Why 39% is not a big deal...

Democrats like to point to the 39% Rick got in 2006 in a 5 way race as some kind of evidence that Rick is vulnerable in 2010... Jason Embry makes up for a lot of recent whiffs and hits a solid double with this piece on why 39% in 2006 was not a big deal (link). Excerpt follows...

The governor's race isn't over by any means, but for now, Perry is well-positioned to win a third term.

Perry ran in 2006 against three major opponents — one (Chris Bell) who reaped the benefits of Democratic straight-ticket voting, one (Carole Keeton Strayhorn) who was a decade-long statewide officeholder and spent more than $13 million, and one (Kinky Friedman) who was such a celebrity that he garnered segments on "60 Minutes," Don Imus' radio show and "The Late Show with David Letterman."

Perhaps more importantly, Hurricane Katrina and the Iraq war had put Republicans into a national free fall in 2006, the year they lost control of the U.S. House and Senate. Even Texas Democrats felt a jolt of momentum, making major gains in the Legislature and big cities, particularly Dallas.

There was also a fourth opponent who took a percent or two from Rick... the libertarian in the race in 2006.

2006 was a terrible year for any Republican, and Rick still won by nearly 10% over his next biggest challenger despite the independents in the race all turning their fire on Rick almost exclusively instead of each other...