12.24.09
A serious alternative to the powers that be
Kronberg on Ronnie Earle running for Lt. Gov., The new wrinkle in next year’s election cycle.
Under any circumstance, Earle will be outspent. But his mere presence on the ballot is a high visibility challenge to business as usual and the self-dealing that is part and parcel of Texas politics. There is no doubt that David Dewhurst’s opposition researchers are already looking at ways to bloody up Earle’s crusading prosecutor reputation.
And don’t forget — a place on the November ballot is not a slam dunk for the Travis Couunty Democrat. Hispanic surnames fare well in the Democratic primary. If she gets into the primary, former Texas AFL-CIO vice president Linda Chavez-Thompson could trump Earle.
But given a statewide pulpit along with his relatively high name ID, an Earle candidacy suddenly makes the Democratic ticket far more interesting. Whatever else one may say, Bill White, Ronnie Earle and Attorney general candidate Barbara Radnofsky are all serious people with a story to tell.
At the very least, the likely Democratic lineup has been transformed from a bad joke about self-promoters to a serious policy alternative to the powers that be.
We’ve been needing a serious alternative for a while now.