Sunday, January 14, 2007

RARE EVENTS: IT'S ICED OVER IN AUSTIN AND RICK PERRY IS A STATESMAN

After more than two decades in public office, Governor Rick Perry somehow goofed up and got himself a fairly favorable story written about himself in the MSM.
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Billy Clyde has always thought that Perry had talent. My biggest beef against him as a House member was that he was too politically partisan (he was a Democrat). His second biggest beef against him as a statewide elected official was that he was too politically partisan (he was a Republican.)
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Very few people will believe me, but I've seen it up close and all personal-like: Take the partisan handcuffs off the man, and he becomes a damn good negotiator/honest broker on issues that many previous governors would simply ignore or avoid.
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-- Ann Richards was great when the cameras were on. But in the backroom, no one was scared of her.
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-- Bill Clements sucked when the cameras were on, and very few people were scared of him in the back room. (Particularly when, during delicate deliberations over school finance, he would repeatedly yell, "YOU KIDS GET OFF MY LAWN! I'M CALLING THE COPS!)
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-- Mark White (who I understand underwent successful cancer surgery last week) was a total fake in front of the cameras and a pansy in the backroom. (editors note: Godspeed, Governor White. BC thinks you're cool, even if no one else does. I actually mean that. The part about you being cool. And getting well.)
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It took him 20 years in elected statewide office, but Rick Perry finally seems comfortable in his own skin. He's free from the chain of electoral warfare. He's his own man. His hair (to borrow a quote from the great Warren Zevon in his classic hit "Werewolves of London") is "perfect." He seems to be at peace with himself ... great marriage, great kids (who are out of the house; always a giant-ass relief), spiritually sound --though I wonder about that West Coast Rapper look he dons in his off time. He seems balanced and tranquil and actually willing to lead. For what that's worth.
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BC thought he could live to be several thousand years old without prefacing a sentencing with the words, "people who underestimate Rick Perry should do so at their own peril," but it's true. No, he ain't Ma Richards or Dubya on the hug-ya scale. But when Perry puts his arm around you, saddles in close and asks about something, he's sincere. And his sincere routine plays really well.
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Quiet! Quiet, people! Hush down!
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BC knows it's politically incorrect to post something that paints Rick Perry (longtime political hack -- for both parties -- and opportunistic rung climber turned rich-guy panderer) as a decent human being. But I'm going out on a a limb (because I don't know the true story of the Great Poinsettia Scandal of 1992; I've heard both sides) and cuz for the sole time in my life I think I'm correct: Rick Perry is gonna turn out to be one of our best Governors ever.
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To the people who said Rick Perry would never be a Coke Stevenson or Sam Houston or Price Daniel or John Connally ... well, they also said it would snow on Inauguration Day before Perry ever became Governor.
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Have you checked the forecast?
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UPDATE: Full disclosure: Billy Clyde voted for Kinky Friedman in 2006. So back off.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rick Perry did something keen from day one. He hired people, including women, who were smart and who were idealogically in step with his major donors and supporters. Bush didn't do that (his staff was, generally speaking, much less conservative than R primary voters). Ann hired every left-leaning idealogue in the state after she won, and that resulted in CRAZY-assed proposals and major infighting. The dirty little secret is that if you have good staff who aren't driving their own agendas, you've got a good chance of sticking around (unless you have bad teeth).

Also, I knew Perry was on his way to having a legacy when the left started accusing him of being a closeted homosexual. ;-)

Anonymous said...

BC,

Shake here again.

It's so damned cold in the house, I'm thinking about setting up my fan in front of the space heater. Any advice on that?

Re this Perry guy, it's all about expectations. He set the bar so low, it's easy to jump.

He still has to keep alive his stupid toll road, convince somebody that appraisal caps are a good idea, and referee Craddick-Dewhurst III: The Stink in the Pink.

When it's all over, Shake thinks Perry's record will bear a strong resemblence to TJ Lambert's used underwear.

Tryin' one...

Billy Clyde said...

Dear Miss M:

Hi, Diedre.

Dear Anonymous:

That fan worked really well. Yes, we had a small fire. But that made us even warmer.

Slumlord T.J. Wiley is going to kill you unless you stop ragging on BC.

Anonymous said...

BC,

What is the Great Poinsettia Scandal of 1992?