I'm also fed up with Perry - no action, no skill and no clue. Strayhorn may be an ex-Democrat, but so am I. People can see the error of her ways...and she's getting my vote.
Posted on 12/26/2005 5:32:20 AM PST by Theodore R.
Texas governor's race shaping up to be big show next year
ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN (AP) - For the first time since Republicans claimed all statewide offices in 1998, the party faces the possibility of a big-name GOP primary showdown next year.
The March 7 primary for Texas governor will likely pit Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, a self-described "tough grandma," against her longtime foil and incumbent Rick Perry.
"I've never been the darling of the insiders. I run with the people," Strayhorn said. "Right after the new year, buckle your seat belt and hang on."
This month Strayhorn denied speculation she might consider a run as an independent, potentially postponing a contest with Perry until the November general election. She hasn't officially filed her candidacy papers yet, but she's expected to make the Jan. 2 deadline.
Perry, meanwhile, said he's only talking about his own Republican campaign.
"I know which party I'm for and which party I'm going to run. I made that decision a decade ago. I've got other very important things to spend my time on," said Perry, who switched from the Democratic Party before his run for agriculture commissioner in 1990.
If elected to another four-year term, Perry could hold the governor's office for 10 years, making him the longest-serving governor in Texas history. He was lieutenant governor under then-Gov. George W. Bush and assumed the state's top job when Bush was elected president in 2000. Two years later, Perry was elected to his first full term as governor.
Among Democrats, who admittedly are in a rebuilding period, former Houston congressman Chris Bell and former Texas Supreme Court justice Bob Gammage will challenge each other for their party's gubernatorial nomination.
The race's wild card is musician and author Kinky Friedman, who wants to get on the ballot as an independent. He'll have to gather 45,540 signatures from registered voters after the primary, but as a sign of confidence he's hired campaign manager Dean Barkley, who helped engineer the surprise victory by former pro wrestler Jesse Ventura for governor of Minnesota.
"There will be a whole new spirit blowing through Texas," Friedman said of his candidacy earlier this month. "There will be a smile on everybody's face and a chill up the spine of every politician."
The Republican race for governor narrowed in June when Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison decided to run for re-election rather than challenge Perry. The governor had warned a primary contest would be a "bloody" and "brutal" affair.
"Perry has shown that he gives no quarter in political races. None should be expected," said consultant Bill Miller, whose company's political committee has donated to Perry's campaign.
Miller predicted a hard-hitting contest if Strayhorn makes good on her promise to run. "They're both going to go for the jugular," he said.
Both camps began shooting insults at each other early in the year. Strayhorn called Perry a "do-nothin' drugstore cowboy" who hasn't shown leadership on children's issues or school property tax relief. Perry's campaign questioned Strayhorn's ethics and accused her of using her state office for political gain.
Perry and Strayhorn are also veteran campaigners. Perry has never lost a race. Strayhorn lost a run for Congress in 1986 after she switched to the GOP from the Democratic Party, and she lost a race for Railroad Commission in 1992. But she was later elected to the commission, then went on to become Texas' first woman comptroller. She was known at the time by the last name Rylander, before she remarried.
Perry's aides portray him as the real conservative. They cast Strayhorn as a pseudo-Republican whose support comes from Democrats and trial lawyers.
"I think the primary voters will see right through that," Perry spokesman Robert Black said. "Republican primary voters need to know if trial lawyers have picked a candidate in the Republican primary and who that candidate is."
Strayhorn's camp says it wants to attract more than the usual 600,000 people who typically vote in a Texas Republican primary.
"Our game plan is to turn the Republican primary in 2006 into the general election," said Mark Sanders, Strayhorn's spokesman. "We want everyone who wants to have a say in the future of this state. In order to do that, they need to vote in the March Republican primary."
As 2005 ended, Strayhorn and Perry were busy collecting campaign cash. At the end of the latest campaign reporting period, June 30, Perry had $8.8 million in cash on hand, and Strayhorn had $7 million.
They won't have to report their contributions for the second half of the year until mid-January, but each undoubtedly added millions more dollars.
