Ann Richards: Texas' Real Deal

Today was the official memorial day for the passing of Ann Richards, fmr. governor of Texas and one of the grandmothers of mentoring women in politics. I always thought Eleanor Roosevelt was the first lady/mother of political mentoring of women, especially those in the media.

I was introduced to Ann Richards at the 1988 Democratic Convention, even though I voted for her as state treasurer, and knew she was good at balancing the books. But I didn't know how funny she was and the charisma until that magical night, in which two of her lines came along "Poor George, he can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth," and "I thought you'd like to hear what a real Texas accent sounds like."

I was living in Massachusetts when she was elected governor. Even some of the stations around Boston carried one of the debates with her and her opponent, Clayton Williams. Clayton was more than just a good ol boy; he was downright insulting to all women. He was the same guy who said about rape that women "should relax and just enjoy the ride." So much did he feel threatened by them that he refused to shake Richards' hand after the debate when she extended hers.

I had friends who were prepared to vote for Williams until that happened. The handshake is the friendship motto of Texas and everyone expects to shake hands, especially opponents to show good sportsmanship. Thus, Williams' refusal to shake her hand showed that he was not going to be very friendly, and it was sign of deep disrespect. I'd like to think Ann won the election on her own, but his gaffe is truly what helped her to victory. She campaigned hard, and to this day, even freepers say she was a gutsy lady.

I loved it when she held up a t-shirt that read, "A woman's place is in the Dome." Sweet revenge.

Ann worked hard to solve what was handed to her a big mess of problems ranging from prison overcrowding to education. Unfortunately, a couple of oversights on her cabinet, in which one member didn't have the credentials as presented, and was forced to resign. Ann didn't favor concealed handguns to be legal; the NRA went after her by supporting her opponent, George W. Bush. And with Karl Rove at his side, she was smeared about her reforms. Little did Texans know that when he became governor later, he would convince the ledge to freeze or cut high education budgets, more executions would take place, and he would leave Texas in the worst fiscal shape that Rick Perry inherited, and now Perry is beginning to have to fight his career and not sit on Geo W. Bush's laurels as he did for the past 5 years.

I was not aware until today that Ann moved to New York City for a few years after 9/11. Sounds like she had a great time, and as Hillary Clinton said today, the future is what mattered to Ann, and she saw life as opportunity and adventure. I believe it.

Televised live on C-SPAN, the memorial service led by former Dallas mayor, Ron Kirk, was comical at times. Liz Smith, one of her dearest friends, and who could almost match Ann in her wit told a couple of stories about her today. One was that Liz and Ann got to meet with George Clooney for some event, and as a gift, they gave him a Tom DeLay Pinata. (the crowd applauded that one loudly and laughed heartily)

Liz Smith's second story was about going to a Christmas party and it was kind of dull, so she asked the pianist to play "The 12 days of Christmas" and by the total recitation, all of the folks, all women I think, were making gestures that mimicked what Ann was doing (such as squatting for nine geese a layin'). She was a hoot--and a hit.

Liz had a third, but it was a bit more complicated. :-)

My spouse and I hung our Texas flag outside yesterday. I don't know if anyone will know why or what the metaphor is, but we do. It's about the never ending spirit of Ann Richards, and as a Texan by birth, and one who had to struggle to get to where I am today--being an educator as Ann Richards was for nearly 40 something years--her life resonates. And I found a quote that seemed appropriate for me as a librarian:

"I have a real soft spot in my heart for librarians and people who care about books. "

I am saddened by her passing, but her legacy to never stop tryin', as Hillary said today, will live on.

May her family move through this difficult time with grace and laughter, as she looks in my favorite picture of her.

Listen here for other Texans' thoughts about Ann Richards, courtesy of the Houston Chronicle. Apparently the service was open to anyone, and I noticed the place was full, which means thousands were there.


Ann W. Richards, 1933-2006
Texas Patriot

Tags: Ann W. Richards, Texas politics, Texas governors, Texas patriots, women in government, women's leadership, Liz Smith, Ron Kirk