From the category archives:
by Ross Ramsey, The Texas Tribune
August 30, 2010
The governor depicted by Democrats as a coward in statewide newspaper ads last week doesn’t seem nervous.
In fact, Rick Perry looks pretty comfortable, though he says he’s taking his Democratic challenger, Bill White, seriously and expects the last two months of the general election campaign to be at least as much work as his primary battle earlier this year against U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Republican renegade Debra Medina.
by Matt Stiles, The Texas Tribune
August 23, 2010
Republican Gov. Rick Perry maintains an 8-point lead over Democratic challenger Bill White, according to the latest statewide poll by Rasmussen Reports.
The poll, conducted Aug. 22, shows Perry leading White, 49 percent to 41 percent. Three percent of the respondents said they prefer another candidate, and 7 percent were undecided.
The results are similar to Rasmussen polls in June and July, which showed the governor leading the former Houston mayor by 8 and 9 points, respectively.
Also of note in the poll:
White faces a tough race in a state that trends conservative Republican, especially given the national electoral mood.
Seventy-six percent (76%) of Texas voters consider Perry a conservative. Forty-two percent (42%) view White as a liberal, while another 29% describe him as a moderate.
Despite the perceived differences in ideology, 51% of voters in the state describe Perry’s political views as mainstream, and 52% say the same of White’s views. Thirty-three percent (33%) brand Perry’s views as extreme, and 29% think White’s are extreme.
Rasmussen polled 500 likely voters. The poll’s margin of error is +/- 4.5 percent.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at http://trib.it/bLRSKt.
Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post blows wind into the sails of the Bill White for Governor campaign.
Texas (Move from Lean Republican to Toss Up): Former Houston Mayor Bill White (D) has more money in the bank than Gov. Rick Perry (R) and polling shows the contest close. It’s still Texas in a good Republican year, which should help Perry, but White is running an effective campaign to capitalize on discontent directed at the incumbent.
NPR’s Ken Rudin said last week that Perry is favored to win.
Three years after Gov. Rick Perry’s biggest real estate score, questions persist about whether the governor benefited from favoritism, backroom dealing and influence-buying.
The Dallas Morning News found evidence that Perry’s investment was enhanced by a series of professional courtesies and personal favors from friends, campaign donors and the head of a Texas family with a rich history of political power-brokering (DMN).
“Rick Perry needs to grow a pair!” — PMT’s Michael Olson, on Gov. Rick Perry’s unwillingness to debate his opponent.
It’s time once again for the Public Media Texas political podcast. Give a listen to Texas Public Radio’s Terry Gildea and PMT’s Michael Olson as they discuss the state of politics in the Lone Star state.
Bill White launched a new phase in his campaign to become the next governor of Texas by encouraging his supporters to take part in his campaign through canvassing, answering phone calls and other campaigning efforts.
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