March 6, 2004 8:41 AM

It's not easy being Austin's Invisible Man

It must not be easy being Texas Gov. Rick Perry these days. Yes, Governor Goodhair seems to taking broadsides from a number of directions, which is difficult to imagine for a Governor who has been virtually invisible during his term in office. No one could reasonably accuse Perry of being an activist (or even "active") Governor. Now, in addition, to not even qualifying as "George W. Bush Lite", he is the subject of rumors concerning his alleged infidelity and a pending divorce. Perry is, of course, denying both rumors, and they may in fact be little more than the product of someone's overactive imagination.

Perhaps if Perry was actually accomplishing something during his term, his personal life would be less interesting. Frankly, pundits in Austin have had little to ruminate over when it comes to Rick Perry. Ask a group of Texans what Rick Perry has done during his term in the Governor's Mansion, and I'd wager that after "Uh....", you'd hear only silence. I'd be doing the same thing. I can see the Democratic campaign slogans now: "Governor Rick Perry: aka Tabula Rasa". At this point, Perry's job approval rating is only at 40%- and this in a state with an overwhelming Republican majority. THAT takes some serious lack of effort, y'all.

Not many folks outside of Texas are aware of this, but George W. Bush as Governor was hardly the craven partisan demagogue the Presidency has transformed him into. Of course, no one would have mistaken him for Benjamin Disraeli, but he at least tried to work with people on both sides of the aisle. Perry has felt no such need to reach across party lines, and indeed has been rather ham-handed in his dealings with Democrats. He has been infected with the same arrogance towards Democrats that infects most Texas Republicans: "Whogivesaf**kaboutyouitis". This summer's redistricting standoff was a perfect indication of that. When presented with the opportunity to effect some sort of compromise, Perry opted for the Texas Republican weapon of choice- the sledgehammer. Democrats are not likely to forget that arrogance anytime soon.

Generally speaking, though, Governor Goodhair has been a nonentity, someone who makes for good photo ops, but has little to offer intellectually or in terms of positive leadership. If the Texas Democratic Party had been able to offer more that Tony "Moneybags" Sanchez as an opponent in 2002 (and if I hadn't waited until 10 days before Election Day to start my own write-in campaign), Perry might be back in Paint Creek running his daddy's ranch.

If Perry wants to be known for something besides his personal life, he would be well-advised to begin showing some leadership characteristics. Otherwise, he has no one to blame but himself for his plight. If he wants to be remembered for good hair and a lack of intellectual depth, that is his choice. Being elected doesn't make one a leader. Using your office to effect positive change and make Texas a better place for Texans to work and live makes you a leader. Of course, if Governor Goodhair hasn't figured this out by now, it's not likely that he ever will.

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on March 6, 2004 8:41 AM.

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