The Spectacle Blog
Texas Gov. Rick Perry is reportedly making a “last-ditch effort” to salvage his floundering presidential campaign with ads aimed at social conservative voters in Iowa. Perry has spent a million dollars on TV ads in Iowa, which holds its first-in-the-nation precinct caucuses on Jan. 3, and the two most recent ads have highlighted the Texan’s religious faith and social issues.
Wednesday, Perry began airing an Iowa ad in which he promises to “end Obama’s war on religion” and “fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage.” That ad sparked controversy because Perry mentions the recent repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, saying: “You don’t need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.” Yet Perry’s spokesman blunted the potential impact of that ad by disclaiming any intention by the candidate to reinstate the policy prohibiting open homosexuality in the armed services.
Michael O’Brien of NBC News described the Perry ads as “part of an emergent strategy … a last-ditch effort to revive his campaign,” and quoted Sarah Huckabee Sanders saying “that’s probably the only path he has left, to be honest.” Sanders is the daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the Iowa caucuses during his 2008 Republican presidential campaign.
Perry began his campaign with a high-profile “diss” of the Hawkeye State, choosing to announce his candidacy in South Carolina on the same day as the Iowa GOP straw poll in Ames. Republican sources in Iowa at that time told me that the Perry campaign had approached state GOP officials about participating in the Aug. 13 straw poll but evidently decided against it. Perry quickly vaulted to the front of the Republican pack - peaking at 31.8 percent in the Real Clear Politics national poll average on Sept. 12 - only to see his support collapse after a series of disastrous performances in televised debates. The Texan is currently in fifth place in the RCP average, with 7 percent, and the most recent Des Moines Register poll showed Perry with 6 percent among Iowa GOP voters, tied with former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, whose low-budget campaign has spent only a fraction of the millions spent by the Perry campaign.
Santorum, the only GOP candidate who has campaigned in all of Iowa’s 99 counties this year, could present a surprisingly formidable obstacle to Perry’s attempt to woo social conservative voters in the Hawkeye State. Santorum was endorsed last week by Sioux City Pastor Cary Gordon, an influential leader of evangelical Christians in the state. Santorum released newspaper ads in Iowa this week declaring “no surrender” on social issues. The decisions of five Republican candidates, including Perry, to boycott a Dec. 27 debate hosted by Donald Trump and NewsMax has resulted in a coup for Santorum, who is now set for a one-on-one showdown with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, the current Republican front-runner. Also, Santorum has picked up the endorsement of Iowa Secretary of State Mike Schultz, the Des Moines Register’s Jennifer Jacobs reported yesterday.
Meanwhile, as NBC’s O’Brien reported, the board of the Family Leader, a major Iowa social conservative organization, has been unable to reach a consensus over which candidate to back in the caucuses and may end up making no endorsement this year. The chairman of the Family Leader, Bob Vander Plaats, told NBC that while Perry had emphasized economic issues “when he was the front-runner … Now he’s getting back to square one, which is: Who is Rick Perry?”
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Sean| 12.9.11 @ 8:51AM
"Yet Perry's spokesman blunted the potential impact of that ad by disclaiming any intention by the candidate to reinstate the policy prohibiting open homosexuality in the armed services."
This is typical Perry. Anything that would be a big change against the status quo he will back off of because he is fake. He talks tough but doesn't walk. In Texas he backstabbed the movement to reign in the TSA.
Mender| 12.9.11 @ 10:53AM
Rick Perry's campaign is a joke, period. Banging on about DADT just makes him look nasty. And makes him look like he thinks that the number one threat to America is the possibility of Obama banning Christmas.
To be fair to him, he has at least realised that there isn't much you can do to bring back DADT once it was abolished.
"Squad, I want you to all forget what Private Baxter told you about his big day next Thursday..."
Ken (Old Texican)| 12.9.11 @ 9:00AM
I get so tired of you guys dissing my Governor. I bet youall hate Tim Tebow as well.
Ken (Old Texican)| 12.9.11 @ 8:17AM
Jay,
One thing Governor Perry is known for is perseverance. Persistence if you will. He jokes about trying to marry his wife for sixteen years.
There is a great tape of him visiting with Fox news on their website today.
See what you think.
Reply to this
Ken (Old Texican)| 12.9.11 @ 8:21AM
Jahttp://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/12/08/rick-perry-president-obama-and-war-on-christianity/y,
here is the link to Perry's visit with FOX
Ken (Old Texican)| 12.9.11 @ 9:03AM
Oh...by the way...Texas has more delegates than Iowa and New Hampshire...by a mile.
Robroberts| 12.9.11 @ 9:09AM
Why are people even talking about Perry and Santorum anymore? Their blatant bigotry and himophobia is a sure sign or desperation and panic, and is ironic given the rampant rumors surrounding these two nelly men.
Robroberts| 12.9.11 @ 9:10AM
Oops I meant "homophobia" but you know what I mean ...
Ken (Old Texican)| 12.9.11 @ 10:09AM
Well Robroberts,
I don't have an irrational fear of queers...as long as you guys leave my butt alone. (grin)
crazy| 12.9.11 @ 12:05PM
This ad doesn't have to produce a win in Iowa it just has to keep the campaign alive until the spring.
petmehuman| 12.9.11 @ 1:02PM
Why does the other McCain dislike Perry so much? This article has today's date, but McCain cites the DMR, which is the oldest poll in the RCP average (where, btw, Perry is at 9.2% and 4th place, while Santorum is in 6th place.)
Santorum may be more socially conservative than Perry - not sure - but as a former senator who lost his last race by a huge margin, he has no chance in this race. Zilch. Plus I don't think it's a positive to debate Gingrich at the Trump debate - waaaaay too much reality TV aspect there.
bobmontgomery| 12.9.11 @ 1:17PM
Hmmm. "NBC says this. NBC says that. NBC....NBC....NBC." Yup, let's go 'mainstream' why don't we? Are you sure which McCain you are today, Stacy? We seem to have something of a little "Stop Rick Perry" attitude going in the Specblogs today, which may mean, reading between the lines, that the 'last ditch' effort may not be so 'last ditch'.
JGwen| 12.9.11 @ 4:28PM
To successfully access the "Ken (Old Texican)| 12.9.11 @ 8:21AM's" URL eliminate the initial "Ja" and the ending "/y". It is an excellent eye opening article!
From my perspective, the Governor's ad brought out the issue that I am now expected to "appreciate and countenance "open expression of sexual behavior. This would, as of the latest vote, seem to include such in public activities as kissing, fondling, and possibly as far as engaging in sexual activities between humans who are of a homosexual persuasion and humans who fancy animals. My preference is that such activities, irrespective of sexual persuasion, be consensual and privately pursued.
On the other hand I have no problem with public displays of Christmas, Easter, or Hannukah. Displays of the Ten Commandments should be acceptable, including in Court buildings.
A point is that if one "open expression" is now ruled to be acceptable in public, the other should be as well.
I would welcome any candidate's assurances that they would foster concern with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles.
We experience all too little of this in our society today.