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Reopened for Business
April 26, 2013 | 95 comments
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Bush and Boston
April 24, 2013 | 102 comments
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Dubya’s Reemergence
April 18, 2013 | 67 comments
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Lead Us Not Into Temptation
March 21, 2013 | 69 comments
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The Mean Old Gray Lady
March 31, 2012 | 3 comments
Campaign Crawlers
My Governor, Rick Perry
Do I want him to run for President?
They used to say, no way a Texas governor can compete for the presidency, not after George W. Bush. Then along came Rick Perry, and they started saying it again, but in a less assertive, less denigratory tone of voice; on account of how Gov. Perry has a quality about him that might….well, we’ll get to that.
We’ve got two questions here, essentially:
1) Could Perry plausibly reach out for the GOP’s presidential brass ring? Answer: Sure could.
2) Should he? Answer: I swear — speaking as a longtime Perry acquaintance and consistent Perry voter — I haven’t made up my mind. Not that my indecision appears to be stopping my governor from lapping up the media attention he’s received since communicating his newfound open-mindedness on the matter.
Rick might do it. His practiced political eye takes in the spectacle of opportunity for a principled conservative running against an overrated, especially by himself, liberal. He believes he has a story to tell — about the successful governor of a successful Southwestern state, whose ideals and principles are generally in tune with those of distressed but unwhipped-down middle America.
He didn’t tailor those ideals and principles for the occasion. I can’t recall my governor ever saying anything spectacularly different from what he says now concerning the value and virtues of limited government, the free market, love of America, and strong moral principles. Would he, for instance, promote tax increases, or pull a Weiner? To coincide, possibly, with a flying leap off the state Capitol dome. Otherwise: nope; no way. My governor seems to mean what he says — for many Republicans and independents, an immensely reassuring point.
A second strength my governor has is charisma. He’s tall, lean, and good-looking. And very, very male, in case you were wondering. He makes a good speech. Sometimes he drives the media a little goofy — which is something I like. Take what a CNN reporter calls his “infamous 2009 suggestion that Texas might secede…” Infamous, my hind foot. I will say this slowly, for the benefit of liberal mediacrats whose brain cells freeze up whenever they listen to Texas conservatives: The. Governor. Was. Being. Funny. Only Jon Stewart and what’s his name — the Minnesota senator — seem anymore to enjoy liberal permission to attempt humor. However often you read that Perry once threatened to take Texas out of the Union, put it down to classic liberal humorlessness.
Anyway Rick doesn’t back down or shy away. That’s another thing people like. I don’t say that in a national campaign the media might not manage to wring out of him some restatement of intent due to some off-the-cuff remark or other. I do contend he’d give as good as he got: while smiling, unlike a Democratic president we could name.
So, yes, he’d be a good candidate. Would he be the best candidate for conservatives? I’m not there yet, I confess.
We need not take the Bush-liability thing with profound gravity, it seems to me. For one thing, George W. Bush hasn’t looked better in a couple of years than he looks right now, against the backdrop of deepening national lugubriousness. The New York Times’ Matt Bai speculates that if Perry ran, “What the country would probably see is another Texas governor with the same Texan talk and Texan swagger” as Bush. I’m hornswoggled, after a lifetime in the state, if I understand what that Texan “talk” and “swagger” stuff means, though the New York Times will doubtless inform us when Pinch Sulzberger judges the time to be ripe. The salient point is that during rescue missions — e.g., the 2012 presidential campaign — the disposition of lifeboat passengers to parse the native accent of the Coast Guard captain is generally small.
A larger obstacle than “Texas” to Perry’s aspirations is that the Governor’s style — critical, a little combative — may not prove as right for the moment as a style that says, calm down, I can fix this thing, give me a chance. That’s the Mitch Daniels style, not the Perry style. True, Daniels isn’t running. All that I mean is, people who want their problems fixed — the economy reinvigorated, the national spirit revived — may want to be sure that behind the vigorous calls to action is the real prospect of action.
Texas, I say, is a successful state, having created 37 percent of the nation’s new jobs since the recovery (or whatever it is) got under way. But the formula for Texas’s success is complex — a combination of mineral resources, geographical diversity, easy access to the world, a large population, and a huge reservoir of, well, animal spirits, free and robust.
A Texas governor — and our governors, constitutionally speaking, are considered weak — doesn’t so much shape events as take the good things he finds and make them a little better, according to fixed principles. Which is what Rick Perry has done, generally speaking. Our longest-serving governor has been a very good one, it seems to me. Not perfect: good, which is good enough for most of us. Would his persona and policies travel well, from Atlantic to Pacific? That’s the question. It will just have to hang in the air a while longer, I’m afraid.
About the Author
William Murchison, a Dallas-based columnist for Creators Syndicate and author of Mortal Follies: Episcopalians and the Crisis of Mainline Christianity (Encounter Books), is completing a biography of John Dickinson..
drudge ette obama| 6.13.11 @ 6:33AM
Rick Perry and Rubio - now that's excitement. Wake up, old man Biden. Newt, scram. Your role isn't as president. It's as historian and political commentator.
Herman Cain - put him in there, somewhere. I like Pawlenty. Romney scared me a bit with the stupid global warming comments.
But face it - anything is better than the marxist duo with the never-ending ummms ...ummms
Michael Tomlinson| 6.13.11 @ 7:12AM
A Perry-Rubio ticket would be formidable. Herman Cain could go to Treasury and clean up the tax cheats mess.
Patzer| 6.13.11 @ 9:22AM
I like Herman for Commerce or possibly Labor.
notice| 6.14.11 @ 2:05AM
Aha! Is that the reason? My eureka moment: So the 'obvious losers' just hang in there intially in these races for the White House to schmooze up to the eventual winner, eh?
After all, being Secretary of Commerce or Treasury Secretary sure beats being unemployed. And...if you do those gigs right, well, no telling what Wall Street might reward you with later.
Is that why Huckabee wants back in?
Cosmo| 6.14.11 @ 4:07AM
AUSTIN, Texas — With the state facing a budget shortfall of at least $11 billion, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has spent almost $600,000 in public money during the past two years to live in a sprawling rental home in the hills above the capital, according to records obtained by The Associated Press.
Michael Tomlinson| 6.14.11 @ 4:15AM
We're paying for Michelle Obama political fundraisers. Talk about corruption.
Mrs. Vito| 9.3.11 @ 6:14PM
Not by choice. Next you'll say he set the fire to the governor's mansion himself...
LarryK| 6.13.11 @ 9:59AM
Romney scared you a BIT????
That guy is a Big government solutions guy in a RINO package.
