Welcome to FR TexasJones. Good to see a campus conservative amongst us. Thanks for the well written article.
Posted on 11/16/2004 9:57:42 PM PST by TexasJones
Alot of chatter is public about Hillary Clinton running in 2008. No news there. Whether she runs or not, and if she does and wins or not does not matter right now to me. However, this certain case study is very particular and a great scope of this current event can be taken if one looks back into our American political history.
Let me take you to the great state of Texas, around 1915, which had been an independant Republic only half a century earlier. Two years prior to President Woodrow Wilson declaring war on Germany entering America into the Great War, Texas was gearing towards a heated gubernatorial race. Mr. Tom Ball, a prohibitionist favorite (which I remind you the Texas prohibition movement was years ahead of the rest of the nation) ran against a man by the name of James Ferguson. Mr. James "Pa" Ferguson, of Temple, TX, ran on education as his main issue. Tenant Farming was also a main issue in which many farmers backed Ferguson on. Mr. Ferguson won the race and took over as governor of Texas. His governorship, however, was earmarked with a personal war against the University of Texas, it's president, and it's Board of Regents. Also, pposition came about against Ferguson around 1917 when allegations that the Bank of Temple (Ferguson's hometown) had received large amounts of money from the government and that Ferguson had received campaign contributions totalling $150,000 from brewers (obviously) opposed to prohibition. James Ferguson was impeached in 1917 but resigned before he could be removed from office.
Come 1924, James Ferguson tried to place his name back on the gubernatorial ballot claiming that since he resigned before being removed from office he could run again. This did not stand, and in an attempt to retain political prominance in Texas... enter James Ferguson's wife, former First Lady of Texas, Miriam Ferguson. Miriam claimed that you could get "two governors for the price of one". Miriam promised cuts in spending, opposed the Ku Klux Klan, and opposed prohibition. After trailing the Klan-supported prohibitionist candidate, Felix D. Robertson - D, in the July Democratic Party primary, she easily defeated him in the August run-off to become the Democratic gubernatorial candidate.
At political campaign speeches Miriam introduced herself and gave a brief speech but was followed up by a more extensive speech by her husband former Governor James Ferguson. Basicly, James Ferguson was running for governor but his wife was on the ballot, he was running the show. Despite this, she went on to become the first woman governor of Texas, and the second woman governor of the United States, only fifteen days after the first, which came from Wyoming. Political strife and controversy characterized her first administration. She failed at minimizing the KKK, government spending increased, and gave pardons and paroles at an average of 100 a month (not something that settles well in Texas). Allegations arose that a Ferguson-appointed state highway commision granted road contracts to Ferguson's friends and political supporters in return for lucratice kickbacks.
These contreversies helped Texas Attorney General James Moody defeat Mrs. Ferguson for renomination in 1926 and win the governorship (Republicans didn't stand a single chance in Texas during this period). However, in 1932, Miriam Ferguson regained her position in Texas politics as she reclaimed the governorship. Although not much contreversy surrounded her second term, in summary, it was much like her first term.
Now, that you have a glimpse at some classic Texas politics, I would like to ask if you think this is a very similar situation of what could happen with Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. I am in no way suggesting that the Clinton's are involved in any Bank of Temple scandals or state highway kickbacks, this was just given to give you a detailed review of this time in Texas politics.
Could an impeached governor with a wife that became the first woman governor of the state be a very similar situation to an impeached president that became the first woman president of the nation? History does have a tendancy to repeat itself....
Hi. I'm from Arkansas. I can tell you....never count them out. Never think you have them pinned.
My father used to tell stories of Ma and Pa Ferguson...I hold the same respect for Bill and Hillary as he did for them..none!
Nice post..and welcome!
I posted this in the wrong forum didnt I?
What you do is go to the sidebar on the top right sidebar and hit chat/general or bloggers/personal BEFORE hitting the post to post a vanity.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1213319/posts
FR Welcome Thread for Newbies and Lurkers.
Here ^ | 9/11/04 | Rebelbase
Here is a great helpful hints thread.
Staff want to move this for me? You know, us youngens aren't as computer savy ;)
Welcome and a big ole Gig 'Em right back atcha!
Hitlery can indeed win, provided only that Americans are asleep.
May a gracious G-d, and ideally also our fellow citizens, preclude that result.
She's a founding member!
Hitlery's "Living History and Re-enactment Society"
Hmmm...
A quick read of Christopher Andersen's "American Evita" should be enough to show you that in that "family" (using the term very loosely), Hitlery has always been the master puppeteer.
In many ways, were she to become Prez (perish that thought), she would likely have even less power than she did as the "co-Prez" as the demands of the office will leave her with less time to devote to all the nasty little details -- a job at which she excelled.
I heard my Parents and Grandparents talk about Ma Ferguson. They had no use for the Fergusons at all especially Ma Ferguson.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
