Man Who Believes God Speaks to Us Through "Duck Dynasty" Is About to Be Texas' Second-in-Command

[MindPilot]

As a Texas state senator, Dan Patrick has conducted himself in a manner consistent with the shock jock he once was. Patrick—who is now the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor—has railed against everything from separation of church and state to Mexican coyotes who supposedly speak Urdu. He's even advised his followers that God is speaking to them through Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson.

A former sportscaster who once defended a football player who'd thrown a reporter through a door (Patrick believed it wasn't the journalist's job to do "negative reporting&quot , Patrick became a conservative talk radio host in the early 1990s—Houston's answer to Rush Limbaugh. In 2006, he parlayed his radio fame into a state Senate seat—and kept the talk show going. In office, he proposed paying women $500 to turn over newborn babies to the state (to reduce abortions), led the charge against creeping liberalism in state textbooks, and pushed wave after wave of new abortion restrictions. For his efforts, Texas Monthly named Patrick one of the worst legislators of 2013.

With a victory on November 4, Patrick, who is leading Democratic state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte in the polls, would find himself next in line for the governor's mansion of the nation's second-largest state. (Rick Perry, the current Republican governor, was previously lieutenant governor.) But even if Patrick advances no further, he'd be in a position to shape public policy—Texas' lieutenant governor is sometimes called the "most powerful office in Texas" because of the influence it has on both the legislative and executive branches

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/10/dan-patrick-texas-lieutenant-governor?google_editors_picks=true

Words fail...

[3catwoman3]

1. Did he play football or just do commentary?

If so, maybe he is suffering from the cummulative effects of too many concussions. Coyotes that speak Urdu? That would be funny if it weren't so seriously disturbed.

[KamaAina]

4. I think he meant human traffickers

not actual coyotes. But still...

[3catwoman3]

11. Ah, yes. I was being a bit too literal, I see.

Oh, well...

I guess that just goes to show that no dumb RWNJ statement is too ridiculous to believe, if only for a moment.

[Scuba]

2. Just another RWNJ.

[Rex]

3. As impossible as it is to think of someone dumber/worse than Perry, Bush, Abbott

or could cause more harm to Texas...in walks Patrick, quite possibly the worst Texan ever (gives Phil Gramm a run for his money.) We just don't have a bottom here in Texas, some of the sleaziest asshats come from here with an R attached.

I apologize to the nation and the world.

[Kalidurga]

5. I have no idea what to say...

Until a few years ago I could tell people online I am from Minnesota. Now, when I say it I get giggles, they ask isn't that where Michele Bachmann is from? No she isn't she is from IOWA.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. He'd probably get better advice from one of the ducks than from the Dynasty.

We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart. H.L. Mencken

[hifiguy]

7. "Mexican coyotes that speak Urdu" Gracie?

I think we have finally hit the motherlode of Stupidium.

[KamaAina]

14. See post 4 above

"coyotes" are slimeballs who transport immigrants across the desert for pay, often in horrible conditions; many die. But most speak Spanish, not Urdu.

[hifiguy]

15. OK.

[Initech]

8. Oh my god. If he's elected, that would be a very sad day for America.

[LeftInTX]

9. Unfortunately it seems that way

He is bad news and he even beat out the sitting R Lt. Gov. They like them real nutty around here.

[UTUSN]

10. Yip, that's him. And that's the "winner". n/t

[WI_DEM]

12. he represents the mentality of the average GOPer these days.

[madville]

13. The polling is not encouraging

Both Patrick and Abbott hold double digit polling leads in their respective races, with early voting currently open it's going to be hard to turn that around at this point.

Van de Putte is only polling at 24% two weeks out from the Lt. Gov election, very bad sign, and Wendy Davis is at 32% to Abbott's 47% in the Gov race, blah.