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Texas Republican Smackdown
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Gov. Rick Perry is under fire over a suspicious execution—and his secessionist talk this spring. Can his more moderate GOP rival take him down? The national GOP is watching.
A battle for the soul of the Republican Party is under way in Texas and the results could help shape how the GOP positions itself for the 2010 midterm elections and beyond.
Rick Perry has served longer than any Texas governor in the state’s history, as he seeks his third term. But he faces a major primary challenge in next year’s balloting from GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, a longtime politician who, while solidly conservative, has a more moderate reputation than the incumbent. Perry is perhaps best known nationally for floating the idea this year that Texas should consider seceding from the Union, but despite his radical rhetoric he also faces a challenge from a far-right Ron Paul acolyte named Debra Medina for not taking on the federal government even harder. With questions swirling about Perry’s handling of a death-penalty case in which the condemned may have been innocent, the governor faces the toughest re-election battle of his career (recent polls show he's in a dead heat with Hutchison). The race also gives Texans the opportunity to send a signal to the national GOP about the potential direction of the party and whether they like their candidates to be very conservative, extremely conservative, or borderline militia-movement conservative.
“I don’t think it’s extreme to say it’s a fight for the hearts and minds of the Republican Party,” says Bob Stein of Rice University.
“I think if this primary goes to full finish, you're beginning to see the makeup of what a national fight would be like between, say, a [Governor Tim Pawlenty] in Minnesota and Sarah Palin, if she continues her run for 2012,” a political-science professor at Rice University, Bob Stein, told The Daily Beast. “I don't think it's extreme to say it's a fight for the hearts and minds of the Republican Party.”
Perry, who took office in 2000 when George W. Bush ascended to the White House, won’t be easy to topple. An exodus of moderates and independents has made the Republican Party more conservative nationally—a trend that is magnified in the Lone Star State. Hutchison supports Roe v. Wade, a heretical position for the Christian right, although she has consistently voted to heavily restrict abortion rights. But Texas has open primaries, meaning that Hutchison's personal appeal outside the party could bring in votes from independents and Democrats who normally don't participate in GOP contests to put her over the edge.
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The latest polling from Rasmussen, conducted in September, shows Hutchison narrowly leading Perry 40 percent to 38 percent. Previous polls by the same outfit showed her as far back as 10 percentage points. It also showed both politicians to be enormously popular among prospective GOP primary voters: 72 percent viewed Perry favorably and 71 percent said the same for Hutchison.
“The big question—and this is impossible to know the answer to this far in advance of a heated primary campaign—is who is going to show up and vote,” pollster Scott Rasmussen told The Daily Beast. ”If the turnout is much larger and moves beyond the Republican base, it's better for Hutchison. If it's smaller, more of a base vote, it's better for Perry.”
Perry has been doing his best to tack to the right in recent months in preparation for the primary, gambling that the dedicated conservatives who usually show up in these elections will put him over the top. He's clashed with the base before, most notably over his decision to require Texas schoolgirls to receive HPV vaccines, a move social conservatives warned would promote promiscuity. This year, he's trying to win the base back—most prominently by associating himself with the extreme anti-government Tea Party movement that has been protesting Obama's policies. It was at one Tea Party event that Perry floated the secession notion—a move he suggested as a means of protesting federal policies. “We've got a great union. There's absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that,” Perry told the audience, who reportedly were chanting “Secede!”
Hutchison argues that Perry's move to the right is scaring off moderate Republicans and independents who might otherwise back the party—a move she says could have national consequences.
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Its probably time for Perry to just step down.
Kay Adams: Do you know how naive you sound Michael? Presidents and senators don't have men killed!
Michael Corleone: Oh. Who's being naive now Kay?
I think it's time for a Democrat to be in the Governors mansion. We have had enough of the Republicans and the Republican party. The Party of No!!!!
I can tell you now, that's not gonna happen.
Remember Glenda - 60% of TX did not vote for the Republican party in 2006's gubernatorial race. Plurality wins here, not majority. Democrats could very well take the vote, particularly if Perry makes it past primaries. Should Kay Bailey go through, I'm confident she'll win the state.
urbancowgirl is correct.. If Zoolander is the republican candidate, they will not win..
The DNC should look to KBH's statement "If Texas goes Democrat, we will never elect a Republican president again-not ever," she warned in one recent speech. "We cannot do it." as a rallying cry to put as much time and money as they can into this state but so far I see no evidence of that. It seems the Democratic Party completely gave up on Texas a long time ago which is just plain weak.
Chris Bell managed to pull in 29% of the vote to Perry's 39% in the last election and he seemed to have no campaign at all. I think I saw one ad for him in the two weeks before the election. Just think what could have happened if the Democrats actually tried for a change? Till they do I'm voting for Kinky.
