White 2010 Bandwagon Already Underway
By Vince Leibowitz on Nov 7, 2007 in 2010 Texas Elections
It seems as though the mainstream media is ready to anoint Houston Mayor Bill White as the Democratic Party’s 2010 gubernatorial nominee:
Houston voters overwhelmingly re-elected Mayor Bill White on Tuesday, sending him back to City Hall for two more years and setting the stage for what some see as a larger political future.
With about slightly more than half the vote counted, White was breezing to a third term, proving he still is widely popular despite the public’s concern about crime and recent criticism over property taxes.
White touted his last four years, saying the city had worked to reduce traffic congestion and violent crime, but also promised to fight air polluters and spend $200 million on drainage projects before he leaves office.
“I’m so proud that we’ve tackled the toughest problems that we have at the city,” he told supporters at the Rice Hotel on Tuesday night. “Even where we make modest strides, I’ll tell you what, it’s big news for Houston.”
The mayor, a moderate elected with historic margins in the state’s most-populous city, is widely seen in political circles as an attractive Democratic candidate for governor in 2010.
Take note of the following operative words and phrases: “moderate,” “widely seen in political circles,” and “attractive candidate.”
Bill White is a good leader for Houston and a good campaigner, but we’ve seen time and time again what happens when the media and party establishment nominate a moderate who looks like they can run and finance a credible campaign as the Democratic Party’s nominee. You get a race like Sanchez v. Perry in 2002 where the average, undecided swing voter is unable to really tell what–aside from a party label and perhaps one or two marquee issues–actually sets the candidates apart from each other.
Don’t get me wrong, moderates are welcome in the Democratic Party, unlike the situation across the aisle. And, moderate candidates are the right choices in a lot of state rep districts across Texas because they are conservative to moderate districts. But statewide, we need truly progressive candidates to give voters a real choice.
Another thing that bothers me about the early anointing of Bill White is that, by and large, we don’t know where he stands on a lot of issues. I’m sure he’s made his stances public on key issues like choice, tuition deregulation, and the like, but they aren’t well-known to rank-and-file Democrats.
Heck, Bill White, though labeled a “moderate,” may well have progressive stances on the issues, but if the folks who want him to run don’t start talking about his views instead of just mentioning his name, his stock price will diminish in many circles.
Whit is not only not progressive, he doesn’t really care what progressives think, particularly when it comes to an issue like securing the vote.
I know this from first-hand experience. He sees no problem at all with e-voting, and is content to let the county run the municipal elections despite Hart Intercivic’s decertification by several states.
He’s demonstrated undue familiarity with the Republican majority in Harris County many times. He was real tight with Tom DeLay as well, before the fall.
White just isn’t Democratic, and truth to tell he’s barely even a Democrat.