I was beginning to have bloggers’ remorse about reporting that Jim Pitts and Brian McCall would be holding a press conference at 4 p.m. on Thursday, based on what a member deeply involved in the challenge to Tom Craddick told me, because I had not seen a press release announcing the meeting. It showed up in my e-mail last night.
If there is any reason for this press conference other than to reveal the names that have pledged to Jim Pitts, then Tom Craddick will be speaker. Nobody believes talk any more, by either side. If Pitts indeed has the 90 votes he claims to have, he must lay out the names. Does that mean that Craddick will go to work trying to turn votes around? Sure. He’ll fight to the last ray of hope. But Pitts cannot let fear of Craddick prevent him from going public with the names.
A fellow who has managed a successful speakers race told me that the biggest mistake you can make is to worry about what the other guy is doing. You have to concentrate on what you have, not what the other guy can do. This is Boise State against Oklahoma. You can’t be overwhelmed by how good your opponent is. You have to play your game, and you have to believe you can win.
The important thing to realize is that the window will not stay open long for Pitts. If he does not lay out his names today, it is because he doesn’t have the votes. This is how I see it, but, more importantly, this is how fence-sitting members will see it.
