04.15.13
Will Rick Perry run again?
Whether or not Rick Perry is running for governor again, can’t be divined from what he’s currently saying. Right now he has no other choice. For political reasons - doesn’t want to be a lame duck - there’s no way he will say no until after the session. The first 8 minutes 15 seconds of this video was an interview with Rick Perry. And Perry’s case for 4 more years as governor is basically, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry outlines case for re-election.
During a recording of Inside Texas Politics, Perry said that Texas had become the envy of the nation during his years as governor. He said the state’s success could be attributed to stable, conservative leadership.
“Why would you want to change?” he asked.
Perry, the longest serving governor in the history of Texas, said he would announce his future plans this summer. He’s up for re-election next year and is still considering another run for president.
This makes it seem like Perry see himself as God’s gift to Texas. There is no one else that can do the job he does and he’s basically daring Greg Abbott to try. Perry is either like a professional athlete who doesn’t know when it’s time to hang up the cleats, or he wants another term and another shot at the presidency. Either way it’s starting to more then a little sad.
The saddest part though is that unless someone like Abbott challenges him, he’s extremely likely to be back for another term. Via Burka:
Perry’s future plans remain a mystery. A story continues to make the rounds that gubernatorial staffers in his office have told people that their jobs will end in June. (I have heard versions of the story from two lobbyists, for what it’s worth.) I believe Perry will run for reelection because he can’t give up the lifestyle that goes with the job — the travel, the entourage — and also because he still wants to run for president, even though he would be the longest of long shots against the likes of Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and Cruz, not to mention the establishment candidates like Chris Christie and Jeb Bush. In the meantime, all the wannabes in Texas remain frozen. Running for office is the thing Perry likes best, pressing the flesh, meeting and greeting the local pols. But he doesn’t have a ghost of a chance to be president.
And the way this session is shaping up it looks like nothing much is going to happen. It’ll just be a status quo kind of session, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. But Texas certainly has some broken parts, Legislative Study Group: Texas At Risk In Ability to Compete and Succeed. And another Perry term will likely only make those worse.