Rick Perry stumps in the Bible Belt

CBS News ^ | September 14, 2011 | Naureen Khan

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Lynchburg, VA -- Stepping up efforts to consolidate his support among evangelical Christian conservatives, Texas Gov. Rick Perry took his campaign to the heart of the Bible Belt at Liberty University, where he strayed from his conventional stump speech and delivered what sounded more like a Sunday sermon than a political pitch.

[snip]

Perry made light of his academic struggles, joking that he was in the top 10 of a high school graduating class of 13. After attending Texas A&M and doing a stint in the Air Force as a pilot, Perry said went through a period in which he questioned the purpose of his life, he said, and that his journey brought him to God. His speech was peppered with references to scripture.

"I wasn't one of those people who knew at the age of 12 that he wanted to be a doctor or lawyer or for that matter, a governor or a president," Perry said. "I spent many a night pondering my purpose, talking to God and wondering what to do with this one life among the billions that were on the planet. ... My faith journey is not the story of someone who turned to God because I wanted to. It is because I had nowhere else to turn." He said he believes, "America is going to be guided by some set of values. The question is, whose values? ... I would suggest that most of the people in this audience believe it should be those Christian values that this country was based upon. "

His speech, one of the longest and by far the most personal he has delivered since he got into the race for the GOP nomination a month ago, also included the standard call to arms for young people to engage in political affairs. "You are the generation that grew up in the shadow of 9-11. Now your duty is to make the most of the life you've been given," Perry said. " ... Don't leave it to a bunch of Washington politicians to tell you how to live your life. This is your future that we're debating today. Don't be silent."

[snip]

Jerry Falwell Jr., the founder's son and the school's chancellor, stopped short of endorsing Perry, but showered him with praise, applauded his record as a social and fiscal conservative in Texas, and even compared him to former President Ronald Reagan. "Thirty years ago this fall, as a Liberty freshman, I sat here mesmerized as a conservative governor from a large state told a much smaller convocation gathered about his vision of America," he said. "Ronald Reagan was that governor and he was selected president soon thereafter, and over the following eight years, he returned America to prominence and prosperity and became one of the greatest presidents in the history of America.

"I have a feeling today that history is about to repeat itself."

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Perry has huge lead in North Carolina and West Virginia

Perry Lassos Old Dominion, Cozies Up to McDonnell (rousing standing ovation)

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Liberty University September 14, 2011

The Republican Party of Virginia's luncheon featuring Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and Texas Gov. Rick Perry - September 14, 2011

[shield]

Perry Ping....

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[normy]

After palin’s remarks about Perry on Greta I have a renewed sense of fight in me! Go rick

[ken21]

bump.

[Retired Greyhound]

One of these candidates should just follow Obama around on the jobs tour.

[3Fingas]

OK. If Perry somehow wins the nomination, I will vote for him. For that matter, I will vote for just about anyone else but Obama. Having said that, Rick Perry is slipping. Everyone in Texas knows that he's pretty good with stump speeches. However, he is gonna have to get much better at debating. Obama is better at that than some people on FR would concede. Also, Perry had better rethink some of his previously-held positions/pronouncements on immigration and social security. His performance in the last debate was weak, weak, weak.

It's very sad that he is further to the left on immigration enforcement than all those Yankees running against him. As a transplanted defector from Yankee-land, I know you can successfully debate liberals and milk-toast Republicans on a number of areas that they often successfully demagog. It just takes solid rhetoric and sound logic, both of which, to date, Rick Perry has not successfully employed.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I guess I should go watch it.

[TexasFreeper2009]

listen, it’s pretty hard to win a debate when 7 others and 2 or 3 moderators are attacking you from the left and the right on every single question.

I have never seen a single debate where everyone on every question attacked one person with the help of the moderators, except these debates with Perry.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

........It's very sad that he is further to the left on immigration enforcement than all those Yankees running against him. ........

Think about what you wrote. Now, think how easy it is for those in the peanut gallery to toss out their opinions and "convictions" when they have not had lived on the front lines for decades.

Just something for everyone to mull around a bit.

Maybe he's where reality is and they're just making illogical but political points.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/on-the-record/index.html#/v/1156448276001/palin-vs-crony-capitalism/?playlist_id=86925

Starting to hear her go after him now, like it was rehearsed with Bachmann (6:00) on the slide dial of the interview.

I wonder what an interview today with her today would sound like.

Non stop talking (like she’s filling in the blanks for Bachmann).

Greta is asking another question....but wait.....

She has to return to finish her point! Oh my “I would never do that in Alaska!” Now she’s really digging in...and patting herself on the back while twisting the knife.

Non-stop talking.

And she’s getting a kick out of giving a speech and watching the other candidates talking about what she’s talking about and maybe that’s her role and maybe she’ll just keep doing that. And the media is not going to dictate to her a drop-dead date..................and more and more so SHE can get on with HER life. ......and more......and more.....

Up comes Bachmann.......I heard this already — I think everyone has.

[3Fingas]

I have lived more than half my life south of the Mason-Dixon line. I have lived in the border states of California and Texas. I have lived in Texas for more than a decade. I speak Spanish fluently and interact daily with many Americans of Mexican ancestry. I am not tossing out an uninformed opinion. I realize the complexity of the immigration issue. I also have voted for Rick Perry in the last couple of elections.

