Inside Intelligence: About Those Endorsements...

For this last Inside Intelligence before the primary, we asked the insiders whether endorsements by Gov. Rick Perry, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and state Sen. Wendy Davis would help or hurt candidates in their respective primaries.

Overall, the answers were positive, with 50 percent saying Perry’s would help, 82 percent saying Cruz’s would help, and 64 percent saying Davis’ blessing would be positive. Few said the endorsements would be negative, but 35 percent said Perry’s would make no difference and 25 percent said the same about Davis. Only 3 percent rated a Cruz endorsement as a non-starter.

We also asked an open question — prompting the insiders to predict some surprises in next Tuesday’s results. You can see a full set of their comments on that and other questions in the attachment. Here’s a sampling:

Enlarge Jacob Villanueva

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Would a Rick Perry endorsement help or hurt a Republican candidate in the primary?

• "A Governor's endorsement helps even if it's just for the press event."

• "Many local County officials are angry with Perry over a variety of issues. Their endorsement would be more important than his."

• "At this point, I don't think he matters."

• "Perry still carries some clout among Rs in Texas. In a primary, a Perry endorsement has weight."

• "Endorsements are overrated, period."

• "Governor Perry is the face of Republican politics in Texas. If he were running again, he would be re-elected. In a landslide."

• "He's still the Man."

• "Is he still around?"

Enlarge Jacob Villanueva

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Would a Ted Cruz endorsement help or hurt a Republican candidate in the primary?

• "Tougher question. It might help in specific areas/communities and/or races. Like or dislike him and his politics, he has an amazing following."

• "At least that's what Sen. Paxton thinks."

• "He's the one saying what people think and doing what people want. Not that people know what they are thinking or know what they want, but they know they like Ted."

• "Premier endorsement. There is no place in the state where a Cruz endorsement doesn't provide a boost."

• "It unquestionably helps in a primary and probably scares moderates or independents away in the general."

• "Cruz's blessing is also a curse. It's arousing to both sides."

Enlarge Jacob Villanueva

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Would a Wendy Davis endorsement help or hurt a Democratic candidate in the primary?

• "She helps, but her help and six bucks will get you a venti non-fat soy latte at Starbucks."

• "Again, it matters where in the state. Dems in urban areas would benefit significantly from her endorsement but any one in a swing or conservative race would not."

• "Are the Democrats actually having contested primaries??"

• "Statewide candidates and urban counties, likely to help. But I suspect whatever democrat candidates are left in rural Texas want to stay away from her like all Texas Democrats are staying away from Obama."

Make a prediction: What do you think will be the biggest surprise in the primary election results?

• "A Huffines upset of Carona"

• "Debra Medina in Republican Primary for Comptroller"

• "Todd Staples makes the run-off."

• "Patrick doesn't make the runoff."

• "Patterson in the runoff."

• "The winner of the US Senate primary for the Democrats; it's a crap shoot, one week out."

• "Smitherman not even close to the runoff due to a campaign that never got above the noise"

• "Paxton within single digits of Branch--and beats him in runoff."

• "Rodney Anderson beats Linda Harper Brown by a healthy margin."

• "Land Commissioner Watts"

• "J.D. Sheffield and Jim Keffer both go down."

• "Kesha Rogers does NOT win dem primary. Note hint of sarcasm..."

• "Harvey Hilderbran. Seriously! The guy every insider thought was crazy to run is proving that we are the crazies."

• "Supreme Court races will be very close and there may be an upset."

• "Carona will be defeated and Staples will make the Lt. Governor run-off with Dewhurst."

Our thanks to this week's participants: Gene Acuna, Jenny Aghamalian, Jennifer Ahrens, Victor Alcorta, Brandon Alderete, Clyde Alexander, George Allen, Jay Arnold, Dave Beckwith, Andrew Biar, Allen Blakemore, Tom Blanton, Chris Britton, Blaine Bull, David Cabrales, Lydia Camarillo, Kerry Cammack, Marc Campos, Thure Cannon, Snapper Carr, Corbin Casteel, William Chapman, Elna Christopher, Harold Cook, Beth Cubriel, Randy Cubriel, Curtis Culwell, Denise Davis, June Deadrick, Nora Del Bosque, Glenn Deshields, Holly DeShields, Tom Duffy, David Dunn, Richard Dyer, Jeff Eller, Jack Erskine, Gay Erwin, Wil Galloway, Dominic Giarratani, Bruce Gibson, Stephanie Gibson, Eric Glenn, Kinnan Golemon, Daniel Gonzalez, Jim Grace, John Greytok, Anthony Haley, Wayne Hamilton, Bill Hammond, John Heasley, Jim Henson, Ken Hodges, Steve Holzheauser, Deborah Ingersoll, Cal Jillson, Bill Jones, Mark Jones, Robert Jones, Lisa Kaufman, Robert Kepple, Richard Khouri, Tom Kleinworth, Dale Laine, Nick Lampson, Pete Laney, Bill Lauderback, James LeBas, Luke Legate, Leslie Lemon, Myra Leo, Ruben Longoria, Matt Mackowiak, Robert Miller, Steve Minick, Mike Moses, Keir Murray, Nelson Nease, Keats Norfleet, Pat Nugent, Sylvia Nugent, Todd Olsen, Nef Partida, Gardner Pate, Jerod Patterson, Robert Peeler, Bill Pewitt, Tom Phillips, Wayne Pierce, Richard Pineda, Allen Place, Gary Polland, Jay Propes, Patrick Reinhart, David Reynolds, Carl Richie, Grant Ruckel, Jason Sabo, Luis Saenz, Andy Sansom, Jim Sartwelle, Barbara Schlief, Bruce Scott, Robert Scott, Ben Sebree, Christopher Shields, Nancy Sims, Ed Small, Todd Smith, Larry Soward, Leonard Spearman, Dennis Speight, Jason Stanford, Bob Strauser, Colin Strother, Sherry Sylvester, Trey Trainor, Vicki Truitt, Corbin Van Arsdale, Ware Wendell, Ken Whalen, David White, Darren Whitehurst, Seth Winick, Peck Young, Angelo Zottarelli.