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Benghazi Whistleblowers Expose Lies
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The Spectacle Blog
I voted for Rick Perry in the CPAC presidential straw poll. Few others did. But he’s made a strong conservative name for himself in recent months by holding out against the Medicaid expansion in the great state of Texas, and criticizing fellow Republican governors whom he said have “folded in the face of federal bribery.”
Perry’s campaign for president in 2012 was “a slow-motion train wreck,” but Republicans haven’t written him off for 2016 quite yet. The Lone Star State under his direction is a model of fiscal responsibility, and he’s called for a plan that would change the Texas constitution and allow the state to refund unspent revenues directly to taxpayers.
Gov. Perry is a champion of Second Amendment rights, traditional marriage, and is a harsh critic of entitlement programs. His stance on immigration reform is being adopted by the likes of Rand Paul and Marco Rubio, and his support from Hispanics is much better than most Republicans.
Perry is a weathered veteran of politics. If he runs and wins re-election in 2014, it would be his fourth term as governor. He’s a fifth-generation Texan and a former Air Force pilot. Plus, if he decides to run, we could see more ads like this one.
View all comments (19) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Teresa Mull
http://spectator.org/blog/2013/03/21/president-perry-2016
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Butch| 3.21.13 @ 5:20PM
Miss Mull (Mrs.?), you show all the makings of a full-spectrum conservative. I am one of those, too, and I also believe, even now, even after the 2012 campaign, that Perry is our best hope for 2016. You outlined his full-spectrum conservative bona fides, and I can assure you he is a fearless campaigner who will go for his opponent's jugular.
CJW| 3.22.13 @ 8:21AM
I was impressed with Gov Perry, but he should have been better prepared for the debates. Unfortunately in the TV era one small error is magnified and repeated. He has a good resume and I hope he runs again in 2016. The field is wide open, and it would be good to have a full debate on Obamacare, amnesty, taxes, etc.
Dai Alanye | 3.22.13 @ 10:20AM
Perry? Heaven forfend.
C Bowen | 3.21.13 @ 5:25PM
The size of the debt in Texas should have you reconsider the "fiscal responsibility" thing, and I am not sure Governor Gardisil can do enough to not look like a Corporate crony with his Amnesty support, but he is a formidable personality no doubt.
Big Java| 3.21.13 @ 9:23PM
What debt?
Big Java| 3.21.13 @ 9:27PM
Sorry, looked it up.
JGwen| 3.21.13 @ 6:08PM
Governor Perry has a long history of successful governance. Texas is one of the most successful states in the Nation. I agree with Ms. Mull's assessment of the Governor. With him as President, our rising stars could take the helm of some of our most toxic bureaucracies turning them around and cutting their teeth with support of a successful conservative presidency. They would then be better prepared to take on a Presidency of their own. I don't think we have a more capable and prepared candidate in the field!
Sean| 3.22.13 @ 7:03AM
Texas would be a successful state without Perry. It was successful under Bush also and his Presidency was a disaster. No pro amnesty big government globalist candidates for me.
Occam's Tool| 3.21.13 @ 7:09PM
Perhaps we should stop focusing on what a Candidate says, and how nicely manicured his soundbites are, and look at what he accomplishes.
The best run State in the USA is Texas. The greatest job creation is in Texas. The least expensive superb educational institutions are in Texas. (Check the difference in cost between UTMB and U of Minnesota some time)
My favorite ex-girlfriends were from Texas.
Perry would make a fine El Presidente.
JimH| 3.22.13 @ 7:56AM
While not as photogenic or as quick with a sound bite as Perry, I suggest that Bobby Jindal, given what he had to start with, may be the best governor. One of the best things Texas has going for it these days is the disaster in California.
Tafuna| 3.21.13 @ 8:09PM
I supported Perry's campaign financially as I thought he was are very best hope to win the presidency in 2012. Once he was out of the race our odds to win went down quite a bit, and so it proved.
