Politics has never been an arena for the meek - just ask our two most recent presidents if you want proof.

Texas politics has never been the exception, and during the middle of the 20th century the state's dominant Democratic Party struggled with factionalism and division, predominantly between its conservative and liberal elements.

The collective war effort of the 1940s lessened some of the bitter in-fighting, but the end of the war once again ignited the intra party squabble.

During the 1946 governor's race, two sons of east Texas, Homer Rainey of Clarksville and Beauford Jester of Corsicana, faced off in an election that pitted the two ideologies against each other, and would also determine the course of Texas politics for the next three decades.

Homer Rainey, the man who carried the liberal banner, was a newcomer to politics. In another era, Rainey may have become someone Texans celebrated.

From humble beginnings in Clarksville, Rainey excelled in a number of endeavors; he was at various times a Baptist minister, a Texas League baseball star, and president of The University of Texas.

But during his tenure as university president, he became embroiled in a series of disputes with the board of regents over curiculum and the concept of academic freedom.

Eventually, the regents dismissed Rainey in 1944 and he turned to politics to further his ideas and philosophy.

Jester entered polities with a more conventional pedigree. Born in Corsicana, Jester's father was the state lieutenant governor for two terms in the 1890s, and he earned a law degree from The University of Texas in 1920.

Jester practiced law for a while in his home town, served on the UT board in the early 1930s, and became a railroad commissioner for five years. He entered the 1946 campaign as somewhat of a railroad commissioner for five years.

He entered the 1946 campaign as somewhat of a moderate, although his sympathies clearly rested much more with the conservative faction of the party.

Five major candidates entered the 1946 race and early a particular pattern emerged; Rainey and his "liberal" philosophy became the primary target of the other four, Rainey was castigated for supporting the continuation of the New Deal, encouraging moderation on racial issues, and contributing to the "moral decay" of Texas society.

Jester tended to allow the other three major candidates - Grover Sellers, Jerry Sadler, and John Lee Smith - carry the bulk of the Rainey attacks.

His strategy was to simply make a run-off with Rainey and use the natural advantage of the state's conservative voters to carry him to victory.

That is exactly what happened, although in not quite the fashion the pundist expected.

As the only "liberal" candidate in the race, most expected Rainey to lead the field in the first primary, but in an upset it was Jester who captured the most votes, with Rainey second and forcing a runoff.

Rainey faced the daunting task of changing the votes of people who probably voted as much against him as for other candidates. The inevitable result was a resounding victory for Corsicana's Jester.

Jester's victory changed the direction of Texas politics.

During the Great Depression and even into 1944, the state's progressive forces had effectively challenged conservative dominance.

A Rainey victory in the 1946 race would have perhaps signaled a political shift in Texas away from the state's typical southern conservatism.

Jester 's victory entrenched such ideas within the state, forcing the liberal forces to play "catch-up" for the next 20 to 30 years.

Jester would tragically die during his second term, but his even more conservative lieutenant governor, Allan Shivers, would rise to the governor's mansion and became perhaps the most powerful and influential governor in the state's history.

The liberal faction of the state's Democratic Party would continue to challenge conservative hegemony, but they were never able to truly seize power. The conservatives had effectively won the "war after the war."