For political junkies, 2010 is going to be an exciting year. There will be 37 or 38 senate seats up for grabs along with 36 governorships. One of the most interesting Governor’s races will be in Texas, thanks to Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who is challenging incumbent Gov. Rick Perry for the Republican nomination. Perry assumed office in 2001 after George W. Bush became President. He has been elected on his own twice and has been the longest serving Governor in the state’s history.
Perry used to be a Democrat, but he is now a far right conservative Republican. He is stridently religious, pro-life, and was even against the Supreme Court’s 2003 decision to strike down Texas’s sodomy laws. This means that he feels that two people – a husband and wife included – who engage in oral or anal sex are breaking the law. With this mentality, most of the country would be on death row.
Hutchison is a moderate compared to Perry. She has even been referred to as a Country Club Republican, a label usually considered pejorative, but one which I happen to like. Country Club Republicans are not religious, fairly liberal on social issues, usually have attended prestigious institutions of higher learning (all me so far) and – here’s the part that I do not like – tend to be dismissive of the poor.
Hutchison has been a respected Senator, is popular statewide in Texas, and will present a tough challenge for Perry, who after nearly a decade in office, could very well be a victim of an anti-incumbent backlash, as his declining poll numbers presage.
Despite its size, it has been said that being Governor of Texas is not as demanding as running some other states. It was noted that when he was Governor, Bush took three hours a day to jog and play video games. But this is definitely a Governor’s race to watch. While Perry’s camp is trying to portray Hutchison as not a true conservative, Hutchison has the support of Karl Rove, Karen Hughes, Dick Armey, and Dick Cheney – hardly a group anyone would label as liberal. Bad blood between Perry and Bush is apparently the root of this.
Oddly enough, Perry initially supported Rudy Giuliani for President in 2008, even though Giuliani is not religious and is pro-choice, pro-gay rights, and pro-gun control. It is thought that Perry was convinced Giuliani would win the nomination and his early support could have made him a potential VP choice had Giuliani prevailed.
Hutchison may not be perfect. She does not have the charisma or humor of Ann Richards, but she may be just what the GOP needs to move to the center and get back to core principles and, by doing so, win elections.
