Reader’s Choice: Final Round

The votes in the first round of the Capitol Annex Reader’s Choice Awards have been counted and let me tell you: it’s quite interesting.

Sadly, one of the most nominated things in nearly every category was Rick Perry saying “Mo Fo.” However, since that happened in 2005, it didn’t make it into the finals.

The “best” blogs categories are interesting, too. Two CD 22 blogs, Musings and “World’s Most Dangerous Beauty Salon” (though not strictly a blog) garnered enough votes to get in the finals both in the “Best Blog” and “Best Regional Blog” category. And, CD-22 blogs dominated the regional category like nobody’s business.

Vote in the final round here! You have until the 20th! Also, thanks to all of the extra nominations in our last two questions in the first survey, we’ve got some awesome “honorable mentions” to include when we tabulate the final responses.

Remember: it’s all YOUR CHOICE because YOU are the readers.

I’ve summed up the first-round winners after the jump.

1.       Texas’ candidates this year had a lot to say. Which of those listed below was your favorite?

“Texas has become the ‘Thank God for Mississippi state.’” [Democratic Gubernatorial Nominee Chris Bell]
“We’re going to shake Austin up.” [Independent candidate for governor Carole Keeton Strayhorn]
“My issues chart has more footnotes than a church organ.” [Democratic Senate Candidate Barbara Radnofsky]
“Fight Them Till Hell Freezes Over, Then Fight Them On The Ice!” [Democratic Attorney General Candidate David Van Os]
“Bush needs a brain, Cheney needs a heart and Congress needs Courage.” [Democratic Congressional Candidate John Courage]
“I’m too young for Medicare, and too old for women to care.” [Independent Gubermatorial Candidate Kinky Friedman]

2.     Which of the following candidates do you believe had the best website this election cycle?

Chris Bell [Texas Governor]
Nick Lampson [22nd Congressional District]
Hank Gilbert [Texas Agriculture Commissioner]
Ellen Cohen [Texas State Rep. District 34]
Barbara Radnofsky [U.S. Senate]
Shane Sklar [14th Congressional District]

3.     Of all the political commercials that ran in Texas this cycle, which one do you believe was the best commercial that exhibited a candidate or campaign in a positive light?

“Think Big” [Chris Bell for Governor]
“Standing Together” [Royce West, Dallas Democrats]
“Bullhorn” [Nick Lampson for Congress, CD-22]
“Deer Creek Water” [State Rep. Patrick Rose]
“Daughters” [Mary Beth Harrell for Congress, CD-32]
“18,000 More Promises” [John Courage for Congress, CD-21]

4.     What do you think was the best negative political advertisement of the 2006 election cycle?

“Sick” [Chris Bell, Governor]
“Way Too Liberal For Texas Guy” [Rick Perry, Governor]
“Without DeLay” [Good Government PAC, in HD 32 Seaman/Garcia, against Seaman]
“Lamar Smith, The Enabler” [John Courage for Congress, CD-21]
“Grandma’s Attic” [Internet-based political advertisement, Rick Perry for Governor]
“DeLay Dollars” [Interactive web application, Nick Lampson for Congress, CD-22]

5.     What do you believe was the worst TV or radio commercial by any candidate this election cycle?

“The Good Shepherd” [Kinky Friedman for Governor]
“Ciro & The Shiek” [Henry Bonilla for Congress, CD-23]
“Say No To The Tax Lady” (Ellen Cohen/Canada ad) [Martha Wong, HD-134]
“Protecting Texas Children” [Greg Abbott, Texas Attorney General]
“Don’t Go Running To Your Mailbox” [Carole Keeton Strayhorn for Texas Governor]

6.     Which of the following attention-getting tactics or slogans by candidates was your favorite this election cycle?

Chris Bell & The Governor’s Mansion Electric Bill
David Van Os’ “Notice To Big Oil” Billboards
David Van Os’ 254-county Whistle Stop Tour
Fred Head & The Steamy Romance Novel by Susan Combs
Judge Bill Moody’s Walk Across Texas

