texas in 2014. She has not allowed that thumping to discourage her. Davis suggests, depending on how the political climate in Texas shapes up, that she might run for Public Office again. On the other hand, Davis might want to learn from the many missteps she committed during her abortive run for statewide office. Instead, she pins her defeat on two factors.
The ‘Abortion Barbie’ factor
Davis first came to national prominence when she stood up on the floor of the Texas state Senate and filibustered an abortion restriction bill. The bill ultimately passed, but the then-obscure state senator had been catapulted to national prominence. Naturally, inclining to seize the day, Davis decided to run for Governor Of Texas. She got a lot of out of state money, especially from Hollywood, to fuel her campaign.
However, Davis now realizes that the filibuster was a double-edged sword. The Republicans were able to label her as the “Abortion Barbie,” a one issue candidate with a highly controversial tone. Texas, as a conservative state, has more than its fair share of pro-life voters who were not inclined to pull the lever for Davis.
2014 was just a bad year for Democrats
Davis is spot on by pointing out that 2014 was a bad year for Democrats in general. It was the year that the Republicans retook the Senate. 2014 was the second midterm of the Obama era, traditionally not a good election for the president’s party. American voters had started to seriously tire of Obama in any case, with Obamacare blowing up the healthcare industry and the Middle East going up in flames with the ascent of ISIS.
The real reason Davis lost
Davis lost the 2014 gubernatorial election in Texas for a variety of reasons. An incoherent message and Abbott’s fundraising advantage hurt. However, a series of campaign missteps by the Davis campaign did not help either. The infamous “wheelchair ad” was seen as a slam against Abbott’s disability.
David also accused Abbott of opposing interracial marriage. The problem was that Abbott is married to a Latina named Cecilia Phalen. These and other mistakes were not the sorts of things that a politician not ready for the big time commits.
If Davis thinks she is going to run for office again, she will have to understand her mistakes and learn from them. Otherwise, she will wind up like her role model, Hillary Clinton, a pathetic multiple loser.