It's widely believed Perry would outspend Strayhorn, who said she plans to counter Perry's power by debating key issues and bringing together supporters of all political stripes.
"I am looking forward to the challenge," she said.
I disagree, Friedman will pull the anti-machine DLC democrats and his platform is more lefty than right.
Also, Kinky will do well in the democrat Travis County, home of liberal Austin, his brand of outsider liberlism will be very appealing to the bohemian and celrbrity struck Austin set.
No. They are just tired of this idiot. There is a large throw all the bums out mood among my friends and family.
Which is a very small minority amongst Texas voters, pro-union and socially conservative.
Ann Richards on Steroids?
I know that Friedman has a leftist platform, but many "Republican" voters won't "get it." He could be a Perot-type candidate, and Perot's platform was leftist but with conservative rhetoric.
Dane, I do not have much time today to type, my daughter is in the Hospital. I have to start gettign ready to drop my other daughter off with her grand parents ate 9 am. But I am just writing what I hear. Many do not see Perry as an effective governor. And after looking at all the likely choices I am appalled at teh lack there of.
Oh, and two of the ones I am speaking of is my brohter. He is a Vice President of his compnyand it is non union. The second is my father a small business owner.
The only way that I'll vote for Perry is if he is the least of the possible evils and there's a threat that a greater evil will be elected. I confess that I need to learn more about Friedman and Strayhorn. I will. [I didn't realize Strayhorn's background until I read a post further up the thread. No UT liberal and daughter of a liberal for me!]
"Adios MoFo". . .
Bwahahahah. . .
You are reporting anecdotal information and you use that over and over again as if it is accurate.
Again sorry to break it to you and Teddy, but Perry has the soically conservative vote sewn up, while Friedman and whoever the democrat is will be splitting up the socially and economically liberal vote.
Sorry to rain on your anti-Perry/Republican parade.
And the best of prayers for your daughters.
They will get it, I have more faith in the political smarts of Republican voters than you do.
Friedman will pull in many more star struck leftists, than soically conservative voters.
If I could get a Kinky Friedman action figure, I'd move to Texas and vote for him.
I'm also fed up with Perry - no action, no skill and no clue. Strayhorn may be an ex-Democrat, but so am I. People can see the error of her ways...and she's getting my vote.
You mean like this one ... well then, come on down.
I'd rather have an inexperienced professional malcontent and agitator hold the phone for 6 years than Strayhorn bust pretty boy in the chops and send Texas down the toilet.
I agree with precisely one-half of one platform plank of Kinky's, but that's precisely 100% more platform communicated than either Perry or Plankton-Keeton Lielikeher.
But that's just me...
I am always amazed at voters who think that a change in the incumbency of the Texas governorship will substantially change the direction of public policy in the state. The only way that might happen here is if the state lost its collective conservative mind and elected Democrats to all three branches including the Lt. Governor's office. The Texas governorship is designed to be weak consitutionally and putting either Kinky and or the mad grandma in there would not change much in the state. In fact, Texas has had their ilk in office previously....anyone heard of Pappy Lee O'Daniel or Ma Ferguson? Thanks, but no thanks. I will stick with Pretty Boy Perry.
Kinky Friedman doesn't interest me at all---if he shares Willie's politics, that's all I need to know.
The big thing about Perry that I really don't like is his push for that huge highway corridor to split Texas right down the middle. While I recognize that I-35 is way too crowded, I just don't think that that huge corridor is necessary, and IMO, will be the end of Texas as we know it. The huge number of families and businesses that will lose to imminent domain is mind-boggling!
Otherwise, Perry hasn't done much, and as someone said earlier, that' s a good thing. It seems to me at this point that I have 2 alternatives: sit this one out (never a good thing) or vote for Perry.
I really hate going to vote when I'm thinking like this!
But I agree with you, the corridor will change our state forever, and I'm dismayed. I wish it would be put to the citizens or abandoned.
I am surprised to see that Gov Perry is to be one of the first speakers at CPAC on Feb. 9. I wonder if he is needing to shore up his support from the right.
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