Houston Democrats

First off, let's note that (1) Republicans, by their very nature, are better marketers than we are and (2) opposition to Annise has always been a matter of organized opposition. Since there's no reason to think Annise would pull anything but a substantial majority if challenged this year--and because she scares local Republicans in ways no one has since Kathy Whitmire--it's only logical that they would want to avoid the negative publicity of seeing Parker win in a major blow out this year. The last thing the pimps of intolerance need is for demographic bigotry to suddenly start to seem blasé and out of fashion.

With no major scandals and no hot button issues heating up this year's elections, you can practically smell the apathy in the air--if you cared to try. No one's wasting their energy organizing.

So, wallah, with no one recruiting an organized opponent against her, Parker's walking into a smooth reelection. Presumedly, she's then a front runner for mayor when Bill White's final term is up and our Republican friends can go on with their predictable personal lifestyle attacks at that time without seeming to beat a horse quite dead since the '05 elections.

Mind you, this might not have been the local Republicans' plans all along. It might just be a rationalization. But with Annise assured of reelection in November, it's bound to at least represent their current strategic thinking.