When Bill Flores earned the Republican nomination in April to face Democrat Chet Edwards, a cockamamie idea that had been rolling around in my head started to come to the forefront...
...I want to do a documentary...
So we did...at least a mini-quasi-sorta-kinda-documentary. "On the Campaign Trail" is pretty much what I had envisioned many moons ago, executed with the help of some very talent people, including Chief Photographer Andy Conner and Creative Services Editor Steve Carmack, who made big contributions.
In a race that has significant implications on local, state and national levels, the people of District 17 are getting what they get every year: pointed political ads, regurgitated soundbites and quotes, and upcoming debates. Sometimes, doing the same old stuff cuts it. With a race of this magnitude in a politcal season like this, that doesn't cut it for me.
In all honesty, I would defy any other media outlet in District 17 to put together something like what we've done to the level that we've done it. Yes, I am tooting my horn and KBTX's. I don't toot mine often (contrary to what some might say), but I will in this instance. You, as a potential voter, deserve something like this.
Our sincere thanks to the Edwards and Flores camps for letting us tag along with them on a few stops. I honestly don't know if either side knew what we were efforting as we brought multiple cameras and microphones into their events, but we hope we provided a balanced perspective on these two men who want to represent us in Congress.
Both candidates told me about their desires to serve us. Yes, their views on many issues are different, but in my time with both, I felt a genuine desire to serve, and for the right reasons.
We joke in our halls -- and I'm sure most stations do the same -- that if we hear complaints about our coverage from Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, then we've done a balanced job. Heck, maybe we'll only get compliments, a novel thought in a world that seems to want to complain first and foremost and leave the praise silent. Regardless, I hope you'll watch, get this different perspective on something that impacts us all, and then go to the polls and vote. That's a novel idea as well.
Enjoy the special.