As Jesse Jackson once said, "Stay out the RINO's"
W| 6.13.11 @ 10:37AM
Instead of Texas seceding, can we evict or throw out california, mass, vermont, illinois, michigan,etc
David| 6.13.11 @ 4:30PM
I live in Wisconsin. Oh, please, throw out Wisconsin, too. Before we go, we promise to give you Scott Walker, J. B. Van Hollen, the Fitzgerald brothers and the rest of the brain-dead Republicans in the legislature. Sheesh. Didn't you try that once already?
Dan Sudlik| 6.13.11 @ 7:43PM
I'd take Walker and all the Republican legislators in a New York minute instead of the Weiners, Rangles, Schumers and the rest of the New York D's we are stuck with due to brain dead liberal voters.
W| 6.13.11 @ 10:14PM
David, were you one of those union guys in the state capitol building that left a filthy mess requiring more tax money to clean it up?
David| 6.14.11 @ 12:42AM
No, I was an American exercising my Constitutional rights to petition the government for redress of grievances. Along with some 50-100 thousand other Americans pointing out what democracy looks like. You got a problem with that?
And as for the "mess," that was a Walker smokescreen. Sorry, guy, just not like it was described. I don't expect you to believe me but well, there it is.
Michael Tomlinson| 6.14.11 @ 4:16AM
Oh you're one of the people living off the hardwork of others. Got it!
David| 6.15.11 @ 5:30PM
Mikey, I'm afraid you'll have to have to ask for a return on that clairvoyancy degree you got by sending in the coupon from your comic book.
I don't live off the "hard work" of others. I will attempt a bit of prophesy of my own and figure that your taunt has to do with my alleged union membership? No, I don't currently belong to any union. No, I don't knee-jerk defend every union and its actions. Yes, I exercised my rights as an American. And none of the namecallers and lockstep idealogues who have responded here have dared to answer that.
W| 6.14.11 @ 10:30AM
So, David, the short answer is yes, you were one of the loud slobs, were you also one of the "zombies" that disrupted the award ceremony for the special Olympics?
David| 6.15.11 @ 5:26PM
Is it beyond your ability to stick to a topic and avoid the namecalling?
And you never answered the question - you got a problem with my exercise of my Constitutional rights?
Shefali | 6.14.11 @ 2:46PM
You have the right to peacefully protest. The voters have the right to vote for their choice. It's called freedom and even if I disagree with the outcome, I support the process.
It's like the Tea Party protests. Maybe I agree more with their ideology than with yours, but the principle is the same - people have the right to free speech, peaceful protest and also to vote.
Whether or not you agree with someone should not affect whether or not you support their rights.
David| 6.15.11 @ 5:31PM
thank you for addressing the issue instead of attacking my virility, my rights, or my state of mind.
RN in Houston| 6.15.11 @ 1:47PM
Hey David babe, guess what? This is the headline a few minutes ago from Pioneer Press:
"Wisconsin Supreme Court rules that Walker's union law can take effect". The union thugs loose big time! Do you want to send us the Wisconsin supremes as well?
David| 6.15.11 @ 6:03PM
Why is it that it's so completely predictable that a Texan would make such a ludicrous claim and make so many mistakes in so few words?
The situation is far more complex than that, RN. But I've come to also expect analysis and reflection equal to a bumper sticker on this site.
You assume:
1.) I'm in a union. I'm not currently a member of any union.
2.) "Thugs"? Let me introduce you to some sheriff's deputy and firefighter friends of mine and you can call them "thug" to their faces. Better yet, call some of the posters on this site the next time you need a fire put out. I'd make an inflammatory remark about "hot air" and "gas" not being conducive to putting out a fire but that's way too easy.
3.) Yes, that's what the Supreme Court ruled which is what I anticipated. I accept the rule of law. Do you?
4.) It was a one vote majority and that somehow lacks the shine of a "big time" loss. And that's loses, not "looses." Had non-union teachers in your past?
5.) Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson stridently dissented from the decision, citing the overtly political decision of several justices, especially David Prosser. Oops but it's a sacred precept of the Right that justices not fit any ideological category, isn't that so?
6.) Narrowly constructed, I can't disagree with the finding of the court. The way the suit was brought and argued, it had holes.
7.) This is only the opening salvo. Six GOP senators and 3 Democratic state senators are up for recall elections - an exercise in democracy that is limited to "home rule cities" in your state.
It's going to be an interesting summer.
Redstateboy| 6.13.11 @ 11:03AM
Perry/Pawlenty, Pawlenty/Perry, Perry/Cain, Pawlenty/Cain and it's Ba-bye Hussein.
Perry Looks Presidential. He HAS a track record. He's actually administered something! He's accomplished something.. unlike this Moron Hussein and his buffoon sidekick - Crazy Joe - who was picked Because he is a Buffoon.
Alan Brooks| 6.13.11 @ 11:38AM
Perry sounds too good to be POTUS.
Alan Brooks| 6.13.11 @ 11:39AM
...morality died in 1989.
Jack in Wi.| 6.14.11 @ 5:18AM
Bill Murchison is a great writer. I am a long time fan. The Texan who should get the nomination is Ron Paul. I watched the debate on CNN last night. Ron Paul was the intellectual giant of that debate. In fact he and his ideas are leading the debate on the right. The other candidates were taking their lead from him. For the Republican candidate to win this election, he will have to be Ron Paul or else sound like him. If Gov. Perry can do that convincingly he should run. The people are fed up with these wars and the all the money spent overseas. Bring the troops home and close up the bases. Slash government, close Departments, End the FED, and return fuctions to the states.
Shefali | 6.14.11 @ 2:51PM
I love Ron Paul. I think if voter actually got a chance to examine his positions in detail, then more of them would find they agree with him. Unfortunately, 30 second sound bites are not the best forum for Rep. Paul to explain his positions. They are sound, based on logic, but unfortunately positions based on rationality often take more time to explain. Whereas emotion-based slogans (such as "hope and change") are short and so dominate our ADD culture. That is why I think it unlikely Ron Paul will make the GOP nomination.
I live in Texas and my big problem with Ron Paul is that he has been in Congress vs. being a Governor. I think we need an experienced executive, even a weaker type, like the Texas Governor. So even though I don't agree 100% with any of the Governors or with Herman Cain, I'm leaning towards voting for one of them. I would be fine with a President Perry. Hopefully he would have Ron Paul as one of his advisers.
drudge ette obama| 6.13.11 @ 6:36AM
Cheers to the Democratic Party - the Party of Weiner. Next, he'll channel Lindsay Lohen, shoplifting body wax and camera batteries. Appearing in tight white at his dry cleaners. His wife, Huma will meet up with Tiger Woods, then become a commentator on MSNBC with Spitzer.
