[Phat Mack]

It wasn't brought up in the last campaign, at least as far as I know, but the governership of Texas is largely a ceremonial position. It's primary duties consist of giving speeches at the openings of new legislatures and new shopping malls.

This is so because early in the last century the governor was caught selling pardons. The first act of the legislature was to set up a Board of Pardons and Paroles, removing that power from the governor. Bush was attacked for the number of executions in Texas, but he never explained that he had virtually nothing to do with them. I guess he didn't want people wonder about what it was, exactly, that he did do. (Eventually, most of the governor's powers were given to boards or to the most powerful politician, the Lt. Governor.)