2012 Election Effects on Texas Politics

Many have asked me what happens to the positions of Governor and Lt. Governor if Perry and Dewhurst win their bids for President and Senator. The answer is complicated, but essentially until the next election cycle the positions would go to 2 moderate Republicans in the Texas Senate.

Because Governor and Lt. Governor are elected during the mid-term elections and not during the same election period as Presidential elections, it would be two years before Texans were given a chance to elect replacements. The job would then go to the Texas Senate to elect two of their own to fill the vacant positions. To do this, the Senate pro tempore (Sen. Mike Jackson)  becomes de-facto Lt. Governor for up to thirty days to lead the Senate in its elections to fill the two positions.

What makes this even more complicated is that Sen. Mike Jackson is considering a run for congress (to take Ron Paul's vacant seat) which would leave Senate pro temore position vacant as well. In this case the next in line would take the position and act as temporary Governor/ Lt. Governor.

So the question remains, who would the Texas Senate elect? Judging by the composition of the Senate, it would be two moderate Republicans that are respected in seniority. The two that immediately come to mind are Sen. Robert Duncan and Sen. Steve Ogden, both powerful moderates popular with the Senate leadership. With these two presiding over the legislature for the 2013 (83rd) legislative session, Texas would surely have an even less conservative session than the last.

While this scenario seems farfetched and obscure, it is definitely possible given the political atmosphere in the air right now. However, like the weather, political climates can change overnight and are very much subject to many interacting factors. It is too early to predict the climate in November 2012, especially because we do not know who the victors of the primaries will be or what large scale events will happen between now and then.

Perry Campaign Heats Up

In the last week or so, Perry seems to be popping up everywhere from my cellphone to my personal facebook account. I have received friend requests from two random people employed by the newly found Americans for Rick Perry (The U.S. counterpart for Texans for Rick Perry), Twitter requests from two separate Texans for Rick Perry Accounts, and a mass text yesterday "from" Rick Perry just checking in and saying God Bless. It seems to me that the stars are aligning and the announcement will be coming fairly soon. This late entry could prove to be a blessing or a curse for the Texas Governor. Time will only tell.

More on the Perry Race:

Tribune Post on "Perry Cronies"
Perry this year's Fred Thompson?

FFR Extremists Versus Perry

The 'Freedom From Religion Group' has made allegations that Gov. Rick Perry is constitutionally prohibited from speaking at "The Response", an all day prayer and fasting event that will be hosted at Reliant Stadium in Houston on August 6th. Where in the constitution they found this prohibition I have no idea.

The First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.


The FFR argue that they "support the free exercise of religion, but strongly oppose the governmental establishment and endorsement of religion, including prayer and fasting". Why a group would waste such a large amount of time, energy and resources to fight something as harmless and positive as a day of prayer is beyond me.


It is obvious that this group isn't afraid of this day of prayer or even thinks it could lead to the establishment of a national religion. They are simply trying to raise awareness to their minority opinion, while attempting to defame a rising conservative leader on his path to the White House.

If anything this lawsuit is unconstitutional. As a citizen of America, Rick Perry is entitled to his freedom of religion and should be able to speak on his beliefs in whatever forum he wants as long as it isn't supported directly with Taxpayer dollars.

Groups like this make no sense to me. If I was an atheist, I don't think I would ever waste my time fighting for it. I would believe in my mind that God didn't exist and that would be the end of it. No need to discuss it, no need to join groups about it, just live my life and try to enjoy it as much as possible.

There are rumors that Perry may not speak at the event after all because it could create legal problems when he announces his presidential bid (FULL STORY HERE) but I still give him kudos for not backing down and canceling the event. While it can be argued that advocating a day of prayer should not be the job of the Governor, what he does in his spare time should be his business and should not be limited by a group of extremist wackos.

Perry will likely announce his candidacy in the next 3 weeks and begin his battle for a victory in the  2012 GOP primary.

Rick Perry: Then and Now

It is only a matter of time before Texas Governor Rick Perry throws his hat in the ring for president. As the longest serving Governor of the world's 15th largest economy, Rick Perry seems to have the experience and leadership skills necessary to take it to the next level and be the leader of the Federal government.

Before he was Governor, Lt. Governor, or even Ag. Commissioner, Rick Perry was elected to the Texas House of Representatives as a Democrat. Even as a Democrat however, he was shown to be one of the biggest voices of fiscal conservatism, voting more often than not to keep spending low.

As a freshman, his views on government spending led him to a swift appointment by Speaker Lewis to the State Appropriations committee, a powerful committee that controls the budget for the entire state. With the exception of his 1987 vote to raise taxes, his House record was pretty consistent with his views on tax and spending.

On September 29, 1989, Rick Perry switched to the Republican party and began a campaign to become Ag. Commissioner for the State of Texas. Within a year he defied all odds and became one of only two Republicans elected to statewide office. A decade later, after a short stint as Lt. Governor, Rick Perry would become the Governor of Texas as George Bush moved on to the Presidency.

Rick Perry undeniably is a good leader and has shown that he has the ability to push through legislation when he makes it his priority. With that said, he has a lot of skeletons in his closet that would arise in an instant if he made a run for the oval office: he was democrat, he voted to raise taxes in a recession, he was an outspoken Al Gore supporter (when he ran as a southern conservative), he was responsible for eminent domain in Texas, there was the HPV shot controversy, there is video of him attempting to use his political influence to avoid a ticket, he has been weak on securing the Texas border... and i'm sure there are more.

It will be interesting to see how the GOP primary plays out if indeed Governor Perry attempts to run for office. He is loved by both the 'Tea Party' and the Republican Party and is very good at raising money. His tendency to challenge Obama on every issue that comes up makes him a favorite for those voting against the current establishment. He is an experienced leader that has made a lot of mistakes in his almost 30 years in politics, but he has also shown that when his supporters need a voice he will stand up and speak for them.

Taking a Look at the Governor, Back when he was a Democrat

Bigger threat to Michele Bachmann: Media scrutiny or Rick Perry?

“All of them were very conservative guys and had a good head on their shoulders, and that’s how I picked ’em,” Mr. Lewis said. “When he first came to the Legislature it was predominantly white, Democratic, conservative. He was one of them, and I was, too.”