Legacy MattersFunny, feisty and tart, Ann Richards, former governor of Texas, died at her home in Austin of esohageal cancer, age 73.
What most non-Texans remember about her is the keynote speech she gave at the 1988 Democratic convention, "Poor George," she said of Bush 41, "He can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth."
Washington Post obituary
Said Anna Quindlen after the speech,
"She was nobody's fool, She made them listen and she made them listen good, with precisely those qualities that we often try to iron out of politicians in general and female politicians in particular: a sense of fun, irreverence and general cussedness."
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Smart and sassy, with a homespun charm that often disarmed her political foes, she was making a name for herself across Texas, but her personal life was in shambles. Her political involvement put a strain on her marriage, which ended in divorce, and she began drinking heavily. Her friends eventually forced her into rehabilitation, and she credited their intervention with saving her life and her political career.
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In 1982, in a Democratic sweep of top offices, she was elected state treasurer. Receiving the most votes of any statewide candidate, she became the first woman elected to statewide office in Texas in 50 years.