7.     What race do you believe represented the biggest upset of 2006? (Primary or General election).

Borris Miles over Al Edwards [2006 Democratic Primary]
Dianne Patrick over Kent Grusendorf [2006 Republican Primary]
Ellen Cohen over Martha Wong [2006 General Election]
Juan Garcia over Gene Seaman [2006 General Election]
Paula Hightower-Pierson Over Toby Goodman [2006 General Election]
Joe Heflin holding Laney’s HD 85 for Democrats [2006 General Election]

8.     What do you think was the best political news story of 2006?

Democrats Picking Up Texas House Seats & Holding Laney’s Seat In The Process
Barbara Ann Radnofsky forcing Kay Bailey Hutchison to admit that the Iraq War was a bad idea during the senatorial debate.
The Kinky Friedman “N-Word” scandal
Texas Parent PAC
Tom DeLay’s Resignation & The Events That Followed
Dallas County going Democratic

9.     What, during the course of 2006, do you believe was the most overrated thing when it came to Texas politics?

Carole Keeton Strayhorn
Kinky Friedman
Van Taylor [CD 17 Republican candidate]
“Border Security”
The NRCC’s $3 million for Shelley Sekula Gibbs

10.     Which of the following candidates deserves the title, “Biggest Political Prostitute” of 2006?

Henry Bonilla
Greg Abbott
Nathan Macias
Carole Keeton Strayhorn
Tom DeLay
Shelley Sekula-Gibbs

11.     Which of the following do you believe was the biggest political ‘bomb’ of the year?

Carole Keeton Strayhorn
David Wallace (Mayor of Sugar Land)
Kinky Friedman
Gene Seaman
Re-Redistricting
Shelley Sekula-Gibbs

12.     What’s the dumbest statement a politician uttered this election cycle?

Kinky Friedman: Listening To A Negro Talking To Himself
Rick Perry: Are You Better Off Than You Were 4 Years Ago?
Gene Seaman: It’s My Wife’s Fault
Fred Head: Susan Combs Wrote A Pornographic Novel!
John Culberson: Tell them they’ve got 72 hours to clear out before we send the bombs in

13.     Which Mainstream Media Outlet has the best political news coverage in 2006?

Austin American-Statesman
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Houston Chronicle
KXAS NBC 5, Dallas/Fort Worth
KFDM, Beaumont
Dallas Morning News
KTSA, San Antonio

14.     What Mainstream Media Outlet do you believe had the worst political news coverage for 2006?

TXCN
The Dallas Morning News
ABC 13 Houston
Houston Chronicle

15.     What Texas blog (or non-commercial website) do you believe is the best Texas Politics blog on the web for 2006?

Burnt Orange Report
Off The Kuff
Musings
Juanita’s: The World’s Most Dangerous Beauty Salon
Texas KaOS
Pink Dome

16.     What Texas politics blog covering a specific region (i.e. San Antonio, Fort Bend County, Harris County, etc.) was the ‘best’ in 2006?

Musings [Fort Bend County, CD-22]
North Texas Liberal [D/FW Metroplex]
Panhandle Truth Squad [Texas Panhandle]
Blue 19th [19th Congressional District]
Half Empty [CD 22]
Juanita’s: The World’s Most Dangerous Beauty Salon [CD-22]
View From 22 [CD 22]
Bryan’s Blog [CD 22]

17.     Don’t lie: you know you read Texas Republican blogs, too…just to know what the other side is saying. Which Texas right-wing Republican blog is your favorite?

Rick Perry vs. The World
Right of Texas
BlogHouston
Lone Star Times
Texas Safety Forum
The Markum Report
Wilco Wise

18.     What do you believe was the worse gaffe by a political candidate this election cycle?

Kinky Friedman: (Various Racist Remarks)
Gene Seaman: Condogate & Blaming His Wife
Van Taylor: His “Hardball” Appearance

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