...You gotta abandon your responsibilities?

Lately, I've been doing some extra research on the Kay Bailey Hutchison campaign, since I'm in the process of writing a feature article on the subject. I have to say I think she's doing an excellent job of creating a good public image and raising up grassroots support (especially among college students) early in the game. That's why I was a bit surprised when I came across Jason Embry's blog in the Austin American-Statesman, which questions Hutchison's commitment to her campaign. But he's not the only one.

There certainly are reasons for questioning Kay Bailey Hutchinson's dedication to her bid for governor of Texas. She still hasn't stepped down from her Senate seat, claiming she wants to stay to fight the healthcare reform bill. This continued absence from Texas could hurt her, since she has to be in Washington at least a few days each week. A recent poll, which shows Rick Perry leading by 12 percent, suggests Hutchison definitely has some work to do on the homefront.

She's doing great in many respects, gaining the coveted endorsement of the Texas Farm Bureau, which supported Perry last election. She has the most visible presence at my university of any gubernatorial candidate, with her student group Longhorns for Kay already hosting supportive networking events and passing out bumper stickers. But apparently, though her supporters are pulling their weight, she seems to talk more about Washington than Texas when she visits.

In Embry's blog, he claims that Hutchison "seems to be doing little herself to forcefully drive a message about the governor’s race" and "is not using many of those days [in Texas] to take the fight right to Gov. Rick Perry." That may all be true, but I believe that's because she has her priorities in order, not because she doesn't care about the governor's race or because she's a Washington insider. She's doing a noble thing by still performing her responsibilities as a U.S. Senator to the best of her abilities, putting current obligations ahead of her own ambitions to be governor. Plus, it's not as though national issues aren't relevant to Texans. We're just as concerned about healthcare as the next American, and any national issue as big as healthcare reform would affect the state even more than specifically "state issues."

Even if she can't come to Texas in person much, she still effectively uses TV to get her messages out. Here is an interview with her about the tragic Fort Hood shootings.



The interview was conducted just 24 hours after the shootings had occurred, and her extensive knowledge on the subject shows that she is a competent advocate for Texas, even if her responsibilities dictate that she often must be present in Washington both physically and mentally. Hutchison's commitment to the governor's race and to Texas shouldn't be questioned simply because she also has national responsibilities. Let's just hope voters will feel the same way.

...You gotta be a bit less Kinky

I can't help but like Kinky Friedman.

He's toned down his image a bit in this campaign so people will take him more seriously than in 2006, but he's still a rebellious cigar-smoking cowboy. Kinky is a brand, not merely a person. Just look at the picture, from Pat Dollard's blog. If that isn't cool, I don't know what is. To support Kinky means you're a real Texan, not afraid to tell the truth, and you're the type who "sticks it" to the man. Most of his supporters I've met hate politics, so they want someone in the governor's seat who hates politics just as much and will produce results rather than rhetoric.

Of course, he has little chance of winning in a politically correct climate unless he continues to "tone it down." His current campaign Web site is a lot less rebellious than his old one from the last governor's race, a portion of which conveniently still shows up on Google. It claims at the top, "Kinky is running [as an independent] with the people and for the people. You can't do that with the two current political parties, which are built and ruled by special interests." However, he is running as a Democrat this year. I'm certainly not bashing him for changing his mind, as some would. I think he's just realized that he may have to compromise some of his less realistic ideals in order to win.

Most of his platforms are still the same. His top issue is still education and teachers' pay, which I greatly appreciate as a university student who wants to see her tuition decrease. I hated seeing my brilliant high school teachers getting paid so little, wondering if these men and women who bettered my life and believed in my abilities would get to retire at a decent age. Unlike last campaign, Kinky doesn't even mention his views on abortion and gay marriage on his current issues page, reflecting the changed political climate. Everyone cares more about the economy and healthcare now. My favorite old quote of his regarding gay marriage is this: "I believe love is bigger than government. And besides, they have a right to be as miserable as the rest of us." Hahaha. Seriously, what other politician would say that?

Kinky has a tricky balance to maintain. He needs to keep his rebel image while still seeming serious enough about the election for people to believe he's a legitimate candidate. He didn't achieve that last time, garnering only 12% of the vote and finishing last out of the four major candidates (Rick Perry, Chris Bell, and Carol Strayhorn, another education advocate, were the other three). The fact is, people are more likely to take a candidate seriously who wears a coat and tie and uses fancy rhetoric rather than "talking straight." While he is refreshing, are we ready for someone who seems so much like one of us, so unlike a politician? It's almost a bit unnerving. I don't think we want to see our politicians as human.

Even if he does succeed in creating a respectable public image (a long shot), his stances on certain issues may still hurt him. The Houston Chronicle mentions his controversial views on oil and gas: "Friedman also suggests putting a one-half percent 'surcharge' on big oil and gas companies and giving the money to teachers." While I agree with giving more money to teachers, this idea certainly won't help him get elected in the state of Texas. He has an interesting argument though: “Not only will it be the best PR that they've ever had, but we don't buy that oil here anyways. It goes up to the Yankees."

Kinky is certainly likable enough, but likability alone isn't enough to win an election. He may have to de-Kinkify himself just a bit more for Texans to believe in him.

