A hair-raising Texas governor's race?

 Hair could be the focal point of the race for Texas governor in the 2010 General Election. That is, such might ring true if Gov. Rick “Good Hair” Perry gets by U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in the Republican Primary and if whomever ends up running for the Democratic nod gets beaten by Houston Hair-care mogul Farouk Shami.

 Shami, who made millions producing the Chi hair-care line, is scheduled to announce his candidacy today in Houston for the Democratic Primary. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in a rags-to-riches life after coming to the states from Jordan.

 His ethnicity and support of some pro-Palestinian efforts have raised doubts about whether he has a chance especially in the wake of the Fort Hood shootings, allegedly by a Muslim Army psychiatrist from the Middle East. Of course, given Texas containing a little bit of the world inside its borders, Shami can always insist the Palestinian support that he doled out was given to people in Palestine, Texas. The East Texas city is about halfway between Dallas and Houston. It also is the hometown of the star Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.

 If anything comes up about any fiscal or other types of connections Shami might have in China, Italy or Paris, he’s got that covered too, what with cities bearing those names within the Texas state boundaries.

 Perry versus Shami for governor? Expect some hairy jokes.