Should Republicans be worried about Rick vs. Kay creating an opening?

I think there is some legitimate concern out there... what if Rick and Kay beat each other to a bloody pulp... it could drive negatives up, positives down, and create a lot of ill will (link).

Excerpt follows...

The Republican primary dogfight between Gov. Rick Perry and principal challenger, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is already on the national political front burner.

Not often does a sitting United States senator challenge a governor of the same party, in the nation’s second most populous state.

Republican pollsters say Texas is still solidly Republican. Democrat Barack Obama got less than 44 percent in Texas in 2008.

But the governor’s general election race in November of 2010, regardless of who the GOP nominee is, could also draw a lot of attention. Texas might become a player in presidential elections again.

The only serious announced candidate for the Democratic nomination is Tom Schieffer of Fort Worth, former President George W. Bush’s ambassador to Australia and then Japan. Humorist/songwriter Kinky Friedman also might seek the nomination.

But if the Perry-Hutchison mudfight keeps intensifying, other Democrats may run.

That's just it though... quantity is not the issue, it is quality. No Democrat can take down either of these mega stars in the GOP. Only each other can take each other down. The worst thing would be the loser gets desperate and starts smearing the other before losing, only to weaken the other candidate... that would be the big problem.