Teaghan| 6.13.11 @ 8:20AM
What a tacky and sordid mess.
Michael Tomlinson| 6.13.11 @ 6:43AM
Rather than continue to allow the Democrats or the ignorant to tell us about the Bush economy Republicans and conservatives need to embrace the facts and use them to show how badly Obama has done occupying the White House.
So what are the facts about the Bush Presidency before the Democrats took over Congress in 2007 and wrenched a booming economy off course. In the wake of the Clinton recession that began roughly 7 weeks after President Bush took office and the devastating 9/11 attack, America experienced 6 years of uninterrupted (a result of Clinton's failed policies and his apointee Jamie Gorelik) economic growth and a record 52 straight months of job creation that produced more than 8 million new jobs. During the Bush presidency, the unemployment rate averaged 5.3%. We saw labor-productivity gains that averaged 2.5 % annually — a rate that exceeds the averages of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Real after-tax income per capita increased by more than 11% and from 2000 to 2007, real GDP grew by more than 17 %, a gain of nearly $2.1 trillion. President Bush proposed policies that triggered the kind of sustained growth that saw the deficit fall to 1 % of GDP ($162 billion) by 2007.
The poverty rate has increased 8.3% under Obama. People living in poverty under President Bush numbered 39,800,000 under Obama it is now 43,600,000 or a 9.5% increase. The home ownership rate, which peaked at almost 70 percent during the Bush presidency, is now at 66.4 percent, the lowest since the late 1990s. Some housing experts are predicting the level could drop to that of the 1980s or even earlier. The national debt when President Bush left office in trillions of dollars was $10.627 under Obama it is now $14.052 or a 32.2%. In the last two years we have accumulated national debt at a rate more than 27 times as fast as during the rest of our entire nation's history. Real median household income under President Bush was $50,112 under the failed policies of Obama it is now $49,777 or a -0.7% decrease. Considering Obama’s abysmal record 48% of Americans think he’s driving the economic “car into the swamp of a Great Depression?”
Barack Obama would love to have the economic numbers of the supposed "failed" Bush administration.
Carol| 6.13.11 @ 6:46AM
I think Perry should run.
He isn't afraid to say to Obama what needs to be said.
He has lots of ammo and I think he can do it.
I so dread Obama will get another 4 years.
If he does, America is done. She may already be.
David| 6.13.11 @ 4:33PM
If America is done, then leave. Save yourself! Get out while the getting is good! Better yet, go with the idea of the South seceding (again). I think the remaining United States would be better off.
Shefali | 6.14.11 @ 2:57PM
LOL, the last time the South tried to secede, a war was fought and hundreds of thousands of young men were killed. (We also ended the evil of slavery.)
I don't think too many people seriously support secession right now, but if it could be managed without a war, it might be the best thing for this country, though much of the Midwest and some of the Libertarian-leaning Western states might prefer to align themselves with the South... I could see us with an India type of partition.
When the Brits partitioned India, they split off two Muslim nations, one on each side - Pakistan and East Pakistan (which became Bangladesh.) I could see the US splitting into three as well - a liberal East Coast, a liberal West Coast and perhaps upper-Midwest, and the rest of the country.
A better option might be simply to increase states' rights - allow the liberal states to become more liberal, the conservative ones to become more conservative and a few Libertarian ones thrown in for good measure. See what works. Or, celebrate our differences and diversity.
Hawker 1| 6.17.11 @ 12:37AM
Spoken like a real true liberal yanke.
JP| 6.13.11 @ 7:11AM
Here's what Gov Perry has going for him:
1)He's from Texas and not Illinois or New York
Here are his liabilities:
1)He looks like an actor who came out of the 1970s. He could play a doctor on the old series Medical Center, or he could have been in commericals for Hai Karate! .
2)He came out of the same state political culture as GW Bush Kay Bailey Hutchinson.
3)He is a mainstream Republican rather than a principled one (ie like Mitt Romney and Mitch Daniels).
Other than that I don't know much about him.
Teaghan| 6.13.11 @ 8:24AM
JP, I don't think Rick Perry is a mainstream Republican. He leans toward being a Tea Party Republican. Thank God for that.
loulou| 6.13.11 @ 10:52AM
Actually, Perry is more RINO than Tea Party. I wonder if he still supports the Trans Texas Corridor.
Alky| 6.13.11 @ 11:09AM
I think he's pro-amnesty like McCain & Bush.
darcy| 6.13.11 @ 11:12AM
And loulou, is it or is it not true that Perry signed into law a mandatory requirement for every public high school female to be vaccinated with Gardasil?
From on high, parents are stripped of their authority to determine what is best for their daughters -- if they attend state-run schools -- and the all-wise and all-powerful state decides for them.
Parental rights are under assault -- and Perry failed the test to protect them. He's persona non grata in my book!
JP| 6.13.11 @ 2:26PM
It sounds like Perry is a chip off the old W.
TexDoc | 6.13.11 @ 4:39PM
Correction, Darcy. He signed an executive order that was overturned by the legislature, and learned an important lesson - that most Texans are Libertatian-leaning conservatives. As an aside, the benefit to risk ratio of the HPV vaccine is potentially greater than any other currently mandated vaccine. However that decision should still be left up to the parents - not the state.
darcy| 6.13.11 @ 6:24PM
Thank you, TexDoc, for the clarification.
Shefali | 6.14.11 @ 3:06PM
Kids have been getting vaccines at school for decades. 30 years ago, when I went to primary school, I remember having to go to the doctor and getting my vaccines. That being said, it was still bone-headed of him to support this vaccine - but when the legislature overturned it, he didn't try to champion it but accepted the will of the people. There are a few other Perry gaffes.
In general, Perry has been more Tea Party than RINO, though. The reality is that there is NO candidate who is perfect. Romney, obviously, had Romneycare and global warming support. But every single one of the other governors has at least a few problem areas. Pawlenty at one point came out in favor of a health care mandate, I think, for example, and he's gotten a couple of low grades from the Cato Institute.
Perry's big strength is that he's presided over the nations' job creation engine. He got close to 40% Hispanic support here in Texas despite stating that he wants the feds to enforce our borders.
He's also an amazing political fighter. And the Bushes and Perry loathe each other. The Bushes backed Kay Bailey against Perry. Perry is much more consistently conservative than Bush.
Keith | 6.16.11 @ 11:32AM
The bill he signed had an option for parents to opt out of the vaccination program. The indications are that this vaccine could severely diminish the prospects for cancer later in life. But if you want your daughter to maintain that risk you can. Always read deeper into the issue, not the sound bite the propagandist media puts out.