Bill White should be running for Governor instead of the senate.. We need someone who knows what they are doing..
The Governor's mansion burned down. The state is paying $10,000 a month for Perry's private residence.
If Perry sucedes from the union, he does not recieve federal money for disasters, nore does our military or guards come to his aid along the drug ridden mexico boarder. Lately Perry will say anything an latch on to anything(even the crazy), to play his political games. I hope Hutchison brings it home for Texas,were my heart is truely at.
Unfortunately we do send military into foreign countries and given the reactionary attitude it would take to secede from the Union we would probably have a CIA team and invading force in there the day after to make sure they have a Pro-Global Big Business dictatorship in place. It wouldn't be good for Texans, but you are right we wouldn't have to rebuild Galveston or clean up Houston every year.
Yeah and these are the same reasons we joined in the first place.. To keep Mexico out, and to get out of debt.
I am a progressive, so I have no use for anything in Texas and the Deep South. I hope Secessionist Perry wins and takes Texas out of the Union, which will cost the Republicans a lot of their dumb white voters. Without the Confederate-evangelicals in the South, they'd no longer have much of a party at all.
Me too and I agree with you - too bad we cannot keep the earth part and send them off on boats.
It's hard to see how this comment falls in line with your claim of being a progressive.
You sound more like a bigot than a progressive.
I live in Texas, but I am not a Texan. I agree. Secede already. I am totally sick of these Repugs. I am sad to say I used to be one.
I'm curious, why were you a Republican in the first place - what did they seem to offer? and, then why did you become a Not-Republican - what changed?
mcmchugh - This is just awful. How dare you speak like that? mvtp is right, you are no progressive.
I'm a liberal born and raised here in TX with those "confederate-evangelicals" and am ashamed that you also align yourself with any sort of progressive movement.
TX is home to some of the most liberal inner cities in America - if you haven't been to Austin, you simply can't talk - and Austin, Dallas, and Houston all went for Obama in the last election. We may have some conservative folks down here, but they're good, kind, hospitable folks who would help you out of a tough spot in a heartbeat, even while you're calling them bigots.
It should be noted that Rick Perry barely won 40% of the vote in '06 - most of TX DID NOT vote for him! Don't lump the entire state - and the entire South - with his views!
I hope you'll think twice before condemning every single person who lives down here. We're not fighting the Civil War anymore and it certainly seems to me that the folks confused about that are not only found in the South.
mcmchugh sees everyone in the south as a bigot and includes Texas in with them.. he probably also assumes that if someone has a southern accent that they are racist and stupid..
Texas conservatives are a well funded ornery bunch, which is why Texas liberals are so smart and fun to be around, it's the competition...Even Texas conservatives know how to have more fun than the rest of that breed...I'm a New Yorker but I'll always love Texas, excepting the Dallas Cowboys.
Thanks for having my back.
mcmcugh very often lumps Texas in with the deep south.. and the evangelicals are in the midwest - the heartland, not the south.. the south is full of baptists..
Your kind are the reason this country is going to the dogs. Progressively Stupid Comment. Even if Texas had a Democrat Gov. I assure you that they would still be of conservative nature just as the majority of all Texans are. If the ObamaNation (Abomination) was ran like the economy and govenment of Texas, this country would be far better off. Also mcmchugh99, I am also sure that no one in the deep south has any use for you and your Progressive Politics.
I have to say as a resident of Texas that the "popular, long-time governor" has never actually been popular. He won last time with 38% of the vote. Goodhair has always been irritating even to people on his side. I think he goes down this time, but I hope it's to Democrat Bill White (mayor of Houston).
It's time to show the Republicans what their misguided choices have done to their party (let alone what it has done to most Americans). Texas should have a Democrat for a Govenor, any Democrat, because it's the state that gave us Bush, the Republican, and should repent for that gross mistake.
There is no reason a Republican should win in Texas in the next gub election. What can we do to make this happen?
Heck, a trained monkey could be governor of TX - evidence in GW Bushs tenure.
It's time for the wingnut perry to go - hutchinson wouldn't be much of an improvement, a Democrat would be more suitable. Maybe then TX wouldn't be rated last in education an health care. Maybe our kids would learn math and science instead of the bible. It's time for TX to come into the current century, and perry and hutchinson aren't the leaders to do it.
For those like mcmchugh99 calling for TX to secede - there are a lot more rational and sane Texans than the wingnuts would like you to believe. Believe it or not we're pretty civilized here for the most part.
If you're pretty civilized why do you vote into the highest office in the land far right wingnuts?
This Perry clown actually floated the secede from he union nonsense. After seeing that idiocy I could no longer take serious anything he says.
