More than 20 years ago as one of the most conservative Democrats in Texas.
Reagan voted for Roosevelt and was Democrat until 1962. He worked out pretty well as President.
Actually Reagan campaigned for Nixon in 1960 because he thought Kennedy was too liberal. And, the Democratic Party of JFK was far less liberal than the Democratic Party of the late 1980s. Also, Reagan's switch occurred six years before he ran for public office. It wasn't like he was an opportunist who saw that everyone in the state getting elected to statewide office was a Republican.
Nice try, but there is nothing in Perry’s resume’ to suggest that he is anything but a political opportunist. His core values were those of the liberal democrat party (not a more conservative Kennedyesque democrat party) until he saw that the political future in Texas was not Yarborough liberalism but Republican conservatism.
His stand on amnesty indicates that he has not had a true conversion, but is just trying to please voting constituencies, like in Texas the service industry and the hispanic vote.
He can drop the jobs created line too. Governments do not create jobs - they can only destroy them. Left alone the American people and economy will create wealth and prosperity. That is why Reagan was so successful - he didn’t create government programs - he got government out of the way.
BIG DIFFERENCE.