​Here at Hair Balls, we like to scientifically sift through mountains of poll data, do extensive focus-group interviews, and examine voting trends dating back to the 1960s before making any bold predictions.

This one time, as Michael Corleone would say, we are willing to make an exception.

Our bold prediction: Houston businessman Farouk Shami will not be the next governor of Texas.

Shami, a multi-millionaire who owns a hair-products business, has announced that he's in it to win it and will spend $10 million of his own money to win the Democratic primary for governor in 2010.

We're not saying he won't win the primary; his opponents are lackluster and short of cash, and if there's anything Texas Democrats enjoy doing, it's shooting themselves in the foot on the state level.
Nominating a guy named Farouk Shami would be right up their alley.

How bad is it? Here's the last paragraph of the Associated Press report on the announcement:
 

Others seeking the Democratic nomination include former U.S. ambassador Tom Schieffer, therapist Mark Thompson, humorist Kinky Friedman and rancher Hank Gilbert.

Well done keeping a straight face, AP.

At least if Shami wins we can get to enjoy all sorts of jokes about hair-care and its relation to Rick Perry. We just can't get enough of those.