Governor’s Race Exposes Republican Rift in Texas
2009 08 17
By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.
Publication: New York Times
HOUSTON — Gov. Rick Perry looks as if he stepped out of a Marlboro billboard: square-jawed, weathered face, a shock of black hair, steely eyes. He even says “howdy” when he enters the room. His public persona is so folksy that many opponents have underestimated his political skills.
But Mr. Perry, a conservative ideologue whose recent flourishes include expressing sympathy for secessionists and supporting a failed effort to add a “choose life” logo to license plates, is already the longest-serving governor in Texas history and has announced that he is running for an unprecedented third term.