Paul Krugman Blog-What’s The Matter With Texas?

[n2doc]

I can’t be the only person watching Rick Perry’s performance as a presidential candidate and wondering, how did this guy become a Texas political legend, an unstoppable force who never lost? Did nobody ever ask him a slightly hard question before?

So I asked my favorite Texan, aka my wife, and she said, “Texas is feudal”. Meaning that Perry was the candidate of the bidness community, and in Texas, what bidness wants, bidness gets.

Of course, he might yet become president. And if so, soon all of America will be like that.
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/whats-the-matter-with-texas/

[seabeyond]

1. i think in texas the gov does the very least out of all the states. and white was close

i dont know the politics of what happened.

i think machines helped him and kinky pulled votes from white.

but he is not a real popular man here in texas

[Major Nikon]

3. Kinky didn't run in 2010

Perry cornered the rube vote in Texas, and that's all you have to do.

[Major Nikon]

2. The answer is simple

Texas has no limits on the amounts an individual can contribute to a political campaign. More than half of all the money from Goodhair's campaigns were financed by less than 200 people.

[moondust]

4. Indeed, as I've posted myself here before.

Texas: Leading the way back to feudalism.

[northoftheborder]

5. Perry was not subjected to ANY questions or debates during his last campaign with...

...White. He refused ALL debates. He refused to meet with any editorial boards. This arrogance was rewarded with reelection. He is not very well liked in Texas, but he hasn't had to run against any really strong outstanding candidates. You can say whatever you want about Texas, but there are a lot of passionate liberals here. We just don't seem to get any of them out on the stage acting like liberals. They turn into Blue Dogs, or DINO lite, when they run, out of mistaken view that that is what might get them elected. Really sad.

[mercymechap]

8. Texas used to be Blue!

I left Texas for about 20 years (military wife) when it was blue - when I came back, it had turned a nasty red! Lots of people have moved here from other states and completely messed it up - but, we're trying to get it blue again, I believe it was more like a reddish purple in the 2008 election.

[Stevepol]

9. Redness in TX likely has to do with the voting machines.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

11. also +1

[PDittie]

10. +1

[RainDog]

6. k&r n/t

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JHB]

12. Isn't most of the state power in Texas in the Legislature...

...with the governor almost a part-time post? I recall people pointing out something along those lines about W, but I don't have the references off the top of my head.