The reality is, although I like many things about the man and I wholeheartedly agree with many of his actions as Governor, he is completely wrong on "in-state tuition" for illegals and he is largely wrong on the efficacy of a border fence. In both cases, it's not his occasional problem of being less than articulate, but the substance of his stance on both issues.

He is wrong on in-state tuition for illegals because it is wrong to reward illegal behavior. You could argue that it's not the kids' fault and I would have some sympathy there, but until these kids of illegal immigrants become legalized, I don't think they should be entitled to get any benefits meant for legal residents of Texas and funded by said legal residents.

On the fence issue, he argues that a fence would be effective because of topography and what we really need is "more boots on the ground". Right on the latter part, wrong on the former. Everywhere along the border where fences have been placed they either lessened the flow of illegal aliens or caused them to enter somewhere else unprotected. Logically, if we erect more suitable fencing it will make entry into this country more difficult and thus deter more people from entering the country. It's pretty logical when you think of it. Oh, by the way, Rick Perry is absolutely right about one thing. All of this, the fencing, the border patrol, etc. is a federal responsibility, of which, it is doing a terrible job.

[CharlesWayneCT]

CBS simply cannot fathom that a guy might actually go to a religious university and talk about the subject of religion instead of campaigning.

[3Fingas]

Fellow Texian

I agree that the debates have been heavily stacked against him. It also irritates me that the Republicans are spending more time attacking him than they are against the real enemies, this current President and his America-destruction party.

Nevertheless, Rick Perry must deal with the cards he has been dealt (not the 4 aces that Romney alluded to but the pair of deuces he has been given for these debates). He had a very positive roll-out to his candidacy, but he has stumbled during these debates. He needs to bring his "A-game" or start doing some extra debate prep "Debating 101".

He now knows what the line of attack will be from his fellow repubs, "He's a crony capitalist - re: Merck contributions", "he's thoughtless on social security -- Ponzi Scheme...monstrous lie", "he's weak on immigration", and, who can forget "he forces little girls to take Guardasil". Despite what you or I think about his positions/actions on any these questions, he needs to formulate a good response" I am saying this as a political ally (for the most part). The Governor needs to improve or his standing will erode.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Perry didn’t mention ANY of the other candidates at the RPV speech today, and so far as I can tell hasn’t said anything about Sarah Palin since what some have claimed was an attack by her on him.

Perry did indirectly reference Mitt Romney, saying we needed a candidate who contrasted with democrats.

It was a fun event. Perry is no Palin when it comes to speaking, but he was very well-received. The media was clearly there hoping McDonnell would make news, but Bob has said he won’t think about endorsing until after our november elections.

For those who don’t know — Virginia has off-year state elections, and we are trying to take back our state senate, and defend our house seats. It’s a big push. Bob and Rick are friends, and Rick offered to come help us raise money a few months ago before he decided to run for President.(Bob found out he was doing the Liberty University speech — which ALSO was scheduled before he was running for President apparently.)

McDonnell thanked him for still coming out — we had over 1000 people at the event.

Bob McDonnell gets mentioned as a VP possibility. It makes sense — he’d have finished his 3rd of 4 years, and in Virginia governors are term-limited.

[Texan]

border fence

I respectfully completely disagree with your opinion that Texas needs to build a "complete" border fence. There is already strategic fencing in populated areas. During a time of cuts, Texas as doubled the budget on border security.

A complete fence is not cost effective and as a tax payer, I don't want to pay for it.

Where would you propose we build it? In the middle of the Rio Grande River? If you build it on our side aren't you for all practical purposes giving our half of the river to Mexico?

A sizeable portion of land would have to be condemned (with the resulting lawsuits) for almost 1200 miles of Texas border. A fence would also cut off landowners from irrigation and livestock water.

And I'd hate to even guess what it would cost to build a fence in the rugged terrain of Big Bend. Transportation cost alone would be astronomical.

Check out some of the videos on uTube of illegals scaling the AZ fence. There is one of two women w/o a ladder getting over it in 18 seconds.

As another poster said, "a border fence is only a speed bump unless you're prepared to use deadly force once they hit the ground". I don't see our country ever doing that. Perry is right. Technology and boots on the ground is a better answer.

And realistically, not one candidate or non candidate (Palin) has or will advocate mass deportations. Ike was the last one who attempted it (Operation Wetback) and deported a little over a million.

[3Fingas]

I never said that we need a full border fence, just that we need more of it than we have now. I disagree that more fencing will not deter people from illegally entering this country. If this was not the case, we should just remove all those checkpoints we have now.

As for the costs, this is a federal responsibility. The federal government should be more worried about protecting our country and less about nation-building in countries where they hate us no matter how much money we give them. I fault the federal government for allowing this problem to get out of hand not Rick Perry or any other border-state politician. However, you do have some good points about litigation and practicality -- this much I will agree.

[TexasFreeper2009]

Very fair assessment, and I agree completely.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

CBS simply cannot fathom that a guy might actually go to a religious university and talk about the subject of religion instead of campaigning.

I noticed that -- this morning's headlines and "commentary" are how he didn't talk jobs but reverted back to the Christian line.

He was, after all, giving the convocation at Liberty University [C-Span video]

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Thanks for the info.

I also read that there was a huge press presence.