Secede from the Union, that's where your Governor of two terms went. YIKES.
Hello, have you heard of the Electoral College? Have you heard of voting district gerrymandering by Tom DeLay "The Hammer" one of Newt Gingrich's boys that brought you the Contract with America and all the human rights you wish you had?
Texas politics has been controlled by the Right Wing Christian Extremists for two decades. Civilized people don't stand a chance against God's chosen, morally superior, crusaders especially when those morally superior special people will do everything they can to fu¢k the system in their favor.
Most people posting here clearly don't understand how Texas' voting works.
We vote in governors by plurality - not majority. Rick Perry only pulled in 39% of the vote in '06. The democratic candidate received 29% and the two independents received the other 30% of the vote.
Y'all need to stop assuming that every single person in TX is a 'wingnut' or that we're all uneducated hicks. We have our problems to be sure - and I'd love for a Democrat to finally be able to take office and fix them - but we're also good-natured, kind people who do not take well to anyone bashing our great state.
I think John Steinbeck truly captured the essence of TX in his book 'Travels with Charley':
Outside their state I think Texans are a little frightened and very tender in their feelings, and these qualities cause boasting, arrogance, and noisy complacency - the outlets of shy children. At home Texans are none of these things. The ones I know are gracious, friendly, generous, and quiet.
To the extent that people either passionately love Texas or passionately hate it...as in other religions, few people dare to inspect it for fear of losing their bearings in mystery and paradox
consrfunny,
We actually voted for Obama in large numbers.. and like PRoche said, Tom DeLay and the Texas reps here cahnged all the districts to make sure that the growing democratic support would not ever get enough votes to elect Democrats.. The democrats then fled to New Mexico in protest and refused to vote on the rezoning..As Kay Bailey Hutchison said.. If the democrats take Texas we (republicans) will NEVER elect another president.. so you think they are going to let go of Texas so easily? All of this was in the national news.. where were you? Did you know who Tom Delay was before he was on Dancing with the stars??.
If you (like mcmchugh) call yourself a progressive, please stop.. Your ignorance is showing.. If you don't know anything about what is being talked about, then shut up.. you are just as bad as the blind conservatives you apparently think are funny.. and in case you weren't there for this one either.. there were tea parties everywhere.. so just because Gov. Zoolander was spouting nonsense at one here doesn't mean we are all with him..
NotfooledTX,
Or maybe we should emulate California and get paid in IOUs, install ridiculous taxes that drive businesses to other states, and have a skyrocketing foreclosure rate. I'll take Perry over Schwartznegger, Patterson, or Granholm anyday.
Another Republican run state, killing it's state run education system and destroying it's once world renowned University system through "fiscal responsibility".
As we have seen for Republicans fiscal responsibility looks out 3 months to the next quarters results for guidance. They have NO long term view of what to do and the results it will cause (depending on the "Free Market Principles" to make everything "right") and are making damaging decisions every time they get an opportunity. The ones we are hearing from are idealogues with no moral or ethical rudder and certainly no allegiance to Americans.
It is interesting to me that Hutchison is smart enough to see this situation for what it is, and to have the gall to challenge an incumbent. She is officially on my smart politician watch-list.
Don't be too sure. I want Perry out of office more than anybody in Texas. I have the misfortune of coming in contact with KBH, regularly, and she has a huge liability in the form of her sense of entitlement and her "fly off the handle at the drop of a hat" husband. The two never miss an opportunity to show their a$$ in public and it will catch up with them. the scenes are always very loud, and i see more eye rolls with each scene. If KHB wants to beat "Goodhair" she at least needs to leave her hubby at home to mow the lawn. But i'm sure that would put some poor undocumented worker out of work.
although she has been more moderate in the past, and has actually been one of those senators who tends to represent her constituents instead of party lines.. she has slipped as of late, and as the realist says.. she is very much a scary politician .. you never know what she is going to do... We should have convinced Bill White to run for Governor instead of the Senate.. I think he just thought he would try to fill the gap in the senate instead of realizing that he (with the right support) could actually win this thing..
sweet
Perry thinks TX has a right to secede as a part of the deal when they joined the union. He's wrong. They tried that 150 years ago. Didn't work. They do have a right to separate into 5 states. That worries me. I'd much rather have them secede, as long as they agreed tro take Oklahoma with them
The "secede" bit in Texas is really not an indicator of Perry's wingnutiness--cosmic cowboys and Rs alike often sport secede bumper stickers. The true indicator is Perry's record. Look at the number of times he has vetoed bills, starting with his famous "Father's Day Massacre." Legislators and their staffs have been locked out, literally, of the governor's office. He has even vetoed bills that he forced legislators to amend (or amended them with the help of friendly committee R's behind the authors' backs). All of this flies in the face of typical TX legislative decorum. His legacy is one of closed government and ideology over fiscal responsibility (he vetoed legislation that would pay for a hepatitis test for newborns--$10 now or $1million later if a liver transplant is required; and he regularly turns down 10 to 1 matches of federal money if the beneficiaries would be the poor). Perry is one dangerous hair do.
