Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, a Republican, cruised to an easy victory Tuesday evening in the state’s gubernatorial race, handily defeating his Democratic challenger, Wendy Davis.
Although Abbott’s victory should come as no surprise to people familiar with the Lone Star State’s political landscape, it’s worth remembering that a few media outlets at one point thought Davis had a serious shot at victory.
Indeed, fresh from her 11-hour filibuster in defense of late-term abortion, certain members of the national media somehow got it into their head that Davis was a viable candidate capable of defeating a popular Republican in a very red state.
It appears now that her gubernatorial ambitions were hilariously misplaced from the very start. Here are some of the headlines written between Davis’s 2013 pro-abortion filibuster and today that seem a bit regrettable in retrospect:
9. Texas Observer: “Three reasons Wendy Davis can win, three reasons she can’t”
“For starters, Davis won’t do any worse than Bill White in 2010, who lost to Rick Perry 55-42. That was a horrible year for Democrats, especially in Texas, and Davis appears to be a better candidate.”
8. The Week: “5 reasons Wendy Davis just might win the Texas governor’s race”
“If she can continue to stay in the national headlines, and it looks like she has a chance to win, she could find herself the beneficiary of liberals from all over the country.”
7. The Daily Beast: “Wendy Davis is one step closer to turning Texas purple”
“That her candidacy is faring as well as it is already is a sign of the bright purple Texas to come.”
6. Daily Kos: “Wendy Davis will break the status quo in Texas. Democrats will win statewide”
“Her message is resonating as she is exposing the cronyism and corruption conducted in Austin, Texas, by a government under solid Republican control for decades.”
5. CNN: “8 glimmers of hope for Wendy Davis in her bid for governor of Texas”
“For the beleaguered Democrats of Texas, she represents the best shot at capturing the governor’s mansion since George W. Bush ousted Ann Richards in 1994.”
4. Newsweek: “Wendy Davis’s secret weapon to win Texas”
“Wendy Davis should send Rick Perry a muffin basket, because he may have handed her a winning issue in her longshot bid to succeed Perry as governor of Texas.”
3. Christian Science Monitor: “Wendy Davis for Texas governor: why she has a chance”
“But Davis … has something that few newbies to big-league Texas politics have: mojo. She captured an instant national following when she put on her pink Mizunos and took on Gov. Rick Perry (R) last June over abortion restrictions.”
2. MSNBC: “How Wendy Davis can win”
“Rather than riding a demographic wave into the Governor’s Mansion, Davis has a chance to instead put together a cross-racial coalition that brings together minorities and liberal or moderate whites—especially women—Democrats and Texas political experts say.”
1. The New York Times: “Can Wendy Davis have it all?”
“Davis had reassured voters with a near-perfect narrative: a portrait of herself as modern-day Supermom, a woman who existed only in our imaginations.”
Honorable Mentions:
There was another segment of the press that opted to avoid the “Davis can win” narrative and instead focus on “Here’s how her losing can be beneficial” headlines.
Obviously, some of these headlines are more sober than others.
6. Politico: “Dems see bright future even in a loss”
“The rise of Davis, along with Battleground Texas — a grassroots-focused effort run by Obama campaign alums, aimed at turning the Lone Star State blue — has heartened Democrats, and Battleground in particular terrifies Republicans.”
5. Slate: “Wendy Davis can still win, sort of”
“If Davis loses by more than 15 points, then this cycle will have been an unmitigated catastrophe for Texas Democrats. But she won’t lose by 15. (“It’s difficult to lose by that much. You have to try,” said Austin Republican consultant Tyler Norris.) If Davis loses by fewer than 9 or 10 points, then it’s a respectable night for Democrats.”
4. Salon: “Wendy Davis can’t lose in 2014 — no matter the outcome”
“[I] have no idea what Wendy Davis wants in her career. That’s her business. But if she is attracted to the idea of moving up in politics (and every indication is that she has healthy ambitions), then a gubernatorial bid seems like a low-risk, high-reward option.”
3. The Guardian: “Texas, Wendy Davis and the art of winning by losing”
“Even if Davis fails to beat Abbott, a closing of the gap between the parties compared with four years ago could help lay a firm foundation for future elections by keeping activists motivated and encouraging donors to carry on spending.”
2. U.S. News and World Report: “Wendy Davis wins, even if she loses”
“A Davis candidacy might not be successful in the Texas governor’s race, but the high profile of the campaign will keep attention on the issues which helped Democrats keep the Senate in the last two election cycles. The GOP may wisely convince its most gaffe-happy members to shut up when it comes to matters like rape and contraception. But Davis will be talking.”
1. Slate: “Even if she loses in Texas, Wendy Davis is a win for America”
“As we head down the long road to the 2016 elections, Wendy Davis’ campaign serves as proof that a lot of people across the country can get fired up about women’s health and that hashtag activism can have concrete results.”
