Schubert endorses Hardberger

Via The Jeffersonian, third-place finisher in the San Antonio Mayoral race Carroll Schubert has endorsed Phil Hardberger.

“Although he and I differ in party affiliation, I think what he brings to this is the mature leadership and fiscal responsibility that is important to the city of San Antonio,” Schubert said.

[...]

“Hardberger has fourth-quarter momentum,” said Richard Gambitta, a political scientist at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Hard to argue with that, though Matt thinks Julian Castro will eke it out anyway. Cicero thinks that Schubert might have blown an opportunity for his own future self-advancement; he also gives the edge in the race to Hardberger.

So what happens to the "rising star" Julian Castro if he loses? Matt left a comment in The Jeffersonian's post stating that he loses that title if he loses this race. That's probably true, but don't equate a little dimming of his luster with being finished. He's still, what, thirty years old? His youth was one of the concerns about his candidacy, after all. If he loses, he can go away for a couple of years and gain some age, wisdom, experience, whatever it is that he's supposed to have lacked by being 30, and run to replace Hardberger in 2009 as a more seasoned candidate. Or maybe Charlie Gonzales will retire and Castro will be the early favorite to succeed him. Who knows? Maybe losing will have an upside for Castro, as it did for Bill Clinton when he got ousted as Arkansas' Governor - for sure, it'd provide a strong incentive to work on his weaknesses. One way or the other, I expect him to be on the scene for a long time.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on May 26, 2005 to Election 2005 | TrackBack