I was able to attend Bill White's noon announcement today that he is switching from a run for US Senate to Governor of Texas. I have personally believed that he should have run for governor all along, but supported him for his Senate run. The event was well attended even though it was snowing outside (yes, snowing in Houston) and most folks were fleeing to their homes in the burbs. One of my friends quipped that "hell had to freeze over for a Democrat to win state wide in Texas, and it looks like today it just happened."
White's speech was very positive and hit on all the theme's important to thoughtful Texans...education, with a specific focus on reducing the high school drop out rate and increase attendance to 2 year and 4 year colleges. He also talked of not only holding teachers accountable, but also the governor who is in charge of the schools. He talked of increasing health coverage for Texans, and reminded everyone of his record as mayor of improving the city while also helping seniors stay in their homes by giving them property tax relief. He also recalled his energy industry experience and pledged to bring more energy jobs to Texas not only in the traditional industry but in newer green energy technology. He also pledged to work to reduce insurance rates in Texas, that are now highest in the country. His best line was in his normal dry wit...referring to our current governor's courting of extremists and touting secession from the Union. White said that he wants "Texas to Lead the Nation...Not Leave It."
Mayor White's Senate run was a going to be a long haul, running in a 2010 special election to fill the seat being vacated by Kay Bailey Hutchison, then for a full term in 2012. The problem, of course, was KBH. She has been duplicitous for over a year, first announcing she was leaving in October to run for Texas Governor, then moving that date to December, then finally to after the Republican primary in March, 2010. "After the primary" translates to "I'm going to lose to Perry, so I'm keeping my Senate seat." She has done what many consider to be a horrible job in managing her campaign for governor, falling over 10 points behind Perry. Of course, Perry has been courting the extremist right wing base of the party, calling for secession, and recently saying that the EPA will strangle Texas or some such nonsense.
As it became clear that Hutchison was not going to vacate her Senate seat, pressure began mounting for White to move to the governor's race to take on Perry. I was one of those, believing that White has the state wide appeal that he would need to win. Today was a great start.
More in coming days.
Update December 4, 2009 4:15 pm: Here's the video of White's announcement:
White's speech was very positive and hit on all the theme's important to thoughtful Texans...education, with a specific focus on reducing the high school drop out rate and increase attendance to 2 year and 4 year colleges. He also talked of not only holding teachers accountable, but also the governor who is in charge of the schools. He talked of increasing health coverage for Texans, and reminded everyone of his record as mayor of improving the city while also helping seniors stay in their homes by giving them property tax relief. He also recalled his energy industry experience and pledged to bring more energy jobs to Texas not only in the traditional industry but in newer green energy technology. He also pledged to work to reduce insurance rates in Texas, that are now highest in the country. His best line was in his normal dry wit...referring to our current governor's courting of extremists and touting secession from the Union. White said that he wants "Texas to Lead the Nation...Not Leave It." Mayor White's Senate run was a going to be a long haul, running in a 2010 special election to fill the seat being vacated by Kay Bailey Hutchison, then for a full term in 2012. The problem, of course, was KBH. She has been duplicitous for over a year, first announcing she was leaving in October to run for Texas Governor, then moving that date to December, then finally to after the Republican primary in March, 2010. "After the primary" translates to "I'm going to lose to Perry, so I'm keeping my Senate seat." She has done what many consider to be a horrible job in managing her campaign for governor, falling over 10 points behind Perry. Of course, Perry has been courting the extremist right wing base of the party, calling for secession, and recently saying that the EPA will strangle Texas or some such nonsense.
As it became clear that Hutchison was not going to vacate her Senate seat, pressure began mounting for White to move to the governor's race to take on Perry. I was one of those, believing that White has the state wide appeal that he would need to win. Today was a great start.
More in coming days.
Update December 4, 2009 4:15 pm: Here's the video of White's announcement:
From my perspective, and I work with the city A LOT in my job, White has done a remarkable job as mayor. In absolutely every aspect of MY life as it interacts with the city of Houston, things are consierably improved.
Can he do the same on the state level??????????