Scrapette Jones| 6.16.11 @ 9:53PM
As one of those said parents of a daughter of said age in said state, I can 100% vouch for Keith's facts. I had the freedom to decide that choice for my child. Any intimation to the contrary is malicious falsehood and ignorance. Just so you know. And incidentally, I have voted for Perry as Gov. only once, in 2010, to send Obama a message. IOW, not exactly a Perry-backer, but I will be open-minded in considering his campaign entry should he make it.
MILITARYMOM| 6.18.11 @ 9:12PM
Oh, stop the hyperbole; parents had the right to "opt out" of the vaccine if they chose to...Gardasil has the potential to save thousands of young women's lives in a sexually permissive society, by protecting them from a virulent virus that can produce a range of terrible illnesses. I am a Master's prepared Registered Nurse and support the offering of the vaccine.
RUN, RICK RUN!!!!!
idalily| 6.13.11 @ 3:18PM
Perry a RINO? Really? Then why are all the conservative pundits saying Palin supports and respects Perry, and if he runs, she will not? So Palin supports RINO's? Hmm...
Hint: maybe he's really a pretty rock-solid conservative?
darcy| 6.13.11 @ 3:51PM
You mean like when she endorsed Carly Fiorina over the conservative Chuck DeVore in the CA senate Republican primary?
rodeoamy| 6.13.11 @ 8:32AM
And Br'er Rick played with the TARP baby.
Michael Tomlinson| 6.13.11 @ 7:17AM
JP at least he doesn't look like an aging black male gay prostitute married to a beard who understandably wants to avoid being with him at all costs, but is going to make sure she gets everything she can out of the marriage (high priced vacations, clothes, and swanky restaurants).
Tom| 6.13.11 @ 7:20AM
I'm open to considering Perry, but I've heard that he's weak on illegal aliens. True? If so, we don't need another John McAmnesty running ...
Sheila| 6.13.11 @ 10:19AM
True. Perry, like almost all politicians, tailors his comments to his audience (sorry Murchison, you're dead wrong here). I've voted for Perry and would consider doing so in future, but he is a former Democrat and has quite a few right-liberal underlying principles. He panders to Hispanics rather than the Americans who are his constitutional constituency. He talks tough to D'Won on the border, but refuses to truly fund or enforce the minimal controls already in place. He pushed the North American corridor and other supranational projects which diminish American sovereignty.
Of course, there does not exist a candidate today who is genuinely solid on the border, on rolling-back the "proposition nation" canard, and on the indisputable fact that demography is destiny, so they're all a poor bunch.
darcy| 6.13.11 @ 11:15AM
Bachmann? What about Bachmann, Sheila? Her interview with Stephen Moore recently was very impressive.
Scrapette Jones| 6.16.11 @ 9:58PM
Oh, really? Would you please do me a favor? Run up some good solid estimates of the cost to build a secure wall along the entire southern border, then also create a good sound estimate for the cost of rounding up all the illegals. Then add the two together. Then come up with some realistic ways we can fund that amount without any tax increases. That's when I reply, thought so (and I'm thinking, told you so). Opinions such as yours are not grounded in reality. John McCain's was.
Gary| 6.13.11 @ 7:59AM
I like him, but I don't fully trust him. Establishment Republicans vote right most of the time, but they have a bad habit of betraying conservatives on the really big issues. It's maddening.
But, if campaigns are won making an emotional connection with voters (good looks, good overall resume, etc.) we certainly need a good emotional connection to counter our first black president and all the fairy-tail BS he brings to the table. Unfortunately, good positions on the critical issues of the day usually take a back seat to all this theatrical stuff.
Intelligent Design| 6.13.11 @ 8:00AM
Governor Perry is the right man at the right time. He is 180 degrees away from Obama and the rest of the Demo-Socialists. Perry will connect with the average American voter. He will be super-appealing to Republicans, strong with independents, and will appeal to at least some Demos who recognize how disastrous Obama has been for the United States.
martin j smith| 6.13.11 @ 8:07AM
Let him go in the race and debate --and lets see what he really looks like when rivals rough him up and each other a bit--but not too much.
Melvin| 6.13.11 @ 8:12AM
"A second strength my governor has is charisma. He's tall, lean, and good-looking. And very, very male, in case you were wondering."
What in thunder does this have to do with a candidates run for political office?
Maybe I'm over analytical here, but haven't we got a bellyfull of the Romneyesque male model, gravitas, Brooks Brothers, Arman suit wearing thing yet.
"Perry is tall, lean, and good looking," So now we have to also answer, "Is Rick Perry Hot enough to be President?"
Talk about a society that has the Country's priorities ass-backwards.
We currently have an articulate, clean, good looking Black man in office who doesn't know his backside from a hole in the ground, and how some are looking for a clean, articulate, good looking White guy or girl.
This is why Sarah Palin's and Herman Cain's messages seem so foreign to many. They haven't heard a real political message in a very, very long time. Palin and Cain speak with the utmost sincerity and substance to get this Country back on track.
For years and years we have heard messages from political candidates that are developed by focus groups that target what particular group they are speaking to that day.
Barrack Obama is the epitome of this, he's a sock puppet, he speaks a message that was thought of by someone else.
Bottom line, I want the most ugly, meanest, ill fitting suit wearing SOB that we can find to run for President. What are we going to have with Perry and Romney, the battle of the Romanesque chins?
Jennifer| 6.13.11 @ 10:27PM
"A larger obstacle than "Texas" to Perry's aspirations is that the Governor's style -- critical, a little combative -- may not prove as right for the moment as a style that says, calm down, I can fix this thing, give me a chance. "
We don't need a "nice" guy in office. The left continually calls for "civility" in order to scare the GOP into submission. We need a guy who will fight.
Jennifer| 6.13.11 @ 10:29PM
This is also why I agree with you that Palin and Cain would be better candidates.
Derek Leaberry| 6.13.11 @ 8:37AM
Perry's misadventures regarding 1) attempting to force the Gardesil vaccine on the girls of Texas, 2) trying to ram the Trans-Texas corridor down the throats of Texans and 3) his disavowal of the Arizona illegal immigration law proves that he can not trusted to govern as a conservative. Like the Bushes, Perry is a corporate elitist Republican, nothing more.
Keith | 6.16.11 @ 11:45AM
In fact, Texas is on the verge of passing a 'no sanctuary cities' law that will be very similar to the Arizona law. While Perry was not the driving force behind it, he did have to put it on the agenda for a special legislative session. Now maybe he just heard me hollering, but nevertheless, he put it back on the agenda and it will pass. I give him credit for that. What we need is the Senate, then someone who will sign the bills. Perry would do that. I would prefer to have a real spokesman for true conservatism and constitutional government as well; but I'll take what I can get right now. Every one of these people are opportunist with the possible exception of Ron Paul. None were screaming about constitutional government in 2005.
