March 24, 2017      4:16 PM

Smith: Abbott and Patrick The Fratricidal Politicking of "The Brothers Grimm" Hurts Texas

QR’s Liberal Columnist Glenn W. Smith argues that Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Dan Patrick are engaged in an escalating race to the right to protect themselves from one another. It’s bad for Texas.

It’s not unusual for tensions to increase as a legislative session enters its get-some-things-done stage. Spring training is over. Games now count and the standings matter. But something is different this year.

Despite his protests to the contrary, there’s continual Capitol chatter that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick intends to either challenge Gov. Greg Abbott for governor or bluff him out of the race in 2018. Abbott appears to take the challenge possibility seriously.

Abbott doesn’t appear all that vulnerable until one considers how hard-right voters control Republican primaries. And Patrick may be betting that President Donald Trump’s popularity with GOP primary voters is enough to neutralize Abbott’s sizable fundraising lead.

The complete column by Glenn W. Smith is in the R&D Department.

By Glenn W. Smith

Copyright March 24, 2017, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved