Off to the re-education camp you go!! Citizens like yourself cannot be trusted to think on their own!!
Anyway, I think I'll just not place a vote for governor, that way whoever gets elected I can still complain.
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.
Not true. Rush has plenty of criticism for the President, just not as vindictive or spiteful as some here would like to see.
My radio day includes healthy doses of... Savage Nation
Those two statements are an oxymoron.
FWIW, I think they all get rather tiresome and find Glenn Beck to be a breath of fresh air.
Don't want to change my tagline just yet but the search is over:
MIKE PENCE - 2008
George Allen - Another person who spent one too many years in the Senate (where spines disappear)
Yup, the guv can't even introduce legislation, he's a total non-entity in the political machine short of being able to veto stuff.
As for whatever her name is today man there's not a dimes worth of difference between her and Richards. Why no one can figure that out is beyond me....either they can't look beyond their dislike of Perry (of whom I am no fan) or don't quite understand what a total lefty wingnut she is.
What the republican party of Texas needs is a purge or a waiting period whereby dims have to wait 10 years before they can switch and run as a pubie.
We haven't had a good convert since Phil Gramm (and that certainly includes Perry).
I am going to vote for Kay Baily Hutchinson.
She still is a dem, just changed parties.
I suppose you felt the same about Strom Thurmond?
Amen. Exactly what I want too. No charisma. No leadership. No programs. Just cut my taxes and lower spending whenever possible, and in the meantime just stay out of my life.
Off to the re-education camp you go!! Citizens like yourself cannot be trusted to think on their own!!
Anyway, I think I'll just not place a vote for governor, that way whoever gets elected I can still complain.
Well, the president does not introduce legislation either. It is up to the presidential and gubernatorial leaders in Congress to introduce the President's and the governor's bills. I don't think the term "introduce legislation" means a lot from a practical standpoint, but I don't know how other states fare in that regard. If the governor does not support a bill, it cannot pass without 2/3 plus of both houses on an override. And no gubernatorial veto has been overridden since 1979.
Strayhorn is encouraging Democrats to skew the Republican Primary towards weaker candidates. It is not likely a problem for Gov. Perry (as Strayhorn is such a loser and everyone knows it), but it may hurt down ballot conservative candidates if these Democrat Primary switchers try to mess around in other races.
No Strom became a repulican, Strayhorn is still a rat at heart.
My memory of Political Science class, which happened around the time of the invention of dirt, is that the ability to introduce legislation is something that most governor's have the state constitutional power to do. Only a handful of governors don't have that power.
It works okay as long as the governor has a friendly Speaker and Lt. Gov. which is why I speculate Bush and Bullock were so close even though they were miles apart politically. I honestly never figured that out completely other than perhaps Bullock was, above all, pragmatic and I think he saw the political shift even before it happened. Bullock was one smart pol.
But you're absolutely right, no veto has been overridden in a long time, but then a lot of what the gov wants has never, ever seen the light of day or gotten more than five minutes in committee. Witness Bush's proposed tax increase. DOA.
I have found him acceptable on most issues as have most Texans that I talk to on a daily basis. Kinky is just that...Kinky in my way of thinking...and I find it totally disgustful to have a "First Man" living in the Gov's mansion!! Tough Grandma...more like tough windbag INMHO.
If you can educate me on his conservative positions I'll be glad to listen.
Why this hatred of Strayhorn? Has she not demonstrated she's a good conservative via her management of the state budget?
Simply calling her names -- as the anti Strayhorn crowd has done here -- shows nothing but a lack of maturity and a knee-jerk fear that she'll win.
Thanks for convincing me to put one of the Strayhorn stickers the campaign sent me onto the back of my truck.
The lion share of her support is coming from money democrats. She is a wack job who needs to be blown out in the primaries.
Kept spenders a bay? Why did the state budget grow by 19% this time over 2003? Perry gives lip sevice to social conservatism but is a big spender is his own right.
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