2010 Texas Gubernatorial Prediction: ‘Perry Wins’
As crazy as it may sound, I predict that Gov. Rick “Git-on Down the Road” Perry will be re-elected. Primarily, the reason is that the majority of Texans “don’t know no better” and they want to keep the governor who has kept his wealthy special interest campaign contributors happy “as a pig in crap.”
As crazy as it may sound, I predict that Gov. Rick “Git-on Down the Road” Perry will be re-elected.
Primarily, the reason is that the majority of Texans “don’t know no better” and they want to keep the governor who has kept his wealthy special interest campaign contributors happy “as a pig in crap.”
In addition, Perry presents himself as a home-grown farm boy and is viewed as a real Texas success story. Regardless, it is interesting that the Texas Farmers Union has clashed with the governor regarding his push for the Trans-Texas Corridor that would cut through the heart of Texas and divide many farms from Mexico up through Oklahoma.
While Perry paints a solid view of his performance as governor, the truth is that he has done a great deal for wealthy special interests while doing little for the average majority. There is a growing movement against Perry, but it is doubtful that it will be sufficient to stop him from attaining a 4th term as governor.
Perry has done many things to impede his own re-election, e.g., promoting the Texas Corridor, pushing the financing of public education onto local government, demanding that girls receive mandatory HPV inoculations, increasing business taxes, pushing for further deregulation of various industries, etc. Perry’s priorities are questionable and have been proven as failing the community good.
Despite his political transgressions and often tyrannical attempts at control there seems to be no other candidate for government that can stop Perry from being re-elected.
In reviewing the GOP Primary, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison carries with her the stigma of national government control. Perry waves the Texas flag over the national flag during this campaign and it will be a successful tactic. Washington, D.C. has failed all Americans and Perry points that out to all Texans. Do they want failed politics to run Texas? The answer is no.
Debra Medina is trying to represent average Texans but appears to be a more “liberal” Republican Conservative who has virtually no experience in government. She has no political history and legislative experience and can not beat Perry in the GOP Primary.
Looking at the opposing party alternatives, the Democratic Party no longer has strong roots in Texas. Those roots were eliminated when President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. While Johnson knew it was the right thing to do, he also acknowledged that signing the document would ensure a Republican stronghold throughout the South for an infinite period of time. He was right.
Former Houston Mayor Bill White has a platform that simply does not “hold water” for the majority of Republican Texas and let’s face it that the GOP maintains a strong base throughout the state.
The other top Democratic contender is Farouk Shami, who appears to be delusional in believing that Texans would vote for him. First off, Shami arrived in the U.S. from the Middle East in 1965. For the most part, native Texas do not like newcomers moving into their state. They want Texas to remain the same as it has for centuries. The fact that Shami is from the Mid-East does not bode well for him in Texas.
Finally, Rick Perry was re-elected in 2006 with only 39 percent of the total votes. Basically, there were too many lesser-quality opponents that divided the people from eliminating Perry as Governor. This year it looks like more of the same. Seems like Texans will be forced to endure another 4 years of deadwood special interest incumbent Perry politics.
(Peter Stern, a former director of information services, university professor and public school administrator, is a disabled Vietnam veteran who lives in Driftwood, Texas.)
Worrying — Useless Human Emotion
I read somewhere that worrying is the most useless human emotion. Worrying does no good in the eventual outcome of things. So why do we do it? (I don’t know!) I try not to, but sometimes I can’t seem to help it. I always wished to be one of those people who never seem to worry at all. Why do we replay sad or bad times in our minds? Same type of thing. What good will it do? At least, with the latter, I suppose there’s the chance of a learning experience, acceptance, processing, coming to terms, closure. There may actually some benefit there. But worrying? What good is it?
I read somewhere that worrying is the most useless human emotion. Worrying does no good in the eventual outcome of things. So why do we do it? (I don’t know!) I try not to, but sometimes I can’t seem to help it. I always wished to be one of those people who never seem to worry at all. Why do we replay sad or bad times in our minds? Same type of thing. What good will it do? At least, with the latter, I suppose there’s the chance of a learning experience, acceptance, processing, coming to terms, closure. There may actually some benefit there. But worrying? What good is it?
It’s been my experience that the things we worry about never come to pass as we imagine. When bad things happen, we must deal with them in whatever fashion we’re able. No matter how much worrying we did before the event; it usually wasn’t effective preparation, not very helpful in the actual instance.
When I was young, I worried about my parents (who were quite a bit older than other kids’ folks). I worried about my dog, my parakeet, schoolwork and grades, getting into college, what paths to take in life, money, things like that. I don’t remember actually worrying about boys or dates. But I suppose I did. Later I worried about the Viet Nam war, the world in general, then my ex-husband, the children, our pets, and always, my aging parents.
As I’ve grown older, I might worry a tiny bit less. I’m not exactly sure when this happened, but now I seem calmer somehow (most of the time). My children are grown and not a concern 24/7 in the same way as before. Of course I love them and want the best for them. But they don’t need or want my constant care and attention now. My parents are sadly gone. So worrying about them has been supplanted with missing and remembering with love and affection. Sometimes I worry about my friends, but not usually with the depth and angst I reserve almost exclusively for my family.
Previously I worried whenever things broke around here. I worried even BEFORE a possible event! What if a pipe froze and burst? What if the cows got out? What if we needed to repair a fence or change leathers on the windmill? As each of these things happened (and more, believe me), I realized that we’d do whatever was necessary to make things right. I learned to count on Zack for help, a novel and wonderful situation for me. I think Zack is one of the main reasons I worry less. I have this wonderful man to share everything, even the worry. He worries right alongside me. And he’s much better at it! This is to say he’s so much worse than I ever was about worrying, I barely need to do it any longer at all! Or at least not so much.
When Zack became ill and I took care of everything from cattle to bills to insurance to pets to the lawn to being his advocate and caregiver in hospitals and later at home, there was no time to worry as much as I might have. It was like any new situation where it’s necessary to settle in and experience a few crises. Then you realize things are going to turn out one way or the other, despite all the worrying in the world. You substitute action for worry, roll with the punches, and try to keep up. This requires much energy, leaving less time for worrying.
I think perhaps we all reach an age at which we’ve experienced enough pain, joy, loss —and LIFE—that we realize we’ll deal, the best we can, with what’s thrown at us, that worrying won’t be that much help.
Gene Ellis, Ed.D is a Bosque County resident who returned to the family farm after years of living in New Orleans, New York, and Florida. She’s an artist who holds a doctoral degree from New York University and is writing a book about the minor catastrophes of life. Check out Genie’s blog at http://rusticramblings.wordpress.com/.
