All right, all right, all right.
Actor Matthew McConaughey, who has been teasing a possible campaign for Texas governor, has a double-digit lead over incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, according to a new poll.
The 51-year-old Oscar winner, a Texas native, has quietly been feeding the rumors, recently telling radio host Hugh Hewitt that “it would be up to the people more than it would me” whether he runs.
Now, a new poll conducted by The Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas at Tyler shows that “The Dallas Buyers Club” actor might be a player. McConaughey leads Abbot, with 45% of those surveyed saying they would support McConaughey versus 33% who would go with Abbott. The other 22% would go with someone else.
The poll, conducted April 6-13, surveyed 1,126 registered voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.92%.
“While Democrats broke 66% to 8% for McConaughey, and independents 44% to 28%, more than twice as many Democratic primary voters — 51% — said they wanted a progressive candidate for governor than wanted a centrist — 25%,” The Dallas Morning News reported.
But McConaughey, a self-professed moderate, could well have the same problem moderates have across the country: Getting through a primary. The base of each party picks the candidates, and they often skew farther left or right, leaving moderates in the dust.
“Only 20% of GOP primary voters preferred a more centrist Republican, and 18% wanted someone more like former President Donald Trump. Fourteen percent preferred someone more conservative than Abbott, who has been avidly courting the right wing of his party in recent weeks after several staunch conservatives, including former state Sen. Don Huffines of Dallas, were mentioned as possible challengers to him in the primary,” the Morning News reported, adding:
Some of the Trump supporters warm to celebrities, and that sentiment, along with the wishes of one-fifth of the primary electorate for a more moderate nominee, might open a lane in the GOP primary for McConaughey, said UT-Tyler political scientist Mark Owens, who directed the poll. “Matthew McConaughey gets a huge boost from tremendous name recognition and recognition for what he does to help Texans and add to the celebration of the state’s successes,” Owens said. “Most of our survey respondents know his story, but many are waiting to see how he opens his next chapter.”
McConaughey made news last year when he slammed the “illiberal left” for acting “arrogant” toward conservatives and cutting off any chance of dialogue by throwing insults.
In an interview with English comedian Russell Brand for an episode of Brand’s podcast “Under the Skin,” McConaughey focused on trying to get people across the political aisle to move to the center. He took shots at the Right, as well, saying they believed in “fake news.” He said that the “far Left” has driven people on the Right away.
“Look, on the other side, on the far Left … there is a lot on that illiberal Left that absolutely condescend, patronize, or are arrogant towards that other 50%. Many people who are in – I’m sure you saw it – in our industry, when Trump was voted in four years ago, they were in denial that it was real, and some of them were in absolute denial.”