Kay Underestimated Anti-Washington Sentiment
Conservatives won the first skirmish of the 2010 election cycle as Texas Gov. Rick Perry rode a wave of anti-Washington sentiment to turn aside a challenge from more moderate Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. Hutchison was backed by most of the GOP establishment including former President George Bush41, former VP Dick Cheney and Senator John Cornyn. About the only prominent Republican supporting Perry was the washed-up former governor of the nation’s most northern state.
But, Perry had the support of many state conservative and business organizations, right-to-life groups and Tea Party members that didn’t support Diana Medina.
Less than a year ago, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison was the most popular elected official in Texas and the odds-on favorite to be the next governor of Texas. Some polls showed her leading the incumbent, Rick Perry, by more than 20 points.
What Hutchison didn’t realize this time a year ago was that her fate may well have been sealed by Tax Day, April 15, 2009, when Perry spoke at tea party rallies in Houston, Dallas and Austin and suggested — merely suggested — that Texas might have reason to secede from the union. He never mentioned the word “secession,” but there was no mistaking his drift.
Signaling his sympathy with the wave of anti-Washington, anti-Obama animus sweeping Texas and the country — animus fueled by the tea partiers — Perry effectively tagged his fellow Republican as a creature of Washington after her 16 years in the Senate. She never recovered from the anti-Washington barrage. And she knew it.
At 9:30 Tuesday night, with less than a quarter of the precincts counted statewide, Hutchison conceded the nomination to Perry.
She paid dearly for not recognizing early enough the power of the anti-Washington sentiment. “I think she spent tax day at a mattress sales place,” said Ted DeLisi, a political consultant to Perry who helped convince the governor that the anti-tax sentiment was “a prairie fire that was going to burn incredibly hot for an incredibly long time.”
On election day, Tom Mc-Kenzie, a senior citizen who works at a Houston commercial real estate brokerage, was one voter who saw no reason to make a change in Austin. “Texas has been a pretty successful state comparatively, and … if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” he said.
Meredith Perry, who voted at Bunker Hill Elementary School, agreed. Perry, she said, is “a true Texan and I think he stands by his word. He does right by our state and he fights for Texas at the (U.S.) Capitol.”
(snip)
Hutchison’s initial strategy was to broaden the Republican base, appealing to moderates and independents of both parties. It was a flawed strategy, Austin political consultant Jason Stanford said. “You always have to throw the corn where the hogs can get at it. This entire primary was Rick Perry’s briar patch, and it ran counter to her appeal,” he said of Hutchison.
Perry ended with 51.1%, Hutchison 30.3% and Medina 18.6% so nearly 70% of the voters went against the Washington-backed candidate. Can conservatives turn this anti-Washington sentiment into victories in other parts of the country?
Hat tip: Houston Chronicle.
Sarah Palin traveled to Houston to campaign for Rick Perry and settle a long-running fued with Kay Bailey Hutchison.
[1]
What does Kay do now? Stay in the Senate???
[2]
Eph, hopefully she goes home and plants strawberries in the garden and just cashes her government checks. Her silence would be payment enough.
[3]
2. After such a humiliating loss, I would think she would do just that
[4]
Considering the funding and endorsements Hutchison had and the fact that Medina shot herself in the foot with the “Truther” issue, she didn’t do that much better than Medina.
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For those of us who don’t follow Texas politics, what are Rick Perry’s chances in November? Pretty good, right?
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MPT -
Probably about 90%.
[7]
mpthompson permalink
For those of us who don’t follow Texas politics, what are Rick Perry’s chances in November? Pretty good, right?
A lead pipe cinch.
[8]
MPT,
I would say so. Perry did exceptionally well in the Houston Metro area which is White’s (Dim) home turf. Fact, Perry did pretty well in the top 5 — DFW, Austin, Houston, San Antonio El Paso. Hutchinson was supposed to draw close in these areas and it would be the rural counties that pushed Perry over the top. Not so.
Texas has a few givens and if you don’t toe the line you’re toast. Clayton Williams was supposedly a cinch for the Governorship a few years back. He made a joke about rape and that pretty much did him in. Ann Richards became Governor.
[9]
DR,
I could not believe how well Perry did in El Paso county. Wow!
El Paso country is similar to Pima county, AZ in demographics.
[10]
Quick! Before they correct their error! Its your laugh of the day.
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I’m still not quite sure what political calculus made KBH think she could win the GOP nomination over Perry. I’m actually hopeful she makes good on her promise to resign, and Perry appoints someone a bit more charismatic to be our new Senator.
[12]
Reggie -
Where have you been? We have missed you.
Kay lives in the “DC Bubble.” She probably discussed it with a few RINO friends and they said, “All my RINO friends in Texas will vote for you.” Kay’s problems were: 1) there aren’t enough RINOs in Texas to elect her and 2) the mood of the people has become more anti-Washington since she decided to run.
I am sure Sarah had that sweet smile on her face when she stuck the knife in Kay – “You need to continue doin’ things the Texas way, not the Washington way.”
[13]
Politico’s now claiming that Perry’s victory over a Tea Party candidate last night signals the “demise of the Tea Party movement”.
Hillarious!
The reality is that Tea Party folks aren’t knee-jerk ANYTHING! The 9/11 Truther gal was a BAD CANDIDATE. Period. Texans figured it out!
[14]
Hi bc3b:
Thanks. It’s nice to drop by again.
Do you think KBH will resign as she said she would?
[15]
#10 lol! Our Prez is the Muncharian Candidate and according to the NYT, our Sec of State is the MUNCHKIN candidate!!!