Perry pledge to run in 2010 pumps up White's camp

The Houston Chronicle ^ | April 17, 2008 | Rick Casey

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Some Republicans groaned at Gov. Rick Perry's announcement that he plans to seek another term in 2010, but Mayor Bill White's camp reacted with glee.

White has made no effort to hide the fact that he is looking to run for governor after being term-limited out of the mayor's office next year.

And Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, the biggest vote-getter in Texas history, has been more than hinting that she plans to "come home" to run for the same office. She outlined to Texas Monthly last November a plan to resign the Senate in 2009 to make the race, while saying it was too early to make a formal announcement.

She more than hinted she would run two years ago, too, but Perry stared her down. (He also stared down then-Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, who chose to run as an independent.)

In your face, Kay

This time Hutchison has been assuring supporters she intends to make the race.

Perry's choice of the Dallas Morning News as the outlet for his decision was something of an in-your-face response to the gubernatorial musings of Hutchison, who hails from Dallas.

A primary fight between the two of them delights White supporters.

For one thing, as popular as Hutchison is, winning the Republican nomination is not a sure thing for her.

She has alienated the conservative "base" by voting for funding for stem-cell research, by supporting the SCHIP program that President Bush vetoed and for somewhat moderate stands on immigration.

Perry is still strong with the "base." But he won only 39 percent of the vote in 2006 against a lineup of Democrat Chris Bell and independents Strayhorn and Kinky Friedman.

Golden spot in the middle?

Perry encouraged speculation that he might be a choice for vice president on Sen. John McCain's ticket, but the notion has drawn about as much attention as a 39 percent "landslide" victory for an incumbent deserves.

Hutchison has been mentioned widely as a veep possibility, but at 64 she doesn't help McCain much with the age issue, she doesn't help him with the right side of the party that distrusts him, and he doesn't need her to carry Texas.

White would much rather run against Perry. White is considerably stronger in the business community, which hates the new business "margins tax" Perry pushed.

Time to pick her battles

White would sell himself as a pragmatic and competent problem solver, contrasting his accomplishments in Houston with the internecine squabbling that has marked Austin — squabbling that can be expected to continue if Tom Craddick holds on to his House speaker's chair.

Hutchison has won considerable praise for hard work she did with Democrats and business leaders on the issue of military base closures around the state. She, like White, is seen as a pragmatist and a problem solver.

White supporters say she might have to tarnish that image in a tough primary, something she's not faced in her 15 years in the Senate.

"In a primary against Perry, she would have to run to the right," said one White guy. "That takes her away from her golden spot in the middle."

I'm not convinced she would have to run hard to the right.

Even with many independents voting in the Democratic primary in Texas last month McCain beat conservative Mike Huckabee 51 percent to 38 percent.

Independent consideration

Given how weak the state Democratic Party is, it is unlikely any statewide race in the next Democratic primary would attract independents away from a spirited primary matchup between Perry and Hutchison.

After all, down ballot from the presidential contest this year, the most exciting statewide race in the Democratic primary was for the right to face U.S. Sen. John Cornyn. It pitted Houston State Rep. Rick Noriega against a geriatric hermit whose only political asset is the name Gene Kelly and two lesser-known candidates.

Noriega eked out a victory without a runoff.

What's more, opposition to Perry's unpopular Trans-Texas Corridor, which Hutchison has vigorously opposed, may kill him even among the Republican base.

So the glee that lit up the White camp Thursday is likely to fade, unless Hutchison once again loses her nerve.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Trans-Texas Corridor PING!

[Ben Ficklin]

The Hutchison Perry smackdown begins. And of course the “true conservatives” will be lamenting the rino versus rino contest.

[Manfred the Wonder Dawg]

You got that right. We need another type of animal running for the GOP office in this state. I’ve told Sen Hutchison that I would not vote for her to gather up lost puppies, much less be governor.

[Ben Ficklin]

There are other ways to frame it.

Its the good ol' boy from West Texas versus the Metro elitist bitch.

Or, Statist Kay versus Federalist Perry.

[Manfred the Wonder Dawg]

You got that right. We need another type of animal running for the GOP office in this state. I’ve told Sen Hutchison that I would not vote for her to gather up lost puppies, much less be governor.

[patch789]

I don’t want Perry

[Grams A]

What about Kinky??

[TXnMA]

Thanks to his TTC scam, RINO Rick Goodhair Perry is political dead meat in Texas. And, to many P.O.'d Texans, that extends to Perry being anathema anywhere in the U.S.

One of the few things (aside from a Democrat) that would be worse than McCain for President would be a McCain/Perry ticket.

[deport]

What about Kinky??

---

Kinky blew his wad last time. But he’s made references to running as a democrat, his true home.

[Ben Ficklin]

Or, Texas versus Texas A&M

Or, female versus male

Or, female cheerleader versus male cheerleader

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[normy]

Perry is still strong with the "base.

huh? I don't think so. I wish John Cornyn would run and then run for President in '12.

[TexasRedeye]

Kay Baily needs to keep her day job and forget being Gov of Texas this time around! She is too much like McLame - too many negatives for the "base" to support her. After her amendment virtually killed funding for the two-layered fence in Texas that has worked so well in California and had been previously approved and funded, I wrote her and told her I would actively campaign against her - even to campaigning FOR Gov. Good Hair Perry!(EWWWWWW).

Dec 2007 - Lest we forget: Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, the Texas Republican who has led the charge to change the 2006 law ... House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, "Gutting the Secure Fence Act will make our borders less secure, ... She won with help from the Democrat majority! The spending bill, written by Democrats and passed 253-154 with mostly their votes,...

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

>>What’s more, opposition to Perry’s unpopular Trans-Texas Corridor, which Hutchison has vigorously opposed, may kill him even among the Republican base.<<

Let’s see if I’ve got this straight. Hutchison “has vigorously opposed” the TTC or “has vigorously opposed” opposition to the TTC? She has made statements that she opposes it, but has connections to Bracewell & Giuliani (one of Hutchison’s top 20 contributors, managing partner Robert Oxford served as co-chairman of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s re-election campaign last year), which represents Cintra.

In McCain’s new plan, if Hutchison or Perry were elected governor in 2010, whoever the winner is would “certify” that the border is secure. I don’t trust either. A vote by the state legislature would be better, although a voter referendum would really be more likely to reflect a consensus.

[BubbaBobTX]

Actually Kinky ran as a Republican in Kerville several years ago.

[al_c]

ROFL!!!! You don't have a snowball's chance in Hell, Perry!

[johnthebaptistmoore]

Why not have a decent conservative also run for Governor of Texas? If there are just RINOs running, then how would a true conservative also running not have a serious chance of winning?

[MeekOneGOP]

I don’t know White but I sure as he** would want Perry
over Kay Bailey Hutchison.

I’ve held my nose every time I’ve voted for KBH.

[MeekOneGOP]

whoops!

meant to include yall in my post there. :)