Hope for Texas Democrats

Hooray for Texas Democrats, you might feel like you won the lottery. The announcement by Governor Rick Perry, regarding his future plans to seek re-election in 2010, may have elicited a bit of elation from those seeking change. Many factors may have led to his statement, but after being asked about the possibility of running against fellow Republicans United States Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson and Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, Perry quipped, “I don’t know about them, but it will be Perry in 2010.” It appears that the Governor wanted to throw his hat into the ring early and give his opponents the opportunity to plan for the future. This could be a tactic that could backfire for our longest tenured state leader.
Many factors could have driven Governor Perry to this early announcement. During the election of 2006 many intriguing possibilities were available to the people of Texas. Candidates ranging from the conservative Perry, to the liberal author/musician Kinky Friedman, to the most legitimate contender, Chris Bell, were available for election. Perry won, by a 39 percent vote, and narrowly defeated Bell and the others. This poor showing in the populous vote leads many to believe that Perry is ripe for defeat; the question is, “by whom?”
Maybe this was an attempt to garner more support for the Governors' campaign by forcing the hand of his possible future opponents. An announcement by Hutchinson to vacate her seat in the Senate could lead Dewhurst to seek her position, essentially excluding the Lt. Gov. This could also be an announcement to those at the Capital that the Governor intends to see through the promises and policies set forth by his administration.
Whatever the intentions, this heads-up to voters who seek change allows for ample time to mount a plan of attack to thwart any re-election bid. Democrats may be able to find a worthy opponent between now and November 2010. It also gives the good Governor a chance to build on that 39 percent.