It's rumored that Wendy Davis has decided to run for governor of Texas. Whether or not she stands a chance -- it looks highly unlikely that she or any other Democrat could win a statewide election in the foreseeable future -- she's certainly getting press: she'll be featured in Voguesoon, Politico reports.
I think the Vogue story was the last straw for Dave Weigel. He asks:
Imagine a Republican in a blue state filibustering a pro-choice bill. Would she get the same "next big thing" media as Wendy Davis?
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) August 15, 2013
As a lot of people have pointed out in response to him, that's not a very good analogy. A pro-choice bill in a blue state wouldn't fundamentally change social policy the way a law effectively making abortion unavailable in vast swaths of Texas does.
Let's try this instead: Imagine a Republican in a blue state successfully using a dramatic 13-hour talking filibuster to prevent a bill legalizing gay marriage from becoming law. Is it really inconceivable that that Republican would get the same "next big thing" treatment from the right-wing media?
And when did Rand Paul's star begin to rise with the national press? When he led a filibuster against an Obama appointee who was later confirmed, in protest of a drone policy that hasn't changed one iota since the filibuster.
Hell, Ben Carson briefly became a right-wing star for something like a non-legislative filibuster -- a speech denouncing President Obama at an event attended by the president.
No, none of these people got into Vogue. But the right has its own star-maker machinery, which doesn't depend on outlets like Vogue.