Perry was playing to the nutwings in TX when he threatened to have TX secede from the Union. The state of TX, like every other state, has to pay Federal tax dollars. Unlike most other states, it receives 95% of that money back. TX financial security is dependent upon the Federal government.
Were TX to secede, it would have to develop it's own Army, Coast Guard, FBI, CIA, Border Patrol, Post Office, etc. Perry swaggers, talks tough but when push comes to shove, he knows TX could not survive as a non-union member. The "country" of TX would become an annex of Mexico & it's drug cartel.
As for his trying to squash an investigation into the death sentence he refused to stay, he is reminiescent of Nixon when he fired the Watergate prosecutor. Nixon was guilty as hell & Perry smells like Nixon.
As the ancestor of many Texas Patriots serving to win our freedom with Sam Houston & serving in the State gov't. for generations, I say" if you don't like it-- LEAVE & go back up north". Check your history, Texas only rejoined the US with the RIGHT to succeed or divide into 5 states. I realize that Perry & Hutchinson have NEVER helped the elderly & disabled or education with their 'new school' program. We don't teach the truth to students about both REPUBLICS--USA or TEXAS. They spend 80% of year learning how to pass a test. That is why we rank 48th in education. Not to mention we are in the bottom of Higher education funding. That is the Federal gov't. standards for these 3 programs.
Until Texas raises what a low income couple makes($1005 a month is NOT low income),we will stay at the bottom in care of the elderly & disabled.
What this State needs changing is: 1st - is our state gov't is elected in Nov., takes office in January and are VOTING for the next 140 days, recess, hold hearings that are never forwarded to the next legislate body, campaign for the next 18 months, the election and the process starts all OVER !!!!!!!! They should be in hearings the 1st year, then meet & vote on bills, let the primaries & general election determine whose next.
People have always moved to Texas for many reasons, but they immediately want things changed like where they came from--GO BACK !!!!
Texas is in the top 10 economy's in the WORLD !! We don't need the USA, they need us. Who else has oil,natural gas, ports, wind, Hi Tech, Medical Universities, manufacturers, agriculture & a willing military to sustain themselves?
I would rather have Kinky Friedman be governor than the self absorbed egotist running Texas now.
Unfortunately for Texas and the Deep South, their history has come back to bite them once more. All of the publicity seeking Conservatives (Perry for one) and the Evangelical Christian Right speak loudly. I have family there and I know that old habits didn't die. Austin is known to be progressive (thanks to the college kids) and urban centers like Houston and Dallas (filled with transplanted young adults from other parts of the country) really only reflect other geographic areas of the country. But the majority of native Texans are still hard- right leaning. Sure, they would give the shirt off their backs (to one another, but not to someone "different") I will avoid Texas and the South. They offer nothing but that Southern bias. Let them secede as Perry threatens. Who cares.
My comment got cut off, before I was finished. I was going to include deep in the south of Texas, they still say a "Good "N", is a dead on", an that women are better off pregnant an in the kitchen. My two half brothers raised down there was raised this way. Older generation still go by a lot of this nonesense in Texas. While the younger generation has moved on to be progressive, an tolerant of others. The older folk don't like outer staters moveing in. Perry is a die hard dinasour they should have gotten rid of long ago. Not all of Texas people are bad. The small towns take care of one another. The childrens medical programs suck, an the church's take care of the poor, not the state. Every thing is back wards from other states. But, my heart still is in Texas, but when you are raiseing guardianship kids, an need state help----you can't live in Texas. You can't give the kids up to the state, so you move out of state instead.
Jupitor.. You are a bigot!! If you assume that just because a handful of the Texans you have known are a certain way, that they are all like that, you are a Bigot.. Just like the rest of the Southern haters here.. First of all.. Texas is Texas, not the south.. secondly... "deep in the south of Texas" you will find mostly latinos that have been here for generations who are definitely not the same people you find close to the Louisianna border.. where most of the racists in Texas live.. I was born and raised in South Texas in the 70's and didn't meet a racist ONE until I moved to Houston, and even then, the only racists I met were cops and Louisianans..
You are a bigot!
I loved liveing in texas. But we had Guardianship children to care for, an their children aid programs really suck. Deep into Texas, they lived by the code for so long,"That a good "N" is a dead "N", that
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