Tx. Politics - The Only Choice is No Choice

[Dover]

Very few Democrats even running in Texas. No longer a choice of parties.


As landmark political moments go, this one was subtle, yet significant enough to memorialize as another milepost in the Republican conquest of Texas.

At 1:57 p.m. Tuesday in Bexar County GOP headquarters, Republican Gov. Rick Perry pulled several sheets of paper from his blue speech box and announced his endorsement of fellow Republican Paul Green for a seat on the Texas Supreme Court.

What's significant is that there already is a Republican, Steven Smith, in the seat Green wants.

By endorsing Green, Perry became the first Republican governor of Texas to back a challenger to a GOP statewide officeholder, signaling the kind of intramural struggle that serves as a sure sign that a party has reached the level of dominance in which its primary is the de facto general election in some races. There are no Democrats seeking the Supreme Court seat now held by Smith. It's not the only contest devoid of Democrats in this year's election cycle that begins with the March 9 primaries. Early voting begins Monday.

Smith won the Supreme Court seat in 2002 after beating then-Justice Xavier Rodriguez, a Perry appointee, in the GOP primary.

When Texans go to the primary polls, they will see other evidence of the GOP's conquest of state politics.

Democrats in about one-third of Travis County will not even see a congressional race on their ballots. Eight GOP candidates are seeking nomination in Congressional District 10, a district that stretches to Houston and is so Republican that no Democrat is running.....>>

http://www.statesman.com/insight/content/auto/epaper/editions/sunday/i...

[bluestateguy]

1. State elections in Texas are now decided in the Republican primary

Next months TX Dem. primary will be my last. From there on out, as long as I live in TX, I'll be voting in the Republican primaries, as that is now where the real elections take place. It's kind of like the NFC Championship games in the 1980's. THAT was the real Super Bowl.

[Tummler]

2. Another factor...

Rick Perry simply enjoys watching hot Republican-on-Republican action. Can't we let the man have his simple pleasures?

[saltpoint]

3. Tummler --

-- one of the best responses I've seen in ages.

Laughed out loud, too. Thanks.

[Dover]

4. God help Texas........look at the nonchoice choices

On screen at your local super megamultiplex, this race would be called "Conservative and Conservativer."
Alternatively, thanks to the personal cash some candidates are pouring into the race, it also could be called "Rich and Richer."

Houston mortgage company owner Ben Streusand, media-blitzing his way through his first political race, has loaned his campaign $2.34 million, including $1 million reported Friday.

Michael McCaul of Austin, a former federal prosecutor, has loaned his campaign $647,000. McCaul is the son-in-law of Lowry Mays of San Antonio, chairman and chief executive officer of Clear Channel Communications Inc., a dominant media conglomerate.

Dave Phillips of Houston, a lawyer who loaned his campaign $152,000 through the end of last year, willsoon report an additional infusion of personal cash, according to campaign manager Cheryl Rowell.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

[Moderator]

5. Dover

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
copyrighted news source.


Thank you.

DU Moderator