Nueces County, TX – The political primary elections are over
in Nueces County, yet the confrontational strategies still baffle many voters
and devoted observers. The most heated
race was the one for Justice of the Peace Pct. 1 Pl. 3. The incumbent JP Robert “Bobby” Balderas was
facing an aggressive newcomer – that is, Eric Cantu (owner of LONESTAR WRECKER
SERVICE). But there was an array of
variables in the back region of the campaign that the general masses did not
zoom in much during the course of the process.
The reason: it has been a tradition in most campaigns that the “real
stuff” (strategies) are formulated and planned out meticulously in backrooms of
privacy – i.e., in the sheltered “war-rooms” ; in the clandestine hangouts
where the bona fide political “pow-wows” take place; the germ of native
intentions.
It was really a campaign between two admirable individuals
who are rising stars as “King” and “Queen” makers in the Nueces County
region: Attorney Joe Flores versus Clarissa
Gonzalez.
Attorney Joe Flores put out immediately that newcomer Cantu
seems to have been out-spending incumbent Balderas three to one. However, it has to be stated honestly that
sometimes “political dollars” can take a clandestine bypath in a labyrinth of
interests that serpentine into a muddle. Political loyalties can be bought at least
temporally via financial incentives.
There is a Mexican saying that reinforces the mentioned: “Con dinero
baila el chango” (For money even a monkey will dance).
Cantu was facing an entrenched political incumbent with
roots in the various entities of the municipality and county. And political sages have pointed out for
years that if such incumbents exist the odds will be in their favor to achieve
victory. Thus, the newcomer, many a
time, in order to use “catch up” tactics chooses to resort to what are known as
adversarial marketing strategies (which many a time due to expediency are
labeled “Negative Campaigns” and/or “Mudslinging”.
A quick perusal of the political literature associated with
campaigns reveal that the incumbent usually (in most cases) will unreservedly
object and wistfully will question: “Why can’t my challenger run solely on his
own merits?”. The concern cited is
usually done for one reason: to secure
his advantage in the game. So thus and
so, one may ask: “What is the advantage of a newcomer over an incumbent?”.
Political activist and former county commissioner David
Noyola shared: “If it can be classified as an ‘advantage’, the newcomer does
not have a track record in office; the incumbent does – and thus no incumbent
can a record and be as purely perceived as ‘Cesar’s wife’ so-to-speak.”
Though, JP Balderas and his supporters in the regional TV
program known as SOUTH TEXAS CROSSFIRE (hosted by Attorney Joe Flores) began to
apply the elemental initial rule in a classical campaign of defining your rival
– that is, defining the political challenger as well as yourself (before the
other side does). JP Balderas via an
analogy was compared to a well-functioning “lawnmower” by the host of the
show -- i.e., Joe Flores). “There is no need to replace it, if it ain’t
broke.” Additionally, the newcomer Cantu,
on the other hand, was masterly classified as “inexperienced” by the key leaders
of incumbent JP Balderas campaign.
Soon after that newcomer Cantu via a FACEBOOK posting (that
supposedly went out to thousands of persons) began to do his own stigmatization
of JP Balderas – as a “do nothing” bureaucrat (emphasis added). Cantu accused JP Balderas of “tail-coating”
on Nueces County Commissioner Joe “JAG” Gonzalez’ network and recognition. Cantu went as far as to state jesting at the
time: “Who is Robert “Bobby” Balderas? Does anyone really know who he
is?’. The initial confrontational sparks
of the campaign made some take careful notice – in anticipation of other
exchanges.
It grew more intense.
The exchange on the media (radio and T.V. and some print media) became
vicarious gratification (secondary excitement) for some fanatics much as “public
hangings” did in the days of a yester
history. This was not a football game
nor a wrestling game, but a political match between a well-known and respected
incumbent Justice of the Peace being challenged by a young successful
entrepreneur, an entrepreneur who had erected a vast assortment of political signs
in the respective region and enrolled a crazy quilt and hash of young people to
distribute his literature.
But on the sidelines were also two politically savvy persons
-- each advocating and strategizing for his/her own candidate: Attorney Joe Flores (supporting JP Balderas)
and Clarissa Gonzalez (supporting Cantu).
