As Damon reported a little earlier, John Sharp will not be running for Governor. The reason? Governor Perry appointed Sharp to chair a select commission on public school finance. The commission's job will be to carefully study the complex problem, and present a complete solution to the Texas Legislature in the near future. Due to the scope of that commission, Sharp will not be able to commit himself to a full-scale Governor campaign.When BOR first put this post up, John Sharp Announcing He WILL NOT Run For Governor. My first thought was, good, now all the Democrats will hopefully embrace Chris Bell and come together, Sharp too, and support him for Governor. Then I thought maybe it's because he was involved in the auditor's report on the Comptroller and that there was something to his involvement, or that he was going to endorse Strayhorn or something crazy like that. Well it turned out to be something crazy alright. I know there were probably all those nice platitudes in his speech about how he is just doing what is best for Texas trying to work on a "bipartisan compromise" on school finance. Well, I don't buy it. Anything he does that helps Gov. Perry get reelected, no matter how "bipartisan" is ultimately partisan in favor of the Republicans. I've thought recently that the only difference between Perry and Sharp is that Perry beat him to the party switch all those years back. Oh yeah, anything going on at www.draftjohnsharp.com.
Statesman story on this, Sharp to head task force on school finance. There appears to be some nuance to this story. It's a "blue-ribbon task force", whatever the hell that is, and not a "bipartisan" task force and it "almost certainly removes Sharp as a possible gubernatorial candidate in 2006". I'd say so. There most certainly was a deal worked out before this was announced between Perry and Sharp, the old college buddies. I can't imagine he would run after this but stranger things have happened. Also It would seem this would push back a special session until after the "task force" makes it's recommendations. Anyway, it appears Sharp is out for 2006, for now.
3 comments:
Sharp is a jellyfish! What an asshole! By holding back he effectively kept competition down. What a jerk!
John Sharp is a major sellout! Word is he couldn't raise the money from the corporate whores who now are only buying from the Republican party.
Poor John Sharp he sold his soul for a consolation prize. Well as I said when he lost last time (and the time before that) the Democratic Party will be better off now that this "asshole" is long gone.
His late departure form this race is pure John Sharp. Suck the oxygen out of the room so that others will be sabatoged.
John please take the "consultants" you brought to suck the life/money out of the party with you.
Sharp has opted, after a long and outstanding public service career, to set aside any personal political ambitions for now in favor of solving the major issue facing Texas today. He did this at a time when polls showed he was a cinch to win the Democratic primary if he ran and essentially tied with Perry in the general election. Calling him a "jerk" or a "sellout" for that decision says far more about the insulters than the insulted. Blaming him for the failure of other Democratic candidates to catch fire is intellectually dishonest. And Democrats who insist on viewing this in purely political terms do themselves and Sharp a disservice.
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