Wendy Davis Attack Ad Against Disabled Opponent Uses Wheelchair

Texas State Senator Wendy Davis, Democratic Gubernatorial candidate, responds to a question during the final gubernatorial debate in a KERA-TV studio in Dallas on Tuesday Sept. 30, 2014. Ebola, ethics and education w... Texas State Senator Wendy Davis, Democratic Gubernatorial candidate, responds to a question during the final gubernatorial debate in a KERA-TV studio in Dallas on Tuesday Sept. 30, 2014. Ebola, ethics and education were among the issues that dominated the final debate between Davis and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. (AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News, Andy Jacobsohn, Pool) MORE LESS
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A new ad by Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis’s (D) gubernatorial campaign hits Attorney General Greg Abbott, her Republican opponent, for not doing enough to help disabled victims even though after Abbott himself was paralyzed he sued the homeowner and a tree company connected to the oak tree that caused his paralysis.

“A tree fell on Greg Abbott. He sued and got millions. Since then he spent his career working against other victims,” the voiceover in the ad said. “Abbott argued a woman whose leg was amputated was not disabled because she had an artificial limb. He ruled against a rape victim who sued a corporation for failing to do a background check on a sexual predator. He sided with a hospital that failed to stop a dangerous surgeon who paralyzed patients.”

“Greg Abbott. He’s not for you,” the voiceover in the ad said.

Abbott was paralyzed by a falling oak tree in 1984.

The ad, “Justice,” is the latest of a series of aggressive attack ads by Davis’s campaign hitting Abbott over his legal background. The first TV ad by the Davis campaign hit Abbott for siding against a rape victim in a liability case that went before the Texas Supreme Court in 1998.

When asked if this may factor into how viewers may perceive the ad, the Campaign responded that the ad clearly focused on on the other victims, not Abbott’s paralysis.

“This ad focuses on the fact that Greg Abbott rightly sought justice for himself, following a horrible accident,” Davis spokeswoman Lauren Weiner said in a statement. “And then spent his career denying that same justice to other victims, like when he said an amputee shouldn’t be considered disabled because she had an artificial limb.”

Watch the ad below:

The TPM Polltracker average finds Abbott with a 10.3 point lead over Davis.

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Notable Replies

  1. Ugh, the kind of ad you run when you’re behind. Totally factual, but still wince-worthy.

  2. I’m confused. Aren’t all GOP’ers disabled?

  3. Avatar for chammy chammy says:

    I’m sorry folks, but I don’t understand the hang wringing over this. I see it this way, Abbott’s disabled but he doesn’t give a fuck about disabled people. I see the irony in it.

    She’s not stupid -she knows Abbott’s disabled. I see the point the ad is making.

  4. The guy is being hypocritical in denying victims benefits he himself got. But, hey, if you call him on it, your are slimy.

  5. Some republicans pull up the ladder of opportunity once they make it, others shove the wheelchair down the stairs. It’s mostly a difference in style.

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