I am sure several of you have looked this up by now. But for those who didn't, from 1876 to 2008, Texas elected ONLY 3 republican governors. Bill Clements, G.W. Bush and Perry. Clements, in 1979, was the first republican governor since reconstuction.
With the ever increasing Hispanic vote, I think White has a chance.
Wasn't Bill Clements the first Republican governor in a long time? Texas hasn't been Republican all that long, but it is definitely time to take it back.
"I didn't think that had anything to do with Kinky's rationale for running as a Democrat, but I'd be happy to be proved wrong"
I'm not gonna hold my breath waiting for you to be proved wrong. It's gonna be interesting to see what Kinky says.
"...on where he thinks he can help the Dems the best."
I didn't think that had anything to do with Kinky's rationale for running as a Democrat, but I'd be happy to be proved wrong.
I do believe all of that Brylcreem seeped into Woodfill's brain and shorted out some of his synapses. Wasn't all that many years ago Texas had a Democrat governor and, if memory serves, a Democrat senator. Given a good, effective non-ideological administrator like Bill White as a choice, I think the 61% of Texas voters who voted against Perry last time might decide they like the alternative.
Heard that Kinky is reevaluating running for Gov since Bill White is running. He is suppose to make a statement Mon. on where he thinks he can help the Dems the best.
"Texas is and always will be a Republican state". Yeah, I do believe it's time to make Jared Woodfill eat those words.
It's time to turn Texas BLUE.
That's a pity she's running. It looks like she might siphon off the evangelical wingnut crowd in the primaries. Maybe we could give her a flute and get her to play it while leading her devotees over the border into Oklahoma.
Nick Anderson, in his cartoon today, on the editorial page of the Chronicle -- said what I think.
Texas, under Perry, has been an embarrassment.
Last in education. Last in too many of the important things.
And, all this talk about leaving the Union. More of the same.
Texans deserve better. Bill White is it.
Perry certainly is no better than any career pol. Indeed, he is far worse. Not that I'm any great political insider, but I've known lots of elected officials over the last thirty years or so - sat across the table from senators and representatives. I once even changed into my running clothes in a congressman's private Capitol building bathroom. Lots of elected officials are dedicated, knowledgeable, principled individuals. I think Bill White certainly is. Rick Perry is not one of those people, nor is his opponent Kay Bailey Hutchison.
For all his faults, he's still a better pick than our Palin surrogate, Debra Medina. ::shiver::
three cheers for bill white!!! thanks jefe for such a great firsthand account of good news for our state. jared woodfill was prematurely arrogant in his assertion that "texas is and always will be a republican state". perhaps he was not born here like i was, but it speaks to the madness of king perry and his loyal subjects. or he supports kay? because as soon as palin gets here and the tea party officially files in texas like florida, perry will be her next "doug hoffman". lets hope with equal results! bill white for gov can happen if we get off the sidelines like you did today, blog owner:)
This gives independents a chance to vote democratic. That's what killed us before. Right or wrong, bell is nothing but a perpetual candidate now. White has enough state wide notoreity to pull this off.
When the D's state-wide convention was held in Houston some years back, Bill White has the hosting mayor. Who knew he could deliver a stem-winder of a speech? Not me. I enjoyed it, though.
Since I'm more familiar with him than most members of my Texas family, I'm going to ask them to trust me on this, vote for him and work for him.
When I was in Boston earlier this year, I was surprised that a friend who works at the JFK library was familiar with White. Turns out they gave him a Profile in Courage award for his Katrina work.
Artemusg:
I suspect the latter is probably right.
I don't know a whole lot about White but from that little I believe he's head and shoulders above goodhair and KBH.
61% of us voted against Rick Perry last time around, but he is apparently the only one who missed the point. Perry still governs as if the right wing crazies are in the majority. Nothing else would explain the secessionist nonsense or the socialized medicine nonsense or the bragging about low taxes/minimalist government coming from Perry.
Question - when the governor signs the biennial bill authorizing payment of the Texas share of Medicaid costs, does he consider himself a socialist? Or does he just consider the average Texas voter to be dumber than a box of rocks?