...You gotta be taken seriously

Debra Medina is a "dark horse" candidate in every sense of the word. She is constantly in the shadow of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Gov. Rick Perry, who have both been elected multiple times to their respective offices. Her gubernatorial campaign is based more on the quality of her character than on substantial political experience, with her Web site boasting that she is a "wife and mother, a registered nurse, a businesswoman, a rancher and a fighter."

The problem is, though she may have a heart of gold, she also has to generate enough positive publicity to make people believe in her. To lead Texas, you have to have good character and respect.

Medina has kept herself busy visiting Texas cities and campuses, promoting her ideals of small government and individual liberty. Last week, she spoke at Angelo State University and tonight she speaks at The University of Texas at Austin. But as she embarks on these public image campaigns, her followers are also busy "promoting" her - and not always in beneficial ways.

For example, watch this YouTube video of one of her supporters (an older woman) rapping about her. Yes, rapping. I especially like the "woo-hoo"s!



Entertaining and on-message, but hard to take seriously...just like the supporters of another Texas politician - Ron Paul. Some of Medina's only political experience is helping lead Ron Paul campaigns (he practically endorses her), and he had some of the same problems. He lost respect in the political community because some of his supporters were so overzealous - trolling blogs and articles, voting so many times in online polls that the results were skewed, and holding disruptive demonstrations and rallies. In response to Ron Paul's letter of approval, one reader comments, "Well...judging from the people working on her campaign, they are enough for me to vote for Perry or Hutchinson."

Medina certainly needs more publicity to win the governor's race. She just needs to make sure it's the right kind.

...You gotta be a real (tech-savvy) southern gentleman

It's hard not to like Rick Perry, with his charming Texas smile and comfortable manners. His grin is as shiny as his boots, which proudly display the truly Texan slogan, "Come and Take It." In his picture on Twitter, he's holding a puppy. He Tweets endearing things like, "I just presented a $25,000 check to a high school teacher" and "Fletcher's corny dog may be the absolute best food at the Texas State Fair." He even condescended to "Follow" me on the popular social networking site. Seriously, what's not to like? His affability has helped keep him in office for so long, and it will be a huge factor in whether or not he wins the governor's race again in 2010.

Although Perry has certainly had some technical problems in the past, he seems to have no problem with social networking, being just as savvy on Facebook as he is on Twitter, according to Sinead Hultman's Gubernatorial PR Blog. He hasn't been in office this long for no reason. He is a master politician, knowing exactly how to reach the right people. "Perry is one of the few conservatives who 'gets' Twitter. He doesn’t just outsource it to young staffers.... If we want to continue to thrive as a state we need leaders who are forward thinking without compromising their principles," Thomas Umstattd writes in his conservative blog.

These social skills, conveyed both through personal presence and technology, may be Kay Bailey Hutchison's biggest obstacle in the governor's race as she seeks to unseat him with her impressive 16-year history in the Senate. Through Perry's social networking, he is painting himself as a good ol' Texas gentleman who is still "forward thinking," while Hutchison is left with the nicknames "Washington Kay" and "Kay Bailout." Too bad she doesn't Tweet more often about Fletcher's corny dogs.

...You gotta have some dirt on "The Man"

And Gov. Rick Perry's opponents have unearthed enough to start a mudslide.

The most recent controversy surrounding the governor involves the 2004 execution of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was accused of starting a fire that killed his three children. Why has this story been dragged up out of the ashes, and what does it have to do with Rick Perry? Apparently Perry blatantly ignored multiple reports that Willingham was actually innocent. The governor had the power to reverse an injustice and didn't do it.

The New Yorker recently published an article documenting the case from start to finish. Apparently, after the execution, multiple forensic investigators claimed that the original indicators of arson had since been "scientifically proven to be invalid."

The Texas Forensic Science Commission has been investigating the case since 2005. The head of the investigation was scheduled to present his findings after four years of research this September. Shockingly, Perry had four commissioners, including the head investigator, replaced before the findings could be presented.

In defense of his actions, Perry said, "This was a guy who murdered his three children ... This was a bad man," according to The Dallas Morning News. But the question is, does he have the authority to make such an assertion when scientific investigators have found otherwise? Multiple character reports tell us he was indeed a "bad man," but simply being unpleasant is not a crime punishable by death. It seems that Perry is more concerned about being right than exonerating an innocent man.

Republican opponent Debra Medina countered, "The question, Governor Perry, is NOT whether or not Cameron Todd Willingham was a 'bad' man. The question sir is whether or not justice was served? Was he guilty of the crime that resulted in his execution?" Her entire letter is definitely worth a read, and it might even make you wonder if she should replace Perry as our next governor.

Of course the Kay Bailey Hutchison campaign pounced on the opportunity, saying the governor is "giving liberals an argument to discredit the death penalty." This is another bullet in her vast arsenal of complaints against the incumbent, as evidenced by her new Web site Slick Rick Perry.

Perry certainly already has some character complaints lodged against him, but impeding justice would be the dirt that catapults his opponents to the top (especially as Hutchison is now leading by a few points, according to one poll). Lynn Woolley of The Dallas Morning News sums it up best: "Of course, if Willingham did not set the fire – that's huge. But if Rick Perry interfered with the Texas Forensic Science Commission's investigation into the case – that's monumental."