For the position of Texas governor, the Optimist endorses… no one.
Neither of the two candidates is worthy of an endorsement because neither of them is worthy of a single vote.
Republican incumbent Rick Perry and Democratic challenger Tony Sanchez have spent $87 million on this race, far more than any other Texas gubernatorial race in history. With a week left, $100 million is not out of the question.
And they have wasted their money on negative ads, vicious insults and half-truths, leaving Texas voters in the dark as to who would actually make a better governor.
Perry of course has a record. He’s from West Texas, which is a plus for him.
But he’s done almost nothing in Texas, choosing to coast on programs and initiatives created during the Bush administration. And his campaign spots have grown more vicious and more negative, even as the Dallas Morning News shows him with a double-digit lead in recent polling.
Sanchez, meanwhile, claims he’s not running on race, but he certainly hasn’t been shy about the fact that he would be the first Hispanic governor of Texas if elected. Nor is he shy about complaining about minority attendance at state schools.
And although Perry’s ads distort the truth about Sanchez’s failed savings and loan, Sanchez is no agel himself. He criticizes Perry for being in the pockets of big business when Sanchez himself has made millions in the business world. Such hypocrisy is sickening.
Neither candidate has offered a substantial plan on how to improve Texas’ insurance problems, failing inner-city schools or sluggish economy. But each candidate has spent plenty of time and money deriding the other, telling Texas voters why they shouldn’t vote for the other guy.
Voting is important, make no mistake. It’s especially crucial this year, where ACU students will vote for no less than three races of national importance.
The student body should vote Tuesday. Students should decide for themselves who they like for U.S. Senate, for U.S. House, for lieutenant governor and for state legislature.
However, this close race for governor deserves to end tied. At zero.