Perry jumped into the race without too much thought and not enough preparation. I hope he runs again in 2016 but this time begins planning for his run long in advance.
fmm| 3.21.13 @ 9:19PM
Just wondering if any of the above commentors paid attention to the last presidential primary campaign? Perry was an utter disaster. Why? Maybe he really wasn't interested.
Jack in Wi| 3.21.13 @ 10:47PM
Perry was an inarticulate disaster. He made GWBush and Romney look like Churchill as orators.
Dimitry_Aleksandrovich| 3.21.13 @ 11:27PM
I strongly believe that the Republican candidate who abandons the hawkish foreign policy and a return to Constitutionally principled "republicanism" while breaking from free trade Orthodoxy to promote an America first economic policy would win 2016 by a considerable margin. A Republican truce with organized labor wouldn't hurt as well as there were scores Republican union members across this country who no doubt left the party in the wake of the GOP's assault on organized labor. The rows over forcing religious institutions to fund contraceptives and Democratic gun control initiatives is a good opportunity to bring those blue collar conservatives back into the fold, but it would require compromise on the part of the hardline anti-labor forces in the GOP.
Dimitry_Aleksandrovich| 3.21.13 @ 11:28PM
I meant to say "promotes a return to Constitutionally principled republicanism".
Wizard| 3.22.13 @ 8:48AM
I have to disagree. Cozying up to unions isn't going to gain the Reps anything. I know a few Republican union members, and they all despise the union leadership. None of them were terribly upset about the supposed "assault". Besides, private sector unions are all but irrelevant these days anyway. The real power and money is with public sector unions. The only way they will ever support Republicans is if the Reps promise to keep shoveling more taxpayers' money into their troughs. With Reps like that, who needs Dems?
Oh, and the last thing we need to do is abandon free trade. Protectionist policies do nothing except enrich a favor few at the expense of the many.
Dimitry_Aleksandrovich| 3.22.13 @ 11:42AM
Wizard if the Republicans don't appeal to American populism then they will be doomed to lose in election after election. Anger with BHO might win the Republicans the White House in 2016 but if they keep the same line they now espouse they will lose the congress in 2018.
Podesta| 3.22.13 @ 4:14AM
Actually, Texas has one of the highest levels of poverty in the U.S.
"AUSTIN — The number of Texans living in poverty jumped to more than 4.6 million last year, an increase of nearly 9 percent, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday.
For the second consecutive year, Texas’ poverty rate grew — to 18.4 percent, well above the national average of 15.1 percent.
Texas’ rate was sixth-highest among the states last year, trailing only Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Arizona and New Mexico. Texas also ranked sixth in poverty in 2008 and 2009.
Once again, Texas led all states in the share of its population that lacks health insurance, at 24.6 percent. The national uninsured rate is 16.3 percent."
http://dallasne.ws/oAVEuE
Wages?
"Per capita money income in the past 12 months (2011 dollars), 2007-2011 = $25,548" for Texas."
http://1.usa.gov/tvXo4
That's about half of the national median income.
Facts like these make it impossible for Gov. Perry to be a viable national candidate. His lock on the governor's office in Texas is because of two factors mainly: (1) There are no limits on campaign donations, so a few very wealthy donors can maintain their candidate in office, and (2) Gerrymandering and illicit us of campaign funds. The latter led to Tom DeLay becoming a convicted felon.
If the Right is going to become competitive in the future it must come up with better candidates for national office than this.
JGwen| 3.22.13 @ 9:59AM
While Governor Perry, in and of his personal actions as Governor, may not be solely responsible for Texas Successes ... his leadership in cooperation with the legislature, Texas bureaucracies and the Business Communities has achieved:
Business Facilities magazine has again named Texas its State of the Year, citing the aggressive economic development strategies that have helped attract jobs and investment
The WSJ reported - Over the past decade, Texas alone has added 180,000 mostly high-paying energy-related jobs.
Area Development Magazine named Texas the top state to do business -The award is given to the state that most exemplifies industrial competitiveness related to its business environment, labor climate, infrastructure and global access and economy.
See recent news & kudos received:
http://governor.state.tx.us/
http://governor.state.tx.us/texas_brags/
Governor Perry will get my support and vote if he does decide to run!