Texas Governor Gregg Abbott?

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has demonstrated on many occasions that a pushover, he is not. In fact he’s won the confidence of the citizens of Texas so much that he’s the longest serving Texas AG in history, and won both his reelections by landslides. That’s quite an accomplishment. 

Now, rumors abound that Abbott is looking at leaving his AG position and seeking higher office as governor in 2014, and as a full blooded Texan I say “have at it.”  It would also seem my fellow Texans agree. An opinion poll up at KFYO has Greg Abbot ahead of current governor Rick Perry by 46%. 

Very few of us are surprised with the results of this poll. Perry has lost a lot of luster due to his failed presidential bid, with a few blunders along the way. These stumbles have given Abbott something that Perry doesn’t have; momentum. Abbott can’t help but be all over the front pages of Texas newspapers and make national headlines as he juggernauts his way through the liberals in his way like the elephant in the room that he is. Meanwhile, Perry is still licking his wounds as he talks about trying to run for President again. Rick Perry’s first loss could very well mean his second loss if he chooses to run for reelection, but he’s keeping info on the future very well guarded. 

While Perry and Abbott could be political blood brothers, sharing the same values and even donors (a very interesting point should Perry and Abbott fight for the seat), Abbott’s freshness and reliability is something Texas, and thus America, can benefit from. He’s laid out what kind of politician he is on various occasions. 

For one, we know Abbott is not afraid to take on the corporations. In 2005 he sued Sony-BMG for illegally planting in SpyWare into music CDs that had the potential to cause program corruption when inserted into computers. Abbott, on behalf of the state of Texas, sued Sony for hundreds of thousands and won. 

He is also not afraid to defend the First Amendment and publicly recognize the importance and impact that Biblical values have had on Texas. Back in 2005, Abbott traveled to the US Supreme Court to defend the placement of the monument of the Ten Commandments in the Texas Capitol when it came under attack by Lawyer Thomas Van Orden. Abbott, being no stranger to victory, won the case and the display still remains in Austin today. 

“This is a great victory not just for Texans, but for all Americans. With this ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court has delivered a clear message that the Texas Ten Commandments can be displayed on public grounds in recognition of the historical role they have played in the foundation of this country and its laws.” said Abbot, after his win. You don’t hear this statement out of many politicians today, but what Abbott has over many other politicians is that he isn’t afraid to state a belief, then defend it like it was the Alamo.” 

Today, you can find him vehemently defending our gun rights. He even goes so far as poke fun at states with absurd gun control laws, like inviting New York gun owners to move down to Texas where, as he describes it, is a better state all around. You can also find him attending pro-life rallies and pushing legislative measures that will slowly but surely make abortions in Texas a thing of the past. Normally this would be the death knell of anyone in office, but Abbott is a cowboy politician. Not afraid of a fight, and highly confident he’s going to win.

Now this is all well and good but Abbott has yet to come out and confirm if he will be running for the governorship at all, but there are clues. At the end of 2011, his campaign account held $12 Million dollars in accessible funds. His media attention as of late has brought him some serious acclaim with not only Texans but those across the nation who still believe in American principles. If and when Abbott does run, his greatest opponent will most likely be the decision to run at all. Perry might just want to stay governor to give his second bid for the presidency a little more grease, but if it comes to the well being of Texas, not many will see that as being a sufficient reason for Perry’s reelection. While Perry eyes the White House, Abbot is keeping his eyes on Texas. According to Perry and Abbott, their decisions will be made clear this summer.