Chuck| 6.13.11 @ 8:39AM
Rick Perry would mop up the floor with Global Warming Romney in the GOP primaries and win all the southern states in the general election. He's the man.
Redstateboy| 6.13.11 @ 11:33AM
Please tell me Perry doesn't believe in MMGW.. if he does we're done.. if we have ANY candidate who believes in that Nonsense then there's no difference between them and Hussein.. I'll stay home before I vote for anyone who'll side with Hussein on MMGW
WJ| 6.13.11 @ 8:43AM
Perry is an open borders Republican much like George Bush.
Don't forget his disgusting attempt to have all young girls in Texas vaccinated for HPV, basically a sexually transmitted disease. A pharmaceutical company bought him off in 2007 .
Despite what you might say about Bush jr looking better now, any attempt to put a W. clone at the head of the ticket will mean 4 more years of Obama.
Louis Jenkins| 6.13.11 @ 8:57AM
As mentioned above, Perry played with TARP money. Yes, he's clean and articulate, but I'd rather have a nuts and bolts guy. Enough of the pretty boys.
Indy| 6.13.11 @ 8:58AM
Is he a globalist? I read a comment from someone who claimed to be from Texas and said Perry was a globalist, if true, that concerns me. I will do my homework on Perry.
TURK| 6.13.11 @ 8:58AM
Establishment Republican? Establishment?? Wasn't that him being jumped on by Kay Hutchinson an avid rino; along with Reagans opponent Daddy Bush;Georgie and all the other country clubbers like Rove( all of whom torpedoed Herman Cains efforts in Georgia to join the Senate club)???
Gov Perry clobberred them in that primary fight kind of like Reagan did daddy back in '80. Picture ANY of the republican stars(Cain maybe) on a ticket with Perry. The Wash Post NY Times et al would have to pull out the stops to destroy him or it's bye bye BHO!
steve in Ohio| 6.13.11 @ 9:23AM
Certainly I want to find out more about Perry, but the fact that he ran to the right of Hutchinson doesn't convince me of his conservative credentials. He may have just been a smart politician. Remember how McCain made W look pretty good in the 2000 primaries? The establishment loves these contests where heads they win, tails conservatives lose.
Nunya| 6.13.11 @ 12:46PM
If you remember, McLame had LOTS of Democraps voting for him in the Republican primaries, which is the main reason Republicans in several states voted to have their primaries closed to non-Republican voters. The MSM kept tagging McLame as the "Maverick", and frankly I think he started to believe the hype. It explains a lot of why he went from a strong conservative early in his career, to a blithering idiot today....um, sorry....I mean a RINO.
Michael L. Hauschild| 6.13.11 @ 9:04AM
Mr. Perry used to be a democrat; he was Al Gore's state campaign manager in 1988. He "evolved;" so the Perrybots will have you believe. They are correct he, Spector, and the ilk of chameleons always "evolve," they stick their finger in the wind and "evolve" to assure they remain in power.
Another thing, why does anyone think that the ability to run Texas with its "demographic signature" translates into running the country? Or, why would Christy with his unique confrontational style, even though it is refreshing, play out on the national stage or with the entrenched aloof Senate? Besides, in his case the reforming is not going to save NJ; it is too little, too late.
AS, the RNC, and the MSM has thrown at us the dregs; cloaked liberals, park bench lothrios, mandate morons, and ex's of every liberal background and losing campaign, but this takes the cake - A former democrat that was Al Gore's campaign manager, obviously then a democrat because that is what it took to be in the power loop. My answer is the same; try again cause I ain't gonna vote for him either.
You people seem to be thrashing about trying to save some mythical country that does not exist anymore. It does not exist anymore for the simple reason that your smorgusboard of saviors stole it years ago. I want that real democracy back and I will not be foolish enough to place my trust or my very survival on those so inept that they let it slip away.
Chuck| 6.13.11 @ 10:00AM
Reagan was a former Democrat, supported the New Deal and Harry Truman then switched to the GOP and he turned out to be a great President.
W| 6.13.11 @ 10:35AM
He learned the errors of his youthful ways as a democrat, now he is a grown up and a republican.
Michael L. Hauschild| 6.13.11 @ 10:45AM
I ain't even gonna bother with you.
W| 6.13.11 @ 11:16AM
thanks
Jim G.| 6.13.11 @ 1:47PM
Maybe you should - in a fraction of the words you've used, they've made you look like an uninformed fool.
Michael L. Hauschild| 6.13.11 @ 3:49PM
I just read through all the posts, and the predominant themes are either outright no, last resort, or need to do some homework. I might use a lot of words, but "uninformed fool?" Hardly, Jim.
When you read my posts you will usually find, when, where, why, and who. Those are integral to an informed electorate discussing candidates, we are not allowed a "how" that is why we must very carefully vet who we choose. Do not dismiss discourse, unless of course it is the boilerplate crap you and W serve up. Chuck responded appropriately and I tried to address his premises which included my scorn and incredulity at a current candidate trying to achieve the Republican nomination with a history of actively campaigning as a democratic operative (Good Lord, Al Gore) at the pinnacle of Reagan’s conservative, patriotic achievements.
But I ramble, and you did read it.
Michael L. Hauschild| 6.13.11 @ 10:44AM
Did he "support" Reagan after Reagan became a Republican? (See Al Gore). At the pinnacle of the Reagan era, at the pinnacle or Republican economic mastery, at the very cusp of defeat of the Soviet empire, he was an avid democrat, supporting all things counterintuitive and all things progressive. Crawl back under your rock, compare Perry to Reagan, I scoff.
Big J| 6.13.11 @ 9:07AM
Rick Perry would make an excellent candidate and an excellent president. His record as governor speaks for itself, unlike Obama's (lack there of).
There are some issues I will have to choke on: HPV vaccination, Trans Texas Corridor and the coddling of Hispanics.
Aside from those, he has been a fantastic governor, and we down here in Texas are lucky to have him.
While it certainly should not matter what a candidate looks like as stated above, it does - that's just the cold hard truth.
Mitt Romney, a principled republican? Pahleeze!
Perry / Rubio 2012!
Ken in Tyler| 6.13.11 @ 9:31AM
Perry can win and would likely beat the sox off the organizer-in-chief. But this Texas Constitutionalist will work against him and in the event, not vote for him. Here's why:
The majority of Republican discussion these days seems centered on nominating a candidate who will win and "save the country". But as one who has seen Perry's backhanded dealing, thoughtless intrusion into family authority and utter contempt for the sanctity of our border, I'll say with certainty that, like Bush he may slow down the train to destruction but will not turn it around.
