When Will Hutchison Resign?
Current speculation is sooner rather than later. The reason: The longer she stays, the greater the chances that she will have to cast votes on controversial issues. It took Rick Perry about a nanosecond after she voted for the bailout bill to come out against it. The Perry camp has made no secret that its strategy in the Republican primary, with its ultraconservative electorate, will be to inform voters of Hutchison’s record in an effort to portray her as not a true conservative. They also are counting on claiming credit for the state’s economy outpacing the national economy. Perry has made economic growth a centerpiece of his governorship.
I have not talked to a single Republican outside the Perry circle who thinks that he can defeat her. The Republican consultants I have talked to think she will slaughter him. I think Hutchison will beat him, but Perry’s favorable/unfavorable numbers are looking pretty good right now. Running for office is what he does best. (Yes, I know, I’ve said that a thousand times. At least.) There continue to be stories that Hutchison has been/will be offered the chancellorship at UT as a graceful exit from political life. The race is essentially where it was in 2002 and 2006: If she runs, she wins; the best hope for Perry is that he can get her out of the race. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Tagged: kay bailey hutchison, resign, rick perry, UT chancellorship
Shine the light says:
Perry might be able to rally angry conseravtives about Kay’s vote for the bailout, but I doubt their anger over that one issue will be eclipsed by their anger over the Governor’s steadfast support for t0he ill-fated Trans Texas Corridor, his desire, as a gift to his former Chief of Staff, for Texas to become the first state in the nation to forcibly innoculate children for a sexually transmitted disease, or over his veto of imminent domain legislation, an issue he allegedly suppports. Perry’s actions have helped accomplish what was once unthinkable. They have allowed Kay to move to the Governor’s right on three emotional issues, important to conseravtive voters who still make up the majority of the GOP Primary electorate. Your analysis is correct. She will indeed slaughter him, althought I disagree with your contention that she will resign soon.
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Distinguished Gentleman says:
Well it is about time that Hutchison finally “sh— or gets off the pot”. I’m with you, Paul, if she runs against him, she clobbers him. Remember Perry is “Governor 39%”.
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GovMoFoSux says:
I’m not so sure. Look, when people can actually figure out exactly who votes in gop Primaries, I’ll defer to their expertise. If the gop Primary is a similar make-up as 2008, Gov Mo Fo kicks her waffling, veteran hating butt. If it’s like 2006, Kay may have had the advantage. It’s a long way until 2010 and there’s a Session coming up that Gov. MoFo will use to his advantage. This parlor game is fun, but to think that KBH will walk away with it in a gop Primary is absurd.
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pixiegirl says:
What about Bill White? What if he
runs against KBH? I’d for her (and
(I’m a Dem) but
am wondering what your and your
readers thought are?
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Spirit of Buck Travis says:
To paraphrase the old song: “Kay Bailey, won’t you please come home?”
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Emptyk says:
Bill White is getting substantial pressure from his Republican supporters in Houston not to run against KBH. White’s Republicans are Bush Pioneers who have little regard for Perry as their issues eclipse tort reform and they have financial history with Kay’s hubby. They consider Kay to be of their claas and think of Perry as a Yell Leader from the the sticks. Kay, after all was a UT Cheerleader.
Wealthy elements of the plaintiff’s bar see the mayor of Houston as “The Great White Hope” for Governor and believe that his money and talent would be of little use in Washington.
White muses about all this while studiously avoids being idnetified publicly with Obama.
KBH’s friends may get their wish in a sideways fashion. Putting Kay up against Rick Perry in a Republican primary is like pitting an angel fish against a Great White Shark. Kay has not had a red meat campaign in decades and Perry thrives on them.
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Anonymous Liberal Lout says:
Too bad for Bill things aren’t clear. If Bill runs, and Perry gets the GOP nod, Bill wins. If KBH gets the GOP nod, KBH wins.
Opportunity is knocking. But not sure which door.
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Phillip Martin says:
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2008/12/04/hutchison_launches_gubernatori.html
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texun says:
Are there really enough gullible Texas voters who believe that Perry has had a positive impact on economic growth in Texas? The significant iniatives have come from companies and local governments, with Governor Hair showing up for the photo ops. If the ops aren’t there, neither is Rick.
Track Perry on the lamentable decline of the film industry in Texas or on the losses to New York and other states in computer-related industries and you’ll see what I mean.
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poindexter says:
One thing that hasn’t been taken into account is KBH’s Senate seat itself. If she resigns before the race Perry gets to appoint a Senator until the Special election. If KBH waits until after she is swornin as Governor she gets to. A sitting Senator has a huge fundraising advantage over a state official who has to raise all new money under federal rules. That Senate appointment is an awful big carrot to dangle in front of prospective supporters.
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Brown Bess says:
Perry better watch out for a bunch of Dems voting for KBH in the Republican primary.
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Anonymous says:
Poindexter raises a very important point. A divided Republican field and a united Democratic Party could conceivably elect a Democratic Senator in a special election.
