We've decided that we are not going to say Carole Keeton Strayhorn can't beat Perry in a Primary. It may be tough to do, but we're already sick of seeing every media outlet use Perry press release lingo to refer to her campaign for Governor as something other than a legitimate threat. As a matter of fact, we just may start calling her the Republican Primary frontrunner.
Texas Monthly reminds us why she is a force in politics. We thought we'd share it with you. (After the jump)
By all rights, this should have been a banner year for the comptroller of public accounts. She had dropped more than one hundred pounds and married for the third time, and her "One Tough Grandma" shtick had earned her more votes than any candidate of either party on last November's statewide ballot, as well as the most votes of any woman running for office anywhere in America. [emphasis added][Texas Monthly: December 2003]
One more from Texas Monthly's June Feature:
â??I believe that Texas taxpayers and Texas schoolchildren and the Texas comptrollerâ??s office are being penalized for me telling the truth,â?? she said. â??I was telling the truth when I said we had a budget shortfall. I was telling the truth when I said the budget did not balance.â?¦And I was telling the truth when I said new fees, charges, and out-of-pocket expenses were going to cost Texans 2.7 billion dollars over the next two years.â?¦And you can take away every desk and every chair and every program in the Texas comptrollerâ??s office, and I will still tell the people of Texas the truth.â??Hardball anyone? Perry may cozy up to the far right, but Strayhorn cozies up to everybody. Who can argue with someone telling the truth?
So, dear media elite...pushover? No. Unelectable? No. Get out of Perry's ass for a minute and talk about a candidate that could win by using Senator Hutchison's press statement on how she could win. "Here's how she wins. She's not Perry."
The Daily Picture Blog has some great photos of the Strayhorn announcement. Here's one where she takes cues from Ronald Reagan on how to create a photo tableau that is a subtle wink to Christian conservatives. Here's one where we are reminded...Strayhorn loves Texas families. Perry better get some kids fast. Maybe he should call Michael Jackson, we heard he had a few extra.
I do not have that kind of expertise. Now, if you want to discuss gay sex, I'm your man
Perry should be very, very afraid. I handicap statewide candidates according to the barometer of my arch-conservative, evangelical Christian parents (with whom I have only DNA in common). Perry almost lost their vote to SANCHEZ during the last election. I'm not kidding. Give them a viable conservative alternative, and they're on board pronto. He can call all the special sessions he wants, but he hasn't offered real leadership to date. The pandering to and posturing for the religious right won't stand up against five special sessions and a regular without school finance or property tax relief. And Strayhorn is a media dawg. She plays for keeps and will be all over the failed leadership line. Plus, every move the governor or lege makes with regard to the TEA budget and school finance is an opportunity for Strayhorn to hold a press conference under the purview of her duties as comptroller. Whomever suggested this idea to Perry to call a special two weeks before the 4th of July holiday and opening arguments before the SCOT is an idiot and I would gladly take their salary and put it to much better use.
Besides, word on the street is all the old yellow-dog Dems (and even the true progressives and liberals) are prepared to vote for Strayhorn in the GOP primary just to screw Perry. If Chris Bell is the opposition, why not?
I need to contact the technical director of the site ... according to register.com, it is a Mr. "W Chisum." Hmm, sounds familiar.