The popular Hutchison is seen as the most serious challenger to Perry and his bid to become the first Texas governor in history to last more than a decade in office. (Perry served out the last two years of Bush's second term). The potential political shuffle in the 2006 gubernatorial primary was the proverbial elephant in the convention hall.

Conventional wisdom holds that Texas is so solidly Republican that whoever survives the GOP primary will ultimately gain statewide office in 2006. Comptroller Carol Keeton Strayhorn has all but declared she will run against Perry, but her bid could depend on the senator's plans. Some believe Hutchison's destiny is tied to that of George W. Bush. Under this theory, if Bush wins another term, the Democrats put Hillary Clinton on the ticket in 2008, and the GOP counters with Hutchison. If Bush loses, Hutchison returns to Texas to run against Perry. In this scenario, Hutchison frees her Senate seat for a run by current Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. Strayhorn then goes for the lieutenant governor spot. But no one's counting out Perry.

As columnist and former Texas Observer editor Molly Ivins has noted, he possesses a head of hair of which all Texans can be proud. The governor, like Bush, also knows how to ingratiate himself with the state's right-wing moneymen, a mix of energy magnates, home builders and the aforementioned hospital-bed maker. Not coincidentally, these campaign contributors' legislative wish lists have been mostly fulfilled recently.

Another edge favoring Perry is his shrewd chief of staff, Mike Toomey, who's earned the moniker "Mike the Knife" for his particularly sharp brand of political maneuvering. Toomey is reportedly one of the masterminds behind Republican efforts to funnel potentially illegal corporate money into the 2002 state election, which is currently the subject of an Austin grand jury investigation that may implicate DeLay's operatives, if not DeLay himself.

It's been an especially acrimonious year in Texas politics, even by the state's high standards. There was an orgy of strong-armed GOP legislating, DeLay's redistricting crusade, and Democratic lawmakers twice fleeing to neighboring states to prevent quorums. The question in Austin is whether state Republicans, and their cousins in Washington, can figure out how to govern. If the jockeying and squabbling at the state convention is any indication, the road won't be an easy one.

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