“Whew!”

More than a few Texans, blue and red, released this sigh of relief upon learning that Gov. Rick Perry would not seek a fourth consecutive full-term in office. Unfortunately, that sigh of relief would become short lived when Attorney General Greg Abbott announced that he would seek the office instead.

As cheerfulness twisted into trepidation for Texas liberals, conservatives went to work putting stealthy campaign tactics into action. It is now up to Texas voters to not be mystified by the arsenal of right-wing political warfare.

Speakers preceding Abbott spoke laudably of the man of the hour, focusing on his conservative spirit, strong belief in state’s rights, and refusal to accept the policies supported by the Obama administration.

One such speaker cheerfully reflected on a proclamation Abbot made during an interview: “I go into the office, I sue the federal government and I go home.” Given his inclination to allocate taxpayer dollars on repeatedly suing the federal government on legislation such as Obamacare, one may find it confusing that Abbott is opposed to wasteful spending.

Abbott’s website denounces the health care law as an “unworkable and unaffordable mandate.” However, Abbott’s actions give rise to the question of whether some of the financial burden of this reform could be lifted off employers and individuals if politicians quit disposing of money on lawsuits in an effort to repeal the law.

The question also arises of whom Abbott is really in the game to benefit. It is no secret that Republicans are facing a shrinking voter base, which they are straining to combat by appealing to many of the voting groups they have historically ostracized. How can anybody expect such tactics to work when all of their legislative efforts seem aimed at keeping the fiscal burdens of the poor out of the conscience of those who do not have to worry about the same issues?

It is no coincidence that both Perry’s announcement to not seek re-election and Abbott’s announcement to run were both made in the heavily Latino populated city of San Antonio. Certainly, Abbott’s atrociously pronounced statement, “dos casas, pero una fundación,” meaning, “two houses, but one foundation,” highlighting his marriage to his Hispanic wife, stands unified with his effort to garner that voter group’s appeal.

As he recycled this phrase in heavily Latino populated cities, those inspired to cast a ballot for the long time attorney general must remember to secure their voter identification card before the 2014 gubernatorial election. Recall that neither food stamp cards nor Medicaid cards are sufficient identification, but concealed handgun licenses are accepted.