The League of Women Voters of the Houston Area and the Harris County Department of Education are hosting a debate for our Texas Governor's Race.
(Above--Incumbent Governor Rick perry refuses to debate this year. I think the League should set up an empty chair for the Governor. Above you see a Saddle Chair. Maybe the Governor would attend if he could imagine himself a cowboy during the debate.)
The debate will be moderated by Melanie Lawson. Her name sounds familiar for those of you who live in Houston because she is an anchorperson on the TV news.
(Above--I think all Texans would enjoy seeing Governor Perry sitting in a Garden Egg chair. This chair was designed in 1968 by Peter Ghyczy. )
The Democratic nominee for Governor---Bill White---and the Green nominee---Deb Shafto---are scheduled to attend this debate.
The Libertarian nominee will be there as well. I don't want to mention that person's name. If you're really a Libertarian, you'll look it up yourself and not count on me to do that for you.
Though if you are a Libertarian, I bet you'll take Social Security when it is time and I bet you'll call the local fire department if your house is on fire. It is services for others that Libertarians don't like.
( Governor Perry might attend the debate if chairs were set up in a palatial setting that reminds Mr. Perry of the $10,000 a month rental home he has been living in since the Governor's mansion burned down. Picture taken by Hennrik Bennetsen.)
Incumbent Governor Rick Perry will not be at the debate. Mr. Perry is refusing to debate Mr. White and his other opponents.
It is not really so much that Governor Perry is afraid to debate Mr. White. It is, instead, that Mr. Perry has a small lead in the polls and his base of supporters does not care if he debates or not. It does not serve the Governor to debate. The fact that a debate involving all candidates would serve the democratic process is not so important to the Governor. It is about that is best for Rick Perry instead of what is best for the people of Texas.
(Above--The League could bring a park bench in for the Governor. Photo taken by James Perry. Seeing a public asset, the Governor could seek to privatize the bench by selling it to a company that would charge a fee or toll to citizens who wished to sit on the bench.)
Listening to others in a debate can be difficult when your personal and political identity is often rooted in disliking people, and in being afraid of people not like yourself in our minority-majority state. This describes the mindset of many Tea Party/Republican voters in Texas.
By not debating and by refusing to meet with newspaper editorial boards, Mr. Perry helps his supporters live in their own private world.
(See here all that Health Care Reform does for hard working Americans. These are benefits that any American might require at any time.)
It is a world where treasonous talk of secession from our nation is okay.
It is not such a nice world.
Hopefully, Mr. Perry will soon come to the realization that the people of Texas deserve to see all the candidates for Governor debating the issues on the same stage.
(Above---The chair Governor Perry merits most for his petulance. Photo taken by Yvwv.)
I doubt it. I heard one of his stupid commercials on the radio this morning. Made me want to scream. Supposedly Bill White is "the most mysterious liberal around".
What a load of crap. Perry is in serious need of a swirly.
Alienhunter--thanks for the nice comment. Thanks to all for the comments. Maybe Mr. Perry read this post and is reconsidering.
Jan Brewer has caused a national attention through her bill, not through her speaking abilities.
When it comes to debating she wants no part of it, just like Perry.
How can anyone vote for a person who is not debating. Who does not want to show what they will do, what their plan is, their opinions are, why they believe their plan and idea's are the best, and so on.
I do not understand their idea of running for office means: you don't debate... I thought it was supposed to be the other way around.
Please Win..Terry Goddard
Perry probably thinks he deserves a throne and the job of guv for life. He really makes me sick. I heard the Democratic Governors group is going to put some money into White's campaign. Sure hope that's true.
someone just needs to run a video of his incoherent rambling at any State of the State luncheon for the past few years. Good grief, does the man even know how to form a complete sentence without a script and a prompter?
Make it stop!!!!!
The Brewer connection is pretty interesting because she has attracted national attention and therefore could lose. I think Perry wants to avoid national attention. He shows up to a debate and you know a clip will end up on MSNBC, the Daily Show, or Colbert. Then, the DNC catches on and the rest as they say is history.
Is Rick Perry a clone to Jan Brewer?
Sound like they have the same idea, that running for Governor means you don't/won't debate.
When I think of Rick Perry the only seat that comes to mind is one with a lid that flushes.
Just out of curiosity, where did you.....uh....get that photo? I...uh.... might need one of those chairs, sometime.
I'm with aH. I have seen that chair before, but didn't know the name. I knew the purpose, just not the name.
I don't know what all the fuss is about. Incumbent politicians are protected by the Fifth Amendment.
(Does anybody ELSE think that the word "amendment" should have two "m" at the front or is it just me?)
I think Gov. Perry should be protected against "self-incrimination" just any other..uh....person.
I recommend a backless chair for a spineless governor.
I'm glad you explained what that 1st chair was because I was afraid to ask.
Enjoyable blog post...
The sad thing is that it likely won't make much of a difference. Perry is practicing the stay at home approach.
Well, heck.....you beat me to it. I was going to suggest a highchair since Perry is obviously such a whiny baby about debating and being such a brat.
Time to smack little Ricky's backside and send him back to whatever planet he's from.