If that were to happen, Hutchison would be blamed for an unnecessary loss.
Also, Rick Perry will attack Hutchison for forcing taxpayers to pay for a special election for the U.S. Senate. He’ll demand she use her campaign money to reimburse the state for the cost of the election.
And who will raise more money – a sitting U.S. Senator or a former U.S. Senator? If you don’t know that one, go into another line of work.
Burka needs to rethink this – she resigns much later – if at all. There really is no upside for her to quitting, certainly no time in 2009.
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PS2 says:
Paul, the part that doesn’t make sense is that her votes in the Seante will hurt her. She is in the minority. Except for cloture votes, no one will be counting on her vote.
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texxasredd says:
“The Republican consultants I have talked to think she will slaughter him.” Puhleez. Are these the same Republican consultants that thought Giuliani was unbeatable and Palin was an asset to the ticket?
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Texas Grad Student says:
This is going to be more fun than watching the R’s implode on one another in the Leg.
If Perry’s smart, he’ll track down all the interns and staffers she’s been famously mean to over the years and get them in a commercial. But that’s an awfully big assumption about the Governor’s thought processes.
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BrooksBeast says:
Instead of “ABC”, we will see “ABP”
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John Johnson says:
How many people have resigned Perry’s staff and gone to work as high paid lobbyists doing his bidding down on the floor? How many gov’s have crowned themselves king and started mandating that each female child be poked with a needle; aligned themselves with a former NY gov who had ties with foreign road builders wanting to take over our highway/tollroad system; appointed folks to the PUC, who along with Tonto, his Speaker, and Cisco, his lt. gov, allowed some venture capitalist group to walk into the state and suck billions of $ into their pockets with each electricity bill paid? His East Texas chicken plucker is toast,the Houston homebuilders are having to dip into savings,and the San Antonio Dr’s money hasn’t helped many folks lately. Hope the gov’s war chest is full. Surely I’m not the only Repub he has p….. off.
Now for Ms. Hutchison … a former campaign manager tells me that she is Jekyll and Hyde, and if you think Perry is tied to the BIG BOYS, her “A” list is well above his. The bottomline is … she is not one of us. Mommy Dearest comes to mind.
Can’t we do better?
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Anonymous says:
Palin!!!
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George McGuvernorin says:
I don’t see her resigning early either. In fact, she will likely run a gov race similar to how Pete Wilson did it in CA in 1990 while he was a sitting senator. He wanted to be able to appoint his successor to his senate seat and he did so after he won with a long time friend, fellow Marine vet, and fellow former mayor, in state Sen. John Seymour (who then got clobbered by Feinstein in ’92 after she had lost to Wilson in the ’90 gov race.) I doubt KBH wants to let Perry choose who replaces her. Besides, what if she lost the GOP primary. Where would she be then? If she doesn’t resign she still at least has her senate seat. I think its too soon to say that she wins the race against Perry in a cakewalk.
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Anonymous says:
I second McGuvernorin’s analysis about her resignation.
Also, KBH pretty much settled the issue – for now – with her interview with R.G. Ratliffe when she said “I have not decided to resign.”
And McGuvernorin is also right that’s it’s too soon to handicap a race. However, KBH should have an ENORMOUS financial advantage at the end of June – maybe $15 to $17 million in the bank compared to Perry’s at best $3-4 million.
Plus she will begin pounding in the message “No one should be Governor of Texas for 14 long years.” That is a comment that is like tying a political anvil around the leg of Perry – or any Texas Governor – people’s lips just pucker when you make that point to them.
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txasslm says:
>> ” … the message ‘No one should be Governor of Texas for 14 long years.’ That is a comment that is like tying a political anvil around the leg of Perry – or any Texas Governor …”
unless … you’ve prospered here for the past 14 years and compare your lot in life with what it might have been in other states.
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cow droppings says:
and why is it that these three-term senators who would serve 19 plus years think they should limit a governor to ten years?
KBH’s support is a mile wide and an inch deep. She seldom takes on tough issues, and avoids controversy like the plague. That’s good for driving up favorability ratings over 15 years in the senate, but it is not a good foundation for a governor’s primary.
Sure, Perry has pissed off his share of people. That’s what happens when you are not afraid to court controversy and take on tough issues (such as the transportation challenge or the business tax.)
But someone name me the three accomplishments KBH will be able to tout that will credential her as the conservative who can get things done in Texas…
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red lady says:
thank you, cowdropping…
I have always said KBH is a follower. She has never led anything (except fights with her staff). She does not have the stamina for a long hard fight for any worthy issue. She would never get blood on herself for a principled issued. She is a ‘cave-in’ vote and will only offer Republicans smiles and her photo op kids.
Perry has no fear and wears the scars to prove it.
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texun says:
txgradstudent: What ever gave you the idea that Governor Hair has a “thought process”? Judging by the recurrent and mounting problems in state agencies, he’s clueless. One SNAFU after another.
For red lady, who has “always said KBH is a follower”: did you vote for her?
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