how did he win the 2010 primaries? If I were a republican, I would have voted for Hutchison as she doesn't have all the issues that Perry does. She's also been a lifelong republican, as opposed to Perry who was a democrat for 40 years.
There was certainly some feeling along those lines, but it is generally more effective to make that an issue in the first primary after the party switch.
And it sends a mixed message to say, "I'm the nice safe moderate Republican that Democrats like Freepcrusher support, and I'm a life long Republican. And unlike Rick Perry who has been the governor for 10 years, I've only been the US Senator for 16 years"
Or "I was first elected to the Texas legislature 38 years ago, that's where I met my husband Ray. Then I was the State Treasurer. After I left that position, they abolished the office as unnecessary"
