Posted on 07/23/2011 1:57:55 PM PDT by AmericaTalks
There has been much buzz about the possibility that Texas Governor Rick Perry will throw his hat into the GOP presidential ring. Many conservatives and Tea Party activists see him as a very attractive and viable candidate, one who would liven up a field that seems devoid of exciting prospects.
But before Republicans start salivating too heavily, it is important to examine Perry closely. His conservative bonafides leave much to be desired.
Let's examine his record.
Prior to 1989, Rick Perry was a Democrat, who supported Al Gore for president. Perry was Gore's campaign manager in the state of Texas that year.
As Governor of Texas, Perry would have us believe he is a small government guy. But the facts say other wise.
Total spending in Texas the year he became governor in 2000 was approximately $49 billion. Last year it was approximately $90 billion. That is hardly reducing the size of government over a 10 year period.
The total debt of the state of Texas has more than doubled since he became governor. The debt to GDP ratio in Texas is 22.9% and the debt per citizen is $10,645. That's worse than California.
Perry claims he is for keeping taxes low. Not true. He has raised taxes repeatedly during his tenure as governor. Texans have higher taxes and fees than they had before he was elected.
While everyone lauded Perry's leadership by pointing to the low unemployment rate in the Lone Star State, it should be noted that 23 states have a lower unemployment rate than Texas. And Texas has the highest percentage of workers making minimum wage out of all 50 states. In 2007, 221,000 residents of Texas were making minimum wage or less. By 2010, that number had risen to 550,000.
The education system in Texas is abysmal. Barbara Bush, in an op-ed piece in the Houston Chronicle, wrote:
• We rank 36th in the nation in high school graduation rates. An estimated 3.8 million Texans do not have a high school diploma. • We rank 49th in verbal SAT scores, 47th in literacy and 46th in average math SAT scores. • We rank 33rd in the nation on teacher salaries.
What does that say about the stewardship of Rick Perry with regard to education?
Rick Perry also claims to have a tough stance on illegal immigration. But the facts indicate otherwise.
He signed the DREAM Act in 2001, giving in-state tuition to undocumented students. Perry said at the time, "We must say to every child learning in a Texas classroom, ‘We don’t care where you come from, but where you are going, and we are going to do everything we can to help you get there". This measure is similar to the one the Democrats are pushing at the federal level, one which conservatives vehemently oppose.
Perhaps the biggest issue people opposed to the nanny state should be concerned about is Perry's issuance of an executive order back in 2007 that would have forced almost every single girl in the state of Texas to receive the Gardasil vaccine before entering the sixth grade. Perry was in the tank with Merck. There were apparent financial connections between Merck and Perry reported by news outlets, such as a $6,000 campaign contribution and Merck’s hiring of former Perry Chief of Staff Mike Toomey to handle its Texas lobbying work.
The Texas legislature put the kibosh on that idea by crafting a bill that overturned the executive order.
Subsequently, very serious safety issues with the vaccine came to light. The biggest problem with regard to the Gardasil issue was that Perry appeared to be condoning premarital sex, or at least assuming that middle school girls were going to be engaging in sexual activity, which is the only way that the cervical cancer that the vaccine prevents can be contracted. Many parents and conservatives were justifiably outraged.
When one takes into account these facts about Rick Perry, the only conclusion that can be reached is that Perry is for the expansion of government and its intrusion into our lives.
On Perry's possible run for the White House? No thanks. I think I'll pass.
Listen to America Talks Monday through Friday at 6 pm Eastern Time and Saturdays at 9 am Eastern Time on www.blogtalkradio.com/americatalks and at www.americatalks.com.
Who said I'd rather have obama?
I have come to view Rinos as equally bad as the progressives/liberals/socialists. If that's your preference, fine. Just don't count on my vote any more.
Juan McLame was my last rino vote. And we got obama any way!
Fwiw, there are a few very decent Republicans, some in the primary race, some not, who I could wholeheartedly support.
One has been thoroughly vetted down to the last email and would get my enthusiastic support and the maximum campaign donation allowed by law and my budget.
But...that ain't Perry.
Yep. Quite simply, I don’t trust him. And I will not vote for someone I can not trust.
“Perry was a Democrat”! So was Ronald Reagan and a union president (Screen Actors Guild)to boot. I guess that should have ruined his “bona fides” too. In 1989 Al Gore was wearing his “conservative, pro-life” suit. Most of the spending increase came under GW Bush, education and prisons getting most of the loot. OK, the TTC is a problem but, what the hell, a guy’s gotta make some money somehow! Good Hair got his loot and the Spanish construction company got zilch in the end. Perry ain’t a saint but neither is anybody else in the field. On election day 2012 as long as BHO is the Democrat I will vote Republican even if Daffy Duck is the nominee.
Talk about stupid...you win.....don't vote and let zero finish destroying America...you are worse than the fools who blindly follow him....you know better!
Vet him all you want, but if Perry wins the nomination, we need to stand solidly behind him regardless of what you turn up. Not much can be learned from Democrats, but you have to admire them for their Party unity and we could certainly learn that from them.
There's nothing wrong with being a "Yellow Dog Republican."
I'd vote for a yellow dog if he ran on the Republican ticket!
Reagan wasn't an anti-Reagan Democrat, a pro Carter, pro Mondale, pro Gore, Democrat.
No, Reagan was a Pro FDR democrat.
You are mistaken. On June 26, 1984, Representative Al Gore cast an extremely pro-life vote. While debating the Civil Rights Act of 1984, Representative Siljander proposed the following amendment.
No, you are mistaken. I was specifically referring to when Al Gore was in the Senate. That's why I said, "when he was a senator in the 80's."
My statement is correct.
As I said, "The Amercian Conservative Union lists Al Gore pro abortion votes when he was senator in the 80’s."
I can document those pro abortion votes by Algore, in the Senate, in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990.... if you would like, or you simply can go to the ACU website and look it up.
So if it comes down to Perry v Obama, you’re voting for Obama? This is truly, truly nuts!!!
Yup.
And Algore wasn't even a moderate as some have claimed.
I posted the following yesterday to some doofus who said that I was "lying" when I said that Gore wasn't even a "moderate".
Algore's voting record in the Senate according to the ACU.
1992 100% liberal
1991 86% liberal
1990 91% liberal
1989 81% liberal
1988 91% liberal
1987 94% liberal
1986 91% liberal
1985 83% liberal
So push your 'vote for Obama' crap elsewhere. It's because of morons like you we got Obama in the first place- and the main reason the GOP has become a bunch of elitist RINOs.
If you think I'm not voting in 2012, you'd be wrong. If you think I won't be voting for a rino in 2012, you'd be right. No more lesser evils!!!
The truth is, the rinos and the progressives/liberals/socialists are both taking the Republic to the same place.
The only difference is, the rinos are just moving slower and doing their best to make it easier for you to accept it. Talk about fools blindly following...
You want a real change, a real Constitutional change, then nominate and vote for someone who will fight for it. The GOP could be that change for the second time in my life, but not with a Perry or a Romney.
I would never vote for obama or anyone remotely like obama! Ever. Would you?
That's right the 1930s and 1940s, FDR was a President that even the Protestants voted for twice and Truman in 1948 was the last Democrat that Reagan supported, Reagan was not a post 1960s, post abortion, post affirmative action, