Friday, October 23, 2020Trump-Biden Debate; Did Fracking Talk Give Herrell An Opening In Congress Race? Plus: Haaland Opts For No TV Ads; Goes Digital And Woeful Broadband Persists In NM; Where's The Plan? First, the mute button actually made Trump tone it down and look presidential, especially at the beginning while discussing responses to the pandemic. But midway through, Trump devolved into the Trump of the first debate; overtalking, not waiting his turn, making grandiose statements, etc. But it was the end of the debate that was key - and over a surprising topic: energy policy. Trump had been goading Biden over his position on oil fracking, and finally managed to corner Biden. But not just on fracking. Trump cornered Biden on the US oil industry. Biden announced he was committed to "transitioning" (aka "ending") the US oil industry.
On the national level, Biden's statement probably takes Texas out of play, and could give Trump Pennsylvania. And in NM's 2nd Congressional District, it could make the difference between winning and losing - depending on how Herrell and Torres Small react. Here's the debate transcript on oil: “Would he close down the oil industry?” Trump asked. “Would you close down the oil industry?”
“I would transition from the oil industry, yes,” Biden responded.
“That’s a big statement,” Trump commented.
“It is a big statement, because…the oil industry pollutes, significantly,” Biden responded.
“It has to be replaced by renewable energy over time,” Biden added. “And I’d stop giving to the oil industry—I’d stop giving them federal subsidies.” And here is Biden's somewhat complicated stand on using fracking to get oil out of the ground: Biden has repeatedly said he will not ban fracking; the policies he has released only call for no new fracking on federal lands. His policy also allows for existing fracking on federal lands to continue, and existing and new fracking on privately owned land to continue. Biden's stand on fracking on federal lands to get oil out of the ground is far from academic for New Mexico. Unlike Texas, the Permian in New Mexico lies largely on federal land and has generated billions in royalties for the state in recent years. Is there time for Herrell to pound Biden's position again and increase Trump's margins in the south which in turn would boost her candidacy? And also calling into question XTS’s TV ad saying she is firmly against banning fracking? REJECTING TV  While millions of dollars are being spent on TV ads in the do-or-die, down to the wire southern congressional race between Dem. Rep. Torres Small and her GOP challenger Yvette Herrell, the TV airwaves in the contest for the ABQ congressional seat are relatively quiet--and for a rare reason--ABQ Dem Rep. Deb Haaland is the first incumbent in recent memory to spurn TV ads and instead is spending $100,000 on digital ads. Many of those digital ads are TV spots from her first campaign in 2018. Is this a sign of how future campaigns may come down? Perhaps, but there are specific circumstances to Haaland's re-election bid that are keeping her off the airwaves. First, the race is not seen as competitive in a district that one Haaland consultant now calls "dark blue" and adds that the smallish TV buy that Garcia Holmes has put up does not merit a response. The ABQ Journal poll in early September had Haaland leading Garcia Holmes by a hefty 58 to 31. They add that Haaland is not taking the election for granted and has invested over $200,000 in the Dem coordinated campaign to drive voter turnout and that she is doing dozens of virtual events to motivate voters and assist down ballot Dems. Haaland has also contributed campaign funds to fellow House members as she considers a run for leadership--Dem Vice Chair in the next Congress--leaving less for campaign spending here. The decision to abandon TV in favor of digital ads also speaks to the media preferences of much of Haaland's younger and progressive base. Political consultants continue to worship at the altar of the 30 second TV spot but may spend a little less time and money doing so as a new communications era begins to chip away at the old established one. WOEFUL BROADBAND 
The pandemic in New Mexico has exposed woefully inadequate Internet connections or lack thereof for tens of thousands of New Mexico families whose children struggle to keep up on class work and their parents cope with slow speeds and unreliable or no service at all. Still, we have no comprehensive plan or public goals to extend broadband to the entire state, so we continue to get piecemeal efforts that are welcome but amount to shots in the dark. The NM congressional delegation comes with the latest example:$20 million in rural broadband grants (have been approved) to four New Mexico telecommunications utilities that will connect over 1,400 rural households in Sierra, Lea, Chaves, Eddy, Lincoln, Otero and Cibola counties with high-speed broadband internet. The delegation supported SWCT and Sierra Electric Cooperative (SEC)’s funding application to install broadband infrastructure in an area where 75 percent of the Sierra county population reports lack of access to high-speed broadband services. . . The public-private partnerships and utilities receiving funding will help bridge the digital divide for rural homes, businesses, farms, post offices and fire stations. Sounds good but that's $20 million for just 1,400 rural households. And there's this: - Penasco Valley Telephone Cooperative Inc. will use a $8.1 million ReConnect loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 1,173 people, seven farms, six businesses, three fire stations and a post office to high-speed broadband internet in Chaves, Lincoln, Eddy and Otero counties in New Mexico. Over $8 million for just 1,173 connections and we need tens of thousands of them. Where are the billions needed to build out essential broadband in the state? It is now as important as electricity. Rural NM got electricity because of the New Deal and the Rural Electrification Administration in the 1930's. Where is that kind of bold, forward thinking today? The state needs to lay down some markers. Here's where we are going to get the money, here's how we are gong to partner with the private sector and here are the deadlines being imposed to bring broadband to at least 90 percent of the state. Enough of the committees and "collaborative groups," get busy Santa Fe and DC and plug the sorrowful holes in tech that are handicapping so many of the state's citizens. This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.   (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2020 |
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