It was a battle of wits and maneuvers and machinations that the average
political citizen did not give much attention to during the vying to come out
first at the finish line. It is rumored
that both (Joe and Clarissa) forked out their own funding to some degree to
amplify their strategies. They used
psychological warfare tactics against each other (i.e., false or exaggerated
things about Clarissa’s personal life surfaced bafflingly; Flores, was portrayed
as too “satirical” and “dehumanizing”.
As the early voting approached Cantu’s secret weapon – fired up Clarissa Gonzalez (after a hefty and
meticulous review of his rival’s campaign contributions over a handful of
years), came across a damaging entry. “The guilty by association” tactic was
adopted. Cantu’s campaign collectively
put out that his rival had received a five hundred dollar contribution from a
convicted felon (child molester – who ran by the name of Rudy Rubio);
additionally, the same Rudy Rubio had been indicted the week prior to the
Cantu’s accusation on another crime involving both rape and kidnapping of a
twenty-some year old women.
The accusation had been timed perfectly – in a
hypersensitive period: right before early voting. JP Balderas had been redefined by challenger
Cantu as a person that “associates with felons and takes contributions from
felons.” But as all tactics, once harped on too long
become a bore. Other creative
reinforcement that keep the audience enjoying the onslaught have to be resorted
to at some point, many political strategists have suggested in their literature
and primers.
JP Balderas tried to issue a public “apology” on KZTV for
accepting the funds from felon Rudy Rubio, but it backfired in that the same television
station was lured to focus on a statement made by he himself on a Tejano radio
station: “…be careful. Something might
happen.” Cantu, in turn, asked JP
Balderas to step down – interpreting the remark as a threat.
Cantu reinforced his campaign by forking out hefty dollars
to buy radio space on the Lopez radio station known as MAGIC 104.9. At the noon hour the 15 minute radio spots
were sold as “Comentarios” (Commentaries).
At 12:00 noon on the station, Clarissa Gonzalez was one of the primary
voices for the Eric Cantu campaign. With
laser precision she tried to hammer down JP Balderas’ credibility while additionally
reinforcing his association with a Child Molester who had contributed funds to
his campaign. At 12:15, Balderas
followed on the same station with his procured 15 minutes – at first, he
brought in political activist Josie Suarez to take over after his introduction
(later Thomas “Tommy” Holbein replaced her).
Holbein brought in a slew of persons whose vehicles had been allegedly mistakenly
towed by Cantu’s Wrecking Company. At
12:45, Susie Luna (founder of Grassroots Marketing) again advocated for Cantu –
her portion of the program was known as “Grassroots Radio.” Finally after Holbein accused Cantu of
cheating on his girlfriend (which seemed to be more of a defense mechanism
after being mortared with incriminating records from his past) , Cantu bought
an additional radio spot on the same station – from 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 naming it
“La Ultima Palabra” (The last word).
Consultant and effective radio “mouthpiece” (Clarissa
Gonzalez) for the Cantu campaign said during the campaign: “We have an
entrenched incumbent with deep roots in the bureaucracy that does not make this
campaign easy. Our job’s objective has
laser focus. JP Balderas messed up
during his tenure and we will do our best to amplify it. We will beat on the drum so loud that most of
the voters will hear our denunciation.”
JP Balderas who had coordinated his campaign with a
marketing company in Austin decided to change course after the blunder and
coordinated with local political media coordinator – i.e., Attorney Joe
Flores. Flores told El Pueblito: “I was
brought in twelve days before the election to try and balance the ship and
steer towards victory by using the opponent’s own words.” Flores added: “I also help put together a
series of commercials coupled with grassroots contact with the Democrats. Victory was achieved.”
JP Balderas injected: “Money does not always buy an
election.” Cantu outspend Balderas
according to an initial review of financial reports and other ceremonial
tallies.
“There was no single method that works for everyone. It was like a chess game,” Flores explained
further. “The open-minded advice of using social media was well received by JP
Balderas - a mixture of all media in the
end helped Baldera’s keep his base, a base that did not abandon him to the end
after being re-courted.”
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