From one day of news this week, democrat Bill White became a clearer picture as a political candidate. He’s the typical, double-talking, classic politician and Texas democrat. But, he masks the obvious with a plain-as-cardboard demeanor and speaking style.
Starting with Christy Hoppe’s piece in the Dallas Morning News, we find Bill White engaging in what he criticizes others for. “People throughout this state want their elected leaders to offer solutions and not just sound bites,” White was quoted as saying.
Isn’t that just another speciously appealing sound bite?
In the same story, Bill White says he’s the real deal, White lists issues on which Rick Perry is vocal and then dismisses them with another spurious sound bite saying “those types of issues are misdirections about federal issues that divert attention from Texas issues.”
Last I checked, the energy industry was central to Texas and Medicaid was breaking the Texas budget.
In Jason Embry’s American-Statesman story, White says Perry takes too much credit for economy, we read White as saying that “he brought jobs to Houston when he was mayor without help from the state…”
Wasn’t it White a few weeks ago who was saying voters should not trust a politician who takes credit for creating jobs? And is not his comment about Houston jobs the same as Perry saying that his conservative policies brought business to Texas sans help from Washington?
A key attribute of Bill White is his appearance of not being partisan, radical or effusive about anything. Instead he acts the pragmatist about all who has disdain for bombast from all quarters.
Yet in an AP story, we find Bill White calling the Perry, Dewhurst and Straus approach to state agency budget cuts “Soviet Style”. Sounds a bit bombastic, partisan and over-the-top to me, how about you?
Three stories in one day give three examples of Bill White looking at the sun and telling reporters that it is night. This campaign may be fun after all.*
Robert Pratt is host of the top rated Pratt on Texas radio program which can be heard at www.PrattonTexas.com
*Alternate ending (if screenwriters can do so, what can’t I?):
Three stories in one day give three examples of Bill White looking at the sun and telling reporters that it is night. Such may help White finally get a tan but, it’s also a good way to get burned by the electorate.