This whole attitude of comparison of one candidate to another which brought the author to the point of saying Bush looks pretty good now begs the question of whether or not we will once again make any attempt to restore our Constitutional Republic. Perry won't do it.
And the Constitution, ladies and gentlemen is the only standard that will save us from tyranny- soft or otherwise.
rendite| 6.14.11 @ 2:28AM
Ken in Tyler, thank you. I appreciate what you wrote above. We need to hear from Texans on Gov. Perry. I believe he will indeed throw his hat into this ring and roadshow to win the presidency.
It is not a hard calculation. With the economy in the dumps and people jobless, a mildly strong GOP candidate with a good final 4 months before November 2012 will beat Obama.
And....ta-da! A person is the US President. People like Perry crave that like an addict needs a lifetime supply.
The border issue is a big problem. Please keep an eye on this for us. I have been in the Texas south of San Antonio and felt distictly like an unwelcome foreigner that should leave (yet still 50-80 miles north of the border). Why a governor in a state like Texas shouldn't want to shut down the border NOW (crime, gangs, drugs, human trafficing, weapons trafficing, illegals, mules, terrorists...). What issue is more American than ENDING the presence of millions of illegals?
If Perry is all flaky on that, he's not the man for the job.
And: Perry came out against the Arizona legislature's law on IDing people during a crime stop/traffic violation?
LMajito| 6.13.11 @ 9:33AM
well i see y'all been reading newsclips of this guy and not really looked at what his politics have done to the consumers in the lone star state...let's see...
1. inked a deal with ibm transferring most of the it work to them...special clause...only folks with a texas address could work on that gig...many state workers were fired to let the ibmrs in...what did ibm did? put their lean program into practice and bring an army of south central asian folks that as soon as they arrived in austin and were registered at a local hotel, they had a texas address and thus qualified to work in the contract...however they were so inept that ultimated caused ibm to lose their primary status on this team for texas project...but in the process many genuine texans lost their jobs and are unemployed now years later...a real and competent leader would have required at least 12 months of proven residency in texas not just a texas address...but the pre-paid whore got paid for the latter clause...
2 real estate builders bought this political whore and changed the home buying rules so the folks wanting to buy real estate in texas lost their constitutional right to sue...now all goes to arbitration with the purchaser having to pony up $400/hr to have a judge so tainted (most of the ones selected for this task had contributions from the real estate lobby during their elections) that a consumer has no hope to win their claim...in the mean time the homes being built are so well below any standards that you have homes in dallas with bricks being dissolved by the rain...any consumer complaints about anything goes into the inbox of the ag abbott to never seen the light of day...
3. in medical care, damages were restricted to a maximum of $250k so the state in inundated with incompetent physicians (all appears to be from south asia) that put the patient through a battery of tests (raising one's medical costs considerable) mainly to their buddies at the labs and no real results...so health care is available to everyone(who has the pockets to pay for it...personally last year in premiums and co-pays alone paid $27.5k...
perry for president? not in you life...he is a political whore that will land nicely in dc, just different johns, but the republic still be lost to this type of administrations...
anybody who thinks perry is good for america, is a misguided soul...
Shefali | 6.14.11 @ 3:14PM
I actually thought tort reform was a good thing... and insurance rates are lower in Texas than most other states, we've had doctors moving into the state and leaving other states, so we face much shorter wait times... as far as your issue with South Asian doctors - most of my doctors are white, they still have me run a battery of tests. I think doctors just do that more now than they did 20 years ago.
John Navratil| 6.13.11 @ 9:41AM
Perry is the best governor we could have... when the alternative was Kay Bailey Hutchison or Bill White. He isn't unalloyed evil, but we can do better. As has been mentioned, he isn't immune to being "king", but let's not forget an important credit to him... the Bushes don't like him.
canuckistani| 6.13.11 @ 12:27PM
"the Bushes don't like him."
Sign me up!
Bob Grant| 6.13.11 @ 9:42AM
Being a multiple Rick Perry voter, let me add to his pro-con list:
Handling crisis' - Very Good. This criteria is rarely discussed but he performed well handling hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ike by coordinating inter-state as well as intra-state emergency response teams. He seems to be more proactive than other governors during similar events.
Cronyism - Very poor. This will be his biggest obstacle as the controversial Gardasil bill and Trans-Texas Corridor reflect government at it's worst, especially for conservatives and freedom-loving citizens.
Immigration - mixed. In-state tuition for illegals, bad. Guarding the border, so-so. Tough talk, very good.
Intangibles - Sincerity, questionable. Speaking ability, mixed. Debating skills, incomplete. Demeanor, mixed.
He might be effective if focuses on the right issues and shows his nimbleness on handling attacks. I say give it a shot Rick.
darcy| 6.13.11 @ 11:32AM
All I can say after reading your post, Mr. Grant, is that Perry is exactly the kind of Republican whose policies, once in office, will effuse progressive sentiments, and if criticized by "the base" will swiftly and loudly tell them to shut up and follow R. Reagan's 11th commandment: thou shall not challenge thy fellow Republican. In short, his presidency would take the wind out of the sails of the Tea Party movement, and we'd be worse off at the end of his term(s) than we were at the beginning.
Our country has NO time for dithering around with slow-death RINOs; it's sink or swim time. My household and yours owe >$500,000 as our part of the national debt. Entire federal departments must be dismantled, YESTERDAY. The Rural Council created last week by executive order needs to be CANCELLED.
We're about to be smothered. Perry is not the man to turn things around. He's a crony. He's part of the problem.
David| 6.14.11 @ 12:49AM
Hey bobbyboy, remember how you lectured me on racism on a different board here? Well, check out the post here and the description of Obama as the "twerpy little Marxist from Kenya." Seems I wasn't so far off the mark at all.
And since y'all are from Texas, why don't you take a page from your treacherous history and secede again?
Melvin| 6.13.11 @ 10:12AM
The hair is standing up on the back of my neck, in regards to Perry being a Globalist. This feeling is re-enforced by the posts stating his stances on policies and cronyism.
I have it up to my eyebrows with this Globalist crap, in which by outward appearance that Romney and Perry are akin to. Men who wish to be king. The Euro globalists will fight tooth and nail to make sure one of theirs gets elected.
One candidate for sure isn't a globalist and that man is Herman Cain.
Ore Gone| 6.13.11 @ 2:25PM
No matter what the rhetoric, I always come back to Herman Cain. I believe him to be an honest man and we need one of them more than anything else. Someone with morals and a conviction.
Ken (Old Texican)| 6.13.11 @ 10:40AM
Well, Bill,
One thought I have is that we are going to desperately need a President who can COMMAND the “bully pulpit”!
We are going to need a President who can by sheer force of character, turn our country around.
