As matters stand now, the candidate I am most likely to support to replace Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison after she resigns to pursue the gubernatorial race here in Texas is Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams. Here is a sample of why.

What grieves me most, however, is not that false cries of racism shortcircuit our debate, but that it makes legitimate concern about pockets of racism impossible to hear among the majority of Americans where it truly exists. Racism does still exist in America today – on both sides of the political spectrum. Now it will be that much harder to expose because the real cry will be impossible to distinguish from the false one, much like the boy who cried, “wolf.” Racism exists, but so does opportunity, and I can personally attest to the fact that there is far more opportunity than racism. We have rid our institutions of government of the practice of discrimination; if only we could rid our political discourse of the ugliness that ensues when we ascribe discriminatory motive to statements with no obvious discriminatory aspect. New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd couldn’t help hearing a missing word in Congressman Joe Wilson’s outburst during President Obama’s speech to Congress. The Congressman yelled, “You lie.” Ms. Dowd couldn’t help hearing, “you lie, boy.” While Congressman Wilson started a fire, Ms. Dowd poured fuel on it. The greater ugliness is not the inappropriate outburst, but Ms. Dowd intentionally injecting a word loaded with a history of racial condescension to label a whole movement of opposition.

Clear thinking from a clear-headed man – and one who has the support (and, in past elections, the votes) of the very same conservative Texans who are labeled as racists for opposing the policies of President Obama. And if you ever want proof that Republicans will embrace an African-American as one of their own, just look at the film of any GOP event where Williams is a featured speaker.