Just weeks after U.S. Senate wannabee Victor Morales declared himself to be a political independent, former Texas Attorney General Dan Morales has all but declared himself to be a Republican and a supporter of Gov. Rick Perry. It is highly unlikely the Texas Democratic Party is losing any sleep over this mating dance between Morales and the Republican Party.
Morales accepted an appointment by Perry to serve on the governor’s Anti-Crime Commission. The selection of Morales, still the subject of a federal investigation himself related to the state’s tobacco lawsuit settlement, is interesting in and of itself.

There is speculation that the party will call off the big dogs in D.C. if Morales supports Perry. But there is also a risk if Morales becomes another Hispanic Perry appointee with an ethical problem. Morales accepted the Perry appointment during the Texas Democratic convention in El Paso.
It caused barely a ripple there, even though it was followed with rhetoric by Morales that suggested he was considering an endorsement of Perry. Perhaps few paid attention because they thought Morales had turned Republican anyway.

Morales cited Tony Sanchez support of affirmative action as one of the key reasons he didn’t support Sanchez for governor. Morales, who turned back the clock in his infamous Hopwood decision, opposes affirmative action -- even though he benefited from it. This is unlikely to score him any points with anyone other than Republican White males, since the rest of the state -- Blacks, Hispanics and White women -- have benefited from affirmative action of some sort in the past.

If the Morales-Perry courtship is an effort to get Hispanic voters, it is unlikely to be successful. After all, Morales couldn’t get enough of those voters to capture the Democratic nomination for Governor. And frankly, Hispanic voters are more sophisticated than that.

(Martin is a freelance political columnist living in Austin.)