Every election since 1980, except one, has had a Bush on the Ballot.
That's a long run, and one that will come to an end this time around. No favorite son for this rodeo puts Texas squarely in play in 2008.
How has the Lone Star State GOP responded?
Easy, it has invited all the candidates to Fort Worth with a chance to address the largest Red State in America at the first ever Townhall.com Texas Republican Presidential Straw Poll over Labor Day Weekend.
By solidifying Mitt Romney's status and elevating Mike Huckabee to top tier status, we've seen that Straw Polls can have an impact. Who will be the Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee of Texas?
Texas offers the GOP the biggest Electoral College prize of any Red State and a crop of volunteers to go to battleground states like Ohio and Pennsylvania. Simply put, this is a big state that can no longer be taken for granted by GOP Presidential candidates.
It will be interesting to see which of the GOP candidates swoop in and take advantage of this ...