Hutchison Most Popular Politican In Texas

[Moooooo]

The Houston Chronicle reports on a new poll that shows Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison with an approval rating of 67%, compared to just 45% for Gov. Rick Perry.

[TomC]

Thank God! Maybe they're coming around.

[Sam Spade]

This is not necessarily news. 

Amusingly, I'm willing to bet of 33% who don't like her, at least 3/4ths are probably very far-right Republicans.

It's the problem she faces if she runs for Governor.  I'm curious to see how it plays out.

[Beet]

Perry has a 59% approval rating among Republicans. There is no way Hutchison will win. She represents the Abraham Lincoln wing of the party.

[King]

Perry has a 59% approval rating among Republicans. There is no way Hutchison will win. She represents the Abraham Lincoln wing of the party.

She can always run as an Independent...Kinky & Kay '06!

[Sam Spade]

Perry has a 59% approval rating among Republicans. There is no way Hutchison will win. She represents the Abraham Lincoln wing of the party.

She can always run as an Independent...Kinky & Kay '06!

Any person can vote in any party primary in Texas, whether you're Independent or Democrat.

For her to run as anything other than a Republican in Texas is political idiocy.  Even though she might have some money raised through her Senate campaign, she would need a lot of money to overcome the Republican party machine that has basically run the Democrat party machinery out being able to fundraise any.

As I've said on this forum many times, the only way for her to win in the Republican primary is to get crossovers from the Independents and Democrats, which may just well happen if the Democrats succeed in not putting up a candidate worth voting for this year.

[Rob]

I like Hutchison. This poll is good news.

[jimrtex]

She can always run as an Independent...Kinky & Kay '06!

Any person can vote in any party primary in Texas, whether you're Independent or Democrat.

Since there isn't party registration, there are no independents or Democrats in Texas.  But once you participate in any part of a party's nomination process, you are stuck with that party for the rest of the year (through the general election).

If a candidate runs in a party primary and loses, he can't run as an independent in the general election.  If a voter votes in a primary (or participates in the caucus/convention process) he can't sign the petition of an independent.   Friedman will have to come up with around 50,000 signatures from people who didn't vote in the primary.  To the extent that he is successful in getting people to deliberately not vote, could be harmful to Hutchison.   Voters who are sophisticated enough to not vote, would be more likely to cross over to vote if the Hutchison-Perry race was the only significant contest available in March.

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She could probably win as an independent, but it is extremely unlikely.   I think Ray Hutchison was state chair at one point.  And unlike Perry, she was elected to the legislature as Republican.

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This might not be true.  There are many people who vote Republican, but who don't participate in party affairs, but might vote in a primary, especially if a lot of money is spent on TV ads.

[Ben Meyers]

Whoever the GOP nominee is, Chris Bell seems like a tough Dem candidate

[King]

Whoever the GOP nominee is, Chris Bell seems like a tough Dem candidate

You're joking, right?

[Ben Meyers]

Yeah

Chris Bell just doesn't have the right image for Texas.  He would win an election in California, but not Texas.

[Sam Spade]

Yeah

Chris Bell just doesn't have the right image for Texas.  He would win an election in California, but not Texas.

I lived in Houston for 23 years.  Chris Bell can not win statewide.  Hell, he can't (couldn't) even win in Houston.

Next try.

[jimrtex]

I lived in Houston for 23 years.  Chris Bell can not win statewide.  Hell, he can't (couldn't) even win in Houston.

It would be neat if he ran for the Senate.  Are there any other CDs that have produced 3 losing candidates for the Senate?  DeLay did the Dems a favor by shipping "CD 25" elsewhere.

[M]

Chris Bell could win an election in California only because they'd vote for any Democrat- hell, even Gray Davis got elected there, twice!!!

Hutchison is a great lady, and my second-favorite Texas politician, after the president. Certainly better than a real nobody like Perry. She makes a lot of sense as somebody's running mate in '08 against Hillary, but lacks the oomph to be president. About the whole governor thing, I've commented on all the other darn Kay Bailey threads on this subforum. This is getting ridiculous.

Here's what I said in the last thread: This is old news, but here's my take. First, what does Kay Bailey have to gain? If her goal is to be running mate in '08, not much. She woun't have time to prove herself as a governor, and will be leaving almost as soon as she arrives, which isn't smart. So when possibility is that she believes Hillary will win in '08, and in '12 she can lead the conservative charge to "take back the White House", at exactly the point into her governorship as GWB was when elected.

Perry is really a nonentity, with no charisma or particular vision. But he can present himself as the real conservative. The worst of it is that the losing camp- conservatives or Kay Baileyite moderates, may not vote en masse. (By Texas standards, she's very moderate, and with Bush the state's most popular political figure). Still, Bell's the biggest nobody of all and would likely lose; Martin Frost, Ken Bentsen, or even Bill White might have a better shot if the GOP really splits.

Strayhorn was, the talk goes, softening up Perry for her olf friend Kay Bailey for her attacks. She wants the Lieutenant Governor spot currently held by rich nonentity David Dewhurst. If Kay Bailey runs, he may want to be senator, but so will congressman and former San Antonia newscaster Henry Bonilla, who could be the GOP's second Hispanic and first Mexican senator.

If all these things come to pass, I will likely vote Hutchison, Strayhorn, and Bonilla. (Yes, I'm still registered to vote in Texas). And BTW, Perry could never, ever be president. We haven't had that little color in the White House since Harding, and at least he had a scandal.

[MissCatholic]

Hutchison is one of the few reupblcians in such a red state that is pretty fair minded. i`ll miss her contributions in the senate. you go gurl!