Patterico's Pontifications

1/14/2010

Texas Governor: GOP Primary Debate

Filed under: Politics — DRJ @ 7:57 pm

[Guest post by DRJ]

For those interested in Texas politics, the GOP candidates for Governor debated tonight and the debate is archived here.

— DRJ

Comments (21)

21 Responses to “Texas Governor: GOP Primary Debate”

These were good candidates. KBH and Rick Perry are both very smart politicians with solid backgrounds and circles of advice. Texas is damn lucky. Of course, with people that experienced, there’s also a lot not to like.

I think Rick’s been a good administrator, despite the fiscal ridiculousness KBH pointed out. Poor handling of money is critical, but Texas is well led right now, and I don’t want to jump ship. Rick Perry is right in his basic thesis that Texas is doing the right thing in this troubled time… I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t agree with this.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 1/14/2010 @ 8:04 pm
[…] The Texas Debates | Race for Governor | January 14, 2010Republican candidates in the highly-anticipated Texas gubernatorial race will square off in ‘The Texas. Patterico's Pontifications » Texas Governor: GOP Primary Debate […]
Texas Gubernatorial Debate (fcb73f) — 1/14/2010 @ 8:36 pm
Sure do wish they would move to California.
Old Coot (d2bd0f) — 1/14/2010 @ 9:04 pm
Well, heck, Dustin just posted a big challenge.

Perry, who gets plus points for being an Aggie, has been governor for a long, long time. He’s been a good governor, with a few exceptions (Trans-Texas Corridor and speeding violations that didn’t end well among others). But, we don’t need a King of Texas.

Kay Bailey has been a good Senator, with a few exceptions (graduating from SMU — joke — and voting for the stimulus bill). And she’s been a Senator for a long time.

However, the state doesn’t need a fractious primary which could lead to the election of Bill White (who is probably a nice guy, but still a Dem).

The reason I say this is because the whole Perry-KBH race is stupid at this point in history.

Unless things change, Texas will be the new California (or Michigan or Illinois or New York or Massachusetts)in about 10 years with absolute Democratic rule and ruination.

There’s no need to speed the process.

As a conservative, I think Perry should not be running again. He’s had his time here and he should be looking at other opportunities.
Ag80 (76c798) — 1/14/2010 @ 10:06 pm
AG80,

I’m a Longhorn, BTW. So is KBH, I may add. She went to UT Law, which isn’t the easiest school in the world. Don’t know about SMU (many of my friends who went there weren’t Einstein)s, though.

Perry has been governor for a very long time, I admit. I don’t understand why you think this process would lead to the democrat winning. Texas is redder than ever. Perry is more popular than he was in the last election.

You could be right about the long term future in Texas politics. Your guess is as good as mine. But the fact is that Texas is doing damn well right now. We’ve had a few crises managed very well. Rick Perry is hardly King of Texas, and he’s not the most powerful member of the Texas government. That (ancient) speeding ticket thing was lame, the vaccination BS was lame, and there are some great points KBH brings up about money management. But now is a good time for stability. I don’t want to shake Austin up. Businesses need a place to go when they flee unstable states.

As I said, I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t admit Texas is being run pretty well. If you don’t reelect leaders who do a good job, well, you might be messing up the incentive system.

KBH is a much older political factor than Perry, anyway. You say she’s been a good senator. How? What’s she accomplished that is equivalent to Texas being run well for a while?
Dustin (b54cdc) — 1/14/2010 @ 10:18 pm
Did I read your comments correctly? It sounds like Dustin the Longhorn is voting for Perry the Aggie, and Ag80 (the Aggie?) is voting for Hutchison the Longhorn.
DRJ (84a0c3) — 1/14/2010 @ 10:29 pm
I don’t know who I will vote for at this point.

And the heavens know that Texas has been running better for the past few years than in most of my life (other than the unfortunate White and Richards administrations).

I simply think that Perry has been governor for long enough and he could do a lot in advancing conservative causes outside the borders.

My caveat is I don’t particularly have a great opinion of KBH, but I’ve seen nothing that would indicate she would vary much from Perry in state governance.

My view is not the battle, but the war. From what I’ve seen of both candidates advertisements, my take is the primary battle is going to inhibit the conservative cause.

That’s all I’m saying.
Ag80 (76c798) — 1/14/2010 @ 10:48 pm
When is the primary? And what are the registration laws in Texas? If the timing is right, I’ll definitely be voting for Perry in the primary. And I’m a Buckeye (fan).
John Hitchcock (3fd153) — 1/14/2010 @ 11:02 pm
Election is on March 2. You have until Feb 1 to register, and you can do so online.

I don’t disagree with anything AG80 is saying, really.

Except that I have a pretty visceral dislike for Perry and doubt he would have any success nationally. I realize this is odd, since I strongly prefer he be reelected as governor.

