Wendy Davis came into the national spotlight last summer after mounting a filibuster in favor of abortion rights on the floor of the Texas State legislature. The media gave her glowing coverage as she was fighting to keep the abortion mills open in Texas. Davis has since transformed the national spotlight into a campaign for governor. She aims to be the first Democrat governor of Texas in almost a quarter of a century.
Throughout her campaign, Davis has been making much of her personal life story—how a divorced single mother pulled herself up by her own bootstraps to get into Harvard and then on to political achievement. But the Dallas Morning News reports that there is more to Davis’ life story. Here’s an excerpt:
The basic elements of the narrative are true, but the full story of Davis’ life is more complicated, as often happens when public figures aim to define themselves. In the shorthand version that has developed, some facts have been blurred.
Davis was 21, not 19, when she was divorced. She lived only a few months in the family mobile home while separated from her husband before moving into an apartment with her daughter.
A single mother working two jobs, she met Jeff Davis, a lawyer 13 years older than her, married him and had a second daughter. He paid for her last two years at Texas Christian University and her time at Harvard Law School, and kept their two daughters while she was in Boston. When they divorced in 2005, he was granted parental custody, and the girls stayed with him. Wendy Davis was directed to pay child support.
For me, the key line in the article comes from a political supporter who also happens to be one of Davis’ former colleagues:
“Wendy is tremendously ambitious,” he said, speaking only on condition of anonymity in order to give what he called an honest assessment. “She’s not going to let family or raising children or anything else get in her way.”
Read the rest here.
15 Comments
Ian Shaw
Easy to be ambitious when you have someone else not only paying for your education (undergrad and law school…gee, I wonder what that must be like) but also providing free child care for your children while you are halfway across the country.
Paul Reed
I think that’s the crux of an an abortion issue. Do women have an obligation from the state to gestate a kid if they become pregnant, or it is okay to terminate their future newborn and free themselves from the obligations of motherhood? In a me-me-me culture, I’ll give you a hint as to how that question is going to be answered.
Paul Reed
Vile as Wendy Davis is, she’s never had her own children killed to get her own way (at least, to our knowledge.) Compare that to women who get abortions.
Paul Jacobs
Anyone who supports the extermination of the unborn and then brags about their moral superiority and background is not to be trusted.
Denny Burk
Agreed. And anyone who essentially divorces their family is not to be trusted either–and that applies not just to Wendy Davis but also to any man who does the same thing.
Roy Fuller
Speaking for myself, I would reserve passing judgment on a person’s trustworthiness based upon one newspaper article.
Paul Reed
Vile as Wendy Davis is, she’s never had her own children killed to get her own way (at least, to our knowledge.) Compare that to women who get abortions.
(Sorry for the double post. I meant this comment as a response to you and Paul Jacobs instead of the one above..)
Ian Shaw
Boy, she seems more selfish here than Richard Sherman after stopping Crabtree from making that catch last night….and the post-game interview.
Agreed with you Denny. Applies to either spouse. Providing this claim is true, it sure shows were someone’s moral compass is.
colinsmo
What a tragedy for this line to be your legacy: “She’s not going to let family or raising children or anything else get in her way.”
Andrew Orlovsky
Is anyone running against Davis is the Democratic Primary? I would think most Texas Democrats are Latinos who may be economic liberals, but not exactly supports of abortion. It would be hilarious to see the media’s reaction if Abortion Barbie falls at the hands of “fellow” Democrats.
Roy Fuller
An updated article in which Davis corrects some of the misstatements she had made in earlier articles. I am waiting for the article in which Ergun Caner owns up to his “misstatements” about his life, which he used to deceive believers and enrich his reputation and wallet. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/21/us/accused-of-blurring-facts-of-stirring-life-story-texas-lawmaker-offers-chronology.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20140121
Matthew
Spoiler alert: Davis wins Austin/Houston/Dallas… loses the rest of the state. Abbott is new Texas governor. Much ado = nothing.
Chris Ryan
Would we say the same thing abt Ronald Reagan b/cs of his divorce? Or John McCain & his divorce? Or Newt Gingrich & his 3 divorces?
Esther O'Reilly
Actually, I didn’t vote for Gingrich precisely because of his divorces, and I made no bones about that with family and friends. The same goes for McCain dumping his wife.
Reagan’s story was different though. In his case, the wife was clearly at fault. She didn’t find his new political avenue exciting and decided it was more important to not be bored than to stick to her marital commitment. I don’t remember if another man was involved or not. In any case, no comparison between Reagan and McCain/Gingrich.
buddyglass
I feel obligated to point out that this story is being reported by the Dallas Morning News, bastion of the “mainstream media”.