Texas politicians don’t seem to be very concerned with Texas politics. Conservatives have been waiting with baited breath for Gov. Rick Perry to announce whether or not he’s going to run for the presidency, and today Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst officially announced his campaign for the US Senate. And, although Perry continues to say he doesn’t have plans to run for president in 2012, he has spent most of his time in 2011 outside the state on a nationwide book tour.
The only question is, with the state’s top lawmakers working on their own political aspirations, how much work is being done in Austin?
This year, Texas had its fair share of problems — a giant deficit, redistricting and higher education funding were just a few of the problems faced by the legislature. And, while most lawmakers were working hard to fix them, Perry was elsewhere.
The problem with public office is the amount of time needed to reach it. Politicians have to worry so much about pandering to their supporters and getting enough money to stay in power that they often neglect the office they hold at the moment.
But where was Perry this legislative session? This session, Perry used the time he should have spent serving the Texas people in promoting himself. It is no secret that the Texas governorship is a weak position.
This partially explains why governor-good-hair has stayed in power for so long. Perry is officially given few powers by the Texas Constitution, which means he has less of a chance to mess things up.
However, the few powers that come with the Texas Governor position does not mean that Perry has few responsibilities here and that does not give him an excuse to spend his time promoting himself in other states, holding unofficial and polarizing prayer rallies, and practicing his sharp shooting while he jogs.