It’s funny because I didn’t like him for a very long time, but I’m happy with the way the state’s run, lately. So I actually am not to hot on him in a national election. I get the impression he’s a lot like Mitt Romney. This is probably unfair of me. I love the way he’s raised a rabble over Obama’s expansion of government, though. So few people really stand up for state’s rights.

It’s easy to point out all the problems with Perry and KBH because they are powerful, experienced, and I think capable leaders. We’re pretty lucky.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 1/14/2010 @ 11:19 pm
Sorry about the repetitive nature of the comment, which accidentaly posted while editing.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 1/14/2010 @ 11:25 pm
Well, then, I won’t be voting in the TX Primary. The timing isn’t right and I’m not a member of ACORN.
John Hitchcock (3fd153) — 1/14/2010 @ 11:30 pm
A bit of history

In 1801, Toussaint Louverture led the slaves in a revolt against the French colonists. After a bloody three-year war, Haiti became the first black republic in the world. The slaves declared their independence on January 1, 1804, sacrificed a pig, and dedicated the country to Satan. From its inception, the nation has been consecrated to worshipping evil and its maker. From the time of its freedom, Haiti has been in chains.
John Hitchcock (3fd153) — 1/14/2010 @ 11:41 pm
Oops, wrong thread.
John Hitchcock (3fd153) — 1/14/2010 @ 11:42 pm
Hey, if you don’t like Perry, send him up here, we don’t have anyone who has a clue (nor inclination) to actually run a fiscally – responsible state government.
Dmac (539341) — 1/15/2010 @ 6:17 am
Perry gives me a smug-pretty-boy too-slick vibe I dislike. And sometimes seems a bit too creepily “enlightened”. But I do like the way he’s run the state in general.

OTOH, KBH is a politician, thru and thru. She may be a more conservative pol, but I still get the sense she’s gaming everything for personal career advancement.

So Perry’s been governor for quite some time….does that automatically mean he ‘must’ try for the Peter Principle advancement? I find it kind of refreshing to read interviews with him where he indicates he has no desire to pursue a more national stage. Since all those who use positions to leapfrog into the next (cough Ho-Bambi, cough) are surely only ambitious because their ideas are SO good for the governed….
rtrski (b47753) — 1/15/2010 @ 6:29 am
Hutchinson has the Washington disease. Don’t need her in a position of power in Texas. Especially since the main reason that she is running is to burnish her executive experience before running for President. (Senators typically make horrible Presidents.)
Mark L (cfcb76) — 1/15/2010 @ 7:12 am
KBH wants to replace Perry but doesn’t want to give up her senate seat in case she loses the primary. I won’t vote for KBH to have her cake and eat it too.
tmac (5559f7) — 1/15/2010 @ 7:21 am
On the other hand, I could see voting for KBH just to watch Democrats’ heads explode in November when Republican chair of the Texas Railroad Commission, Michael Williams, becomes the state’s new U.S. Senator.
John (620750) — 1/15/2010 @ 8:40 am
KBH is a nice lady, but she is no conservative. As best I can tell she has no executive experience and being a lawyer is not exactly a resume enhancement these days!

Rick Perry has done a good job for all Texans…no need to risk the state to a fractious Repub Primary that allows a dem takeover.
tomshup (2f8142) — 1/15/2010 @ 10:42 am
Comment by DRJ — 1/14/2010 @ 10:29 pm

If the criteria for voting for Governor is what schools you share, and not the competence of the office seeker, you just might share some of CA’s future.

Perry has demonstrated his executive ability;
KBH has demonstrated Senatorial Go-Along to Get-Along.
One has kept TX solvent, the other contributed to the mess on Capitol Hill.
We Report, You Decide – and VOTE!
AD - RtR/OS! (bc0057) — 1/15/2010 @ 11:23 am
AD, I’m quite sure she’s just joking around with the amusing notion of Aggie vs Longhorn loyalty. Rick Perry’s had no problem winning in a state with a lot more Horns than Aggies.

tomshup, I don’t mean to demean KBH, but she can be a very tough person to work for. Kinda a tempermental jerk. I think a lot of women leaders at her age had to learn to be very forceful in order to overcome a sexist idea that they wouldn’t be tough enough to get the job done. But I agree, I don’t want someone so involved with DC for so long, and with little to no executive experience, heading this state. It’s not the easiest job in the world. She’s been in the Senate for a long time, and I can’t think of any great thing she accomplished or awful thing she stopped.

KBH has Dick Cheney’s endorsement, so she can’t be all that bad, and I am thrilled she didn’t give up her seat (which probably hurt her campaign but helped the GOP a lot). I am still voting for Perry, but Texas is lucky that KBH is their other major option.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 1/15/2010 @ 1:29 pm

1/14/2010

Texas Governor: GOP Primary Debate

21 Responses to “Texas Governor: GOP Primary Debate”

Favorite Sites

Links

Patterico Sells Out