2010: Newspaper Endorsements: DMN for White

The Dallas Morning News has endorsed Bill White for governor in the Democratic primary over Farouk Shami and five other candidates:

White has worked well with business leaders and environmentalists in guiding the nation's fourth-largest city to creating jobs, redeveloping neighborhoods and developing new parks. He knocked on doors to get children back into class while simultaneously leading an effort to raise more than $100 million for Houston's public schools.

White cites Texas' educational challenges as a major reason for wanting to unseat incumbent Republican Rick Perry. While White, a Harvard graduate, has yet to strike a Barack Obama-like independence in some areas from the education lobby, he nonetheless has solid ideas to expand preschool offerings, attract and retain good teachers and create summer opportunities for students to hone math and science skills.

While these are important areas of leadership, White is frustratingly vague on Texas' transportation challenges. He won't commit even to allowing the gas tax to increase with inflation. Ultimately, he must be more direct about what faces our state. Similarly, the understated White, 55, needs to show Texans he can speak boldly and persuasively from the bully pulpit, one of the governor's most reliable tools.