How Much Trouble is the Hutchison Campaign In?

Matt Lewis | September 14, 2009 8:45 PM

If endorsements can be viewed as a signal as to the health of a campaign, Kay Bailey Hutchison's campaign is on life support.

Over the past few weeks, incumbent Republican Governor Rick Perry has lined up a long list of endorsements while Senator Hutchison has remained silent.

Following are a few of the recent Perry endorsements:

RNC Committeewoman Cathie Adams
Texas Right to Life
Texas Alliance for Life
Texans for Life President Kyleen Wright
Free Market Foundation President Kelly Shackelford
Americans for Prosperity Texas State Director Peggy Venable
Texas Republican County Chairman Association President Linda Rogers
Texas Municipal Police Association
Texas Chemical Council
Texas Society of Professional Engineers
Houston Realty Business Coalition
Texas Apartment Association
Heidi Group Founder Carol Everett
Texas Department of Public Safety Officers Association PAC
Texas Home School Coalition PAC
Conservative Republicans of Texas President Dr. Steve Hotze
Texas Chiropractic Association
State Director of Americans for Prosperity Peggy Venable
Texas State Association of Fire Fighters

Governor Perry has also received the unanimous support of the 160 member Board of Directors of the Texas Association of Realtors.

So why is Hutchison running? Unfortunately, when you hear her campaign speeches she has taken a page from the Obama playbook of offering “Change” without any plan on how she would actually accomplish it.

Senator Hutchison’s biggest challenge is going to be selling her, “Texas can do better” theme when the state is widely considered a model other governors should aspire to.

And as the endorsements stack up against her, will she risk costing taxpayers $30 million dollars to fill her seat in a special election? ... Especially as her campaign continues to falter?