After making headlines across the country last month for signing an unlicensed gun carry bill, eliminating the Texas Legislature’s budget in a line-item veto, and resurrecting the Wall project in the southern border with a mix of a crowdfunding campaign and state budget, Gov. Abbott failed to impress conservative in the Western Conservatives Summit straw poll conducted at the group’s annual conference in downtown Denver last week.
Abbott obtained 0% support, tieing for 15th place with the rest of the world. Even some progressive democrats, like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former first lady Michelle Obama, President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, or Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, obtained more support in the conservative poll.
The Governor of Texas has been on the hunt for the national spotlight, trying to become the leader the conservatives lost after Trump’s defeat in 2020. He started in March, repealing the mask mandate that he’d had in effect since July 2020. President Biden condemned these actions. Abbott continued with his quest in June, by announcing that he will build the wall in the Mexico – Texas border and also signed a bill that allowed persons to carry unlicensed guns on the streets.
Yesterday, Abbott joined former President Donald Trump at a visit to the border, in a move that some are calling an audition to be Trump’s Vice President choice for the next election. But even all these moves don’t seem to be working with conservatives since some of them would rather choose some progressive democrat rather than him.
Will the Government continue to pursue a radical conservative agenda in Texas to become the next GOP candidate? Or will he shift his focus and maybe try to become Trump’s VP?