Before proceeding further, I commend you to this speech by Governor Perry:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbWz1RYGE3Q
To my knowledge, that afternoon, Governor Perry came of age. He demonstrated to me that afternoon that he has “grown a pair”.
I would be very happy to see Governor Perry in the Whitehouse….. BUT I’m also sort of selfish. We need him here in Texas…and in the national Governors’ Chair.
You know, I look around and see medical doctors moving here, (To Texas), in droves. Just one example of a decent government allowing prosperity to happen, in spite of vested interests trying to stack the deck.
People often forget that many of those doctors are merely “small businessmen and women”.
(Heh, you and I have done some business. We know a lot of the same folks.)
insanity | 6.13.11 @ 10:43AM
nice news
Casey Abell| 6.13.11 @ 10:44AM
No candidate's going to satisfy the conservative checklist on every issue...including the tax-raising, deficit-spending, Iran-arms-selling, immigration-amnesty-signing Reagan.
But would Perry carry virtually all the Republican and conservative-leaning independent vote against Obama? Oh sure. The question is his crossover appeal to liberal-leaning indies, where the election would be decided. If the GOP candidate peels off a significant piece of that vote, Barry is toast. Jimmy Carter toast. It won't even be close.
Perry could certainly get the nomination. He's widely acceptable to GOP voters. But is he the best candidate possible against Obama? I dunno, if the economy keeps stinking, almost anybody might beat Barry. But if Obama makes something of a comeback, I'm with my fellow Texan Mr. Murchison. Perry might not be the best challenger.
Tex Expatriate| 6.13.11 @ 12:35PM
Barry is toast anyhow, providing the Republicans will nominate a genuine conservative. Romney won't do. He's got (Pawlenty just coined this new term) ObamneyCare on his back. Santorum, Cain, Palin, Bachmann, and Guillani are all capable of steam-rolling the twerpy little Marxist from Kenya.
JimP| 6.13.11 @ 10:44AM
Perry was joking about Texas seceding? That just lowered him in my opinion. I'll double check Perry's comment to be sure Mr. Murchison isn't just shining on the Yankees, who get real upset when reminded of Southern independent mindedness.
Bush looking better? OK, but only in comparison to an outright communist. Lest we forget that it was 'W' that blew it and gave us Obama and the Dems, who merely doubled and tripled down on 'W's big government philosophy. No matter how long the Bushes reside in Texas, or any other state, their Northeast roots are always evident. Once a carpetbagger, always a carpetbagger I guess. All the Bushes since 'W's departure from office have done much to reveal themselves to be out of touch elitists oblivious of and insensitive to the damage they have caused the middle class tax payers.
Tex Expatriate| 6.13.11 @ 12:31PM
Me, too. I'd much prefer someone who stalked seriously about secession.
You're right about George W., too. He was a lousy president. I can think of only three things he did right as President, and I've forgotten two of them already. Bush was a liberal in conservative clothes.
Ole| 6.13.11 @ 11:24AM
Obama is a Chicago street fighter. Is Perry cut from the same cloth? It will take one to beat one.
Tex Expatriate| 6.13.11 @ 12:27PM
Obama is not a street fighter, definitely not. He's more the skinny little twerp hiding behind the street fighter, sucking up and kissing A for protection. At the right moment, he steps in front of everyone to look important and pretty soon people think he is important.
JohnC| 6.13.11 @ 11:38AM
Yes, Perry is a big time open border / free-trade globalist – part of the cheap-labor wing of the RINO party.
Lori | 6.13.11 @ 12:17PM
Great piece. My sentiments totally. It's one thing to govern your home state with passion & pride as a 5th generation Texan; it's something different all together to try to go clean up decades of an unconstitutional nightmare. I'm admittedly selfish right now. I want my Governor to stay home.
Tex Expatriate| 6.13.11 @ 12:55PM
Here's an addendum to the above. For a while could not place Mr. Murchison, but finally I did, recalling many of his newspaper columns that I thought, then anyhow, were far from conservative. That explains why this piece is so "airy" and insubstantial.
rendite| 6.14.11 @ 2:41AM
Strange that a competent? and professional? jourrnalist would call a sitting governor "My governor." Do they personally exchange hand-written Christmas cards? There were lines way too chummy in the above article from Murchison. Is he a media rapacious hound dog looking after the interests of the readership or an opportunist suck up?
My take: Murchison is the latter. Thus, one more article to completely disregard. Objectivity? Facts? Sound reasoning?
No.
Why do supposed journalists enjoy having "affairs' with the politicians?
Danny| 6.13.11 @ 1:24PM
On the Trans-Texas Corridor. I don't mind the concept so much as I loathe the toll roads throughout the state, which are completely unnecessary. I fear that Texas is becoming progressive along with the rest of the country.
steve in Ohio| 6.13.11 @ 12:37PM
Pawlenty looks better all the time. Being conservative (for the most part) in MN shows courage. In a state like Texas, it seems that Perry could have done alot more.
Storage Steve| 6.13.11 @ 1:32PM
Being from TX I have to agree. Perry is ok as gov because the state is conservative but he could have gotten a lot more done.
JimP| 6.13.11 @ 2:51PM
Yeah, but since T-Paw comes from a state that is a liberal bastion it is more likely that his brand of 'conservatism' leans more left than a typical conservative and that his newly demonstarted Reaganism is more talk than walk. We also need to define the term conservative. Lots of RINO/Rockefeller Repubs call themselves conservatives these days. They love to bask in the reflected greatness of Reagan and enjoy the added votes they get for posing as "Reagan footsoldiers". That doesn't mean they are actual conservatives. Recall that 'W' claimed/thought that he had destroyed/ended/abolished the conservative movement. Don't ask me how or why he thought he had done away with Goldwater/Reagan conservatives and the beliefs that so many millions of voters held before November 2000. But he did. Yet, there were all us Tea Partiers raising heck about TARP etc, etc. And NO Rick Santelli did not create the movement nor is his tv rant responsible for the movement. It did however give the movement a nice boost at a most beneficial time. I digress. Talking more conservative than Romney or 'W' or whomever and having a modestly conservative record doesn't make one a genuine conservative. Maybe T-Paw is all you seem to think, but he's an unproven quantity to those of us outside the Midwest and I don't plan to vote for him in the primaries.
Occam's Tool| 6.13.11 @ 1:02PM
Dear William,
"Texas Swagger," etc.---let me tell you what that consists of---Kinky Friedman's hat and seegars, the concept of a "National Beer of the State of Texas (Lonestar)," the map of Texas emblazoned on everything in Texas the way no other state I've lived in does it, "Billy Bob's," "It is impossible to be a Native Born Texan if one was merely born in Texas---your parents must have committed the act on the Sacred Soil."
