Thursday, January 21, 2010

Does the Massachusetts win for Scott Brown change the game in Texas?

The Texas Politics blog has a good blog up speculating about what might happen now that the dust has settled in Taxachusetts (link). Excerpt follows...

Republican Scott Brown's victory in the race to replace the late Edward M Kennedy in the U.S. Senate could have a dramatic impact on Texas politics.

That change comes primarily from the fact that now the Democrats have lost their filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. They have the ability to regain that majority if U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison carries through on her pledge to resign her seat win or lose after the Republican nomination race for governor.

Gov. Rick Perry would name a Republican to replace her as interim senator, but there also would have to be a special election to fill Hutchison's term through 2012.

Suddenly, former Comptroller John Sharp would become the most popular Democrat in the nation as the Obama Administration focused on helping him win the special election to get its agenda back on track.

Democrats already are expecting to lose their super-majority in November, so just a few months in office would be important for the national Democratic agenda. And the dynamics of a special election are so different from a general election, a Democrat such as Sharp could win the seat even though Texas is Republican-leaning in a general election.

Republicans have felt depressed in recent years, but winning Ted Kennedy's old seat for Republicans was a hugely gratifying victory... and Democrats are going to want to get that seat back if there is a special election in Texas...

I don't see Democrats having a prayer this year in any state wide election in Texas... special or other...

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Hey now, campaign characters. Be nice. I know a lot of you on both sides, so I don't want any overly foul language, personal attacks on anyone other than the candidates themselves, or other party fouls. I will moderate the heck out of you if you start breaking the bounds of civility.