There’s a quality of “meanness” that has deep roots in Texas politics. You can find it in Texas politicians of both parties, an Austin lobbyist once explained to me. “They don’t just want to beat you,” he said. “They want to knock you down, and then stomp on you.”

As an example, the lobbyist cited Democrat Jim Mattox, known in his day as the “junkyard dog” of Texas politics. When Mattox was Texas attorney general, he routinely traveled to the state prison to attend executions. Similarly, former Democratic Gov. Mark White ran a reelection campaign ad where he strolled through a portrait gallery of Texans. All had been executed while he was in office…

If Perry emerges as the Republican standard-bearer, a central theme of the Democratic campaign against him is likely to be: Does the rest of the country really want to be like Texas?