That's what Texas Swagger's all about, Bill. G-d love 'em. I'm Chicago born and bred, but I graduated Magna Cum Laude in Biology from TCU, and snagged my MD 4 years later from UTMB.
Obviously, if Perry snags the nomination, I'm gonna vote for him, and possibly throw some money his way.
I'd prefer Bachmann to Pawlenty, but I'd vote for either one.
Seek| 6.13.11 @ 1:39PM
I like Herman Cain because his voice sounds just like Samuel L. Jackson. Nobody messes with Jackson. And nobody's going to mess with Cain.
Ore Gone| 6.13.11 @ 2:28PM
Go Herman!
JP| 6.13.11 @ 2:28PM
Perry would probably chose Lindsay Graham as his running mate.
Anommynous| 6.13.11 @ 3:31PM
No, I don't want a Mitch Daniels type who tells me to give up on the issues that are important to me. We've been burned too many times, and I don't see the Democrats giving up on any of their issues. When Republicans tell me things like this, it not only offends me but angers me.
David| 6.13.11 @ 4:14PM
Haven't Texas governors done enough damage to this country?
tonypal| 6.13.11 @ 5:58PM
As a conservative republican, I am willing to concede that LBJ was a lousy president. Anyone else?
David| 6.14.11 @ 12:51AM
Why do y'all think I wasn't referring to LBJ?
RCV| 6.14.11 @ 4:52PM
Because he wasn't a Texas governor?
rendite| 6.14.11 @ 2:45AM
As an American with a brain, I will agree that LBJ was a lousy human being.
W| 6.13.11 @ 10:19PM
Only LBJ who campaigned tht he would not send "American boys to fight a war that Asian boys should fight," and then sent over two million boys (not at one time), and about 60,000 got killed , and many more wounded. Is that the Texas governor you refer to?
tonypal| 6.13.11 @ 5:58PM
As a conservative republican, I am willing to concede that LBJ was a lousy president. Anyone else?
somnolence| 6.13.11 @ 6:09PM
It is still amusing to see all this "anyone but Sarah" syndrome causing RINOS and their sympathizers to trip all over their shoelaces. Keep trying to find that ONE candidate, bumblers.
Michael L. Hauschild| 6.13.11 @ 7:53PM
Anyone, as long as it is Sarah.
David| 6.14.11 @ 12:52AM
Oh, yes, PLEASE let Sarah Palin be the Republican standard bearer. It'll be a hoot to watch and achieve just the opposite of what Karl Rove sought: a permanent Democratic majority.
somnolence| 6.13.11 @ 6:18PM
I can tell that one person above that Rudy will never go over in the Midwest among all my acquaintances. They remember the photo op with him in the dress and lipstick and don't find it funny. Add that to his pro-choice positions and he is a non-starter.
Beats headphones | 6.13.11 @ 9:07PM
You may say summer is too hot for us, and we can not wear the jeans in this hot season. But look the movie, it’s the summer before the girls begin their senior year in high school, and all four have big summer plans. Four teenage girls in a clothing store, trying on things, kidding around, giggling. girls of four different sizes and shapes.
Maybe these jeans we can see at reality, for example the cheap true religion jeans is one of them. And just like this movie what makes them all want to try on the same pair of pre-owned jeans? And why are the jeans a perfect fit all four times? Because the jeans magically fit them all, so in the reality you need one jeans to fit you well, and the discount True Religion jeans maybe your first choice.
Nite| 6.13.11 @ 9:56PM
I lived in Texas for quite a few years and believe that Rick Perry would be an excellent candidate for President if he chooses to run. He would get my vote. Texas has also created more jobs than any state in the US, and the housing market did not crater there as bad as other states. Consequently, Perry has some credibility on these issues, much more so than the other candidates except Herman Cain. Maybe they could team up for a dream ticket.
rendite| 6.14.11 @ 2:51AM
Nite, might it be that the better current jobs situation has a lot more to do with factors other than Perry? I think so. Having a welcome home environment that welcomes businesses and keeps them is not achieved in 5-7 years.
I think that Perry is just benefitting from 1) circumstances, 2) timing. Oh, he'll try to bask in the credit. But the Texas advantages over places like Michigan, Illinois, New York, and California have more to do with many things prior to Perry.
somnolence| 6.13.11 @ 10:28PM
I recall my late father saying in 1980, when John Connally was being ceded by much of the MSM as one of THE viable candidates(to them, at least) that he had been burned once by a man from Texas(LBJ), and that wouldn't happen again. He didn't vote for the first President Bush in 1988(I did), preferring to sit out that election because "Bush isn't a conservative." So Reagan was the last man he voted for. I like Perry overall, but am aware of his glaring mistakes already noted on this page. I feel it is too soon in the wake of W's huge federal expenditures to sway the voters overall of a winning Perry candidacy, and Jeb Bush is certainly out of the question. God bless Texas, and I'm heading down there next week.
Bee Yond| 6.14.11 @ 1:25AM
---NOT the time for another round of capstone
EYE-cons.
Perry's a Bilderberg attendee, pusher of NAFTA,
and an obvious, bottomless 'biz nihilist' oppurtunist.
------------------------AND THAT'S HIS GOOD SIDE
Stephen Carlton| 6.15.11 @ 2:57AM
Rick Perry is like most Republican governors. They only talk tuff for the cameras.
http://nuesciencereview.com
DAN| 6.16.11 @ 4:54PM
GOVERNOR PERRY...
RUN GOVERNOR, P-L-E-A-S-E RUN!!!!!!
Arimathean | 6.19.11 @ 2:19PM
Please, give us anyone but that corrupt faux-conservative Perry. The media will avert their eyes to Democrat corruption, but if Perry gets the nomination they are sure to report on his use of public policy to benefit his big contributors. He could do serious damage to the credibility of the GOP.
Toni Iacono| 6.22.11 @ 3:35PM
I heard Govenor Perry speak for the first time this week - and I stopped dead in my tracks. No, not because of his good looks but because of what he was saying - we've been craving his sort of message since Ronald Reagan left office. I don't know anything about Govenor Perry's background or credentials, but he talks out loud about an America that can be vital and brilliant - a leader among nations. I remember how inspired I was hearing Ronald Reagan speak to the nation after 4 years of listening to Jimmy Carter tell us to turn out the lights and put on our sweaters to conserve energy. President Reagan gave me hope for a better tomorrow and made me proud to be an American. I would very much like to feel that way again.
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Fred Smith| 8.18.11 @ 6:13PM
Just what we need, another ignorant cowboy in the whitehouse who is anti-science and loves to blow stuff up. Yeeeeeeehawwwwww.