Did Texas Gubernatorial Candidates Run From Bush?

It’s something I hadn’t thought about until just a minute ago, but I have to say it is true: Carole Strayhorn and Rick Perry, both Republicans, ran from George W. Bush for the majority of this election.

And, that’s interesting. In spite of Perry’s Bush rally late in the game, Perry was critical of the President’s border security plan and we didn’t see any ads that talked about Bush. Perry didn’t mention him too much on the campaign trail, either, come to think of it.

And what about Carole Keeton Strayhorn? She really could have run with Bush given that two of her sons have held administration posts. But she, too, didn’t have much to say about Bush as her “independent streak” wound its way across Texas.

It’s interesting also because Perry took over from Bush and was, for a time, the “accidental governor,” until he won election in his own right in 2002.

So, even though Perry campaigned with Bush at the end, and Strayhorn was asked about Bush a lot because of her White House ties, it can be said that both ran “away” from the president.

Maybe they didn’t have their running shoes on and weren’t in full sprint mode, but they clearly weren’t cozying up to W.