Quote:
Originally Posted by AustinTex
SEE!!!! TXlifeguard. guy, I TOLD YOU this was politically motivated.
Listen, guy. Anytime the government tells you something, the opposite of whatever they tell you is the truth. NOW they have come out and said it WAS politically motivated. dude, wake up. It is so freaking obvious man. The State comes out and the first thing they said: this isn't political. OK, that means IT IS political. And now, they admit it. That's how you know the truth. Whatever the government first says is ALWAYS THE OPPOSITE.
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It's not that I believed what government offcials said one way or the other. I work in PR and generally don't believe anyone is ever telling the truth in an official capacity. It's that I've had trouble seeing this as a politically motivated arson. It's no doubt that it was criminal in nature, and not accidental (like sparks from a welders torch in the construction/demolition process) as would be expected, since they have video proof of the act of commission.
From a political perspective - this is stupid - setting fire to the mansion wouldn't rally anyone to a cause (whatever it might be). First, the damn thing is unoccupied. That's like someone having it in for me and setting fire to a house I used to live in 10 years ago. So the motive would seem to move away from Perry - and would seem to be an attack on the state itself or the state government. If Perry really was their target, why didn't they target his rental residence (I'm glad they didn't tho- as there would have been a greater chance for loss of life. Historic or not, buildings can be replaced; people cant.) All this attack would do would be to rally everyone towards the rebuilding efforts and support of the state as an institution. They didn't just pull 'Don't mess with Texas' out of the air. It worked as an ad slogan because it embodied Texans' sense of pride in the greatness of Texas - even if it is just the myth of Texas. An attack on the mansion (or capital, etc) attacks that myth. People tend to cling pretty darn tight to their cultural myths, real or perceived.
I guess I just don't get Perry as a target. Is he polarizing? Sure. But it's much ado about nothing. All of us who took Texas Government in college remember that the Texas governorship is one of the weakest in the nation. The state constitution limits his powers to calling special sessions of the legislature, appointing agency chairs (with legislative approval), and the veto. The legislature and the Lt. Gov. have all the power. Perry spends most of his official time on business development. A bit of an oversimplification, but in reality, he's like statewide elected chamber of commerce president. Now there's always those kooks out there who think there should be no property taxes, or that Texas was illegally annexed into the US who could have had a hand in it. Conducting the state's business, including the controversial stuff (TTC, El Dorado, water rights, taxes & budgeting, etc) is done by state agencies or the Lege itself.
I guess time will tell. The DPS/Rangers has to solve this. Cause it's scary as heck to think that someone can walk up the front porch of the state's first residence and set it on fire.