Expect low blows, high volume from Perry, Hutchison [Texas Gov]

Dallas Morning News ^ | Jan. 2, 2010 | CHRISTY HOPPE

[deport]

..... In 58 days GOP voters will select either Kay Bailey Hutchison or Rick Perry, two political veterans, popular with their party, undefeated in decades of elections.

In all probability, the price of admission is too steep for political newcomer Debra Medina as the two leaders stage an air-war of political ads likely to tally a combined $30 million over two months.

"It is politics at full-throttle," said Bill Miller, who advises corporate and political clients.

"This will be a race where there will be a lot of gut shots, low blows. They'll be punches thrown meant to incapacitate your opponent," he predicted. "We haven't seen one in a while, but we're certainly in for one now."

Perry will bring in Palin and business endorsements galore; Hutchison will employ Roger Staubach and Nolan Ryan, along with her Bush-team of Cheney, Karen Hughes and Karl Rove...

He said Hutchison needs the fight to be about facts, to push the idea that Perry made decisions or supported people and ideas that are contrary to conservative values. That will heighten interest in the race and drive up voter participation...

But he expects Perry will try to avoid that, keeping the primary small and to its "purest essence." He'll paint Hutchison with the sour brush that Republicans feel toward Congress. ..

Even with the wider world watching, the messages that matter will be calibrated for a GOP audience. Masset predicted that Perry will maintain the anti-Washington theme, while stressing state sovereignty and Texas' better-than-average economic standing. She will question his conservative credentials and suggest he represents politics as usual, Masset said.

"I expect she'll remind people he was Al Gore's state chairman and supported Rudy Giuliani for president," he said. ...

[MSF BU]

What is the point of all this. I understood why Reagan challenged Ford, because there was a stark ideological contrast. Why would this be going on against Perry?

[deport]

Why would this be going on against Perry?

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I guess people want someone else to serve them. Perry has been sucking at the Texas gov’t teat for almost 25 yrs now and at the end of this term he’ll have served as governor for 10 yrs. If reelected it will be 14 yrs. We don’t need a king, serve then move on to something more productive. JMO....

[Theodore R.]

KBH sometimes votes for conservative positions, but one can see that she hates “having” to do so. She wants to be admired for her “broad-mindedness”. Perry is hard to fathom — I personally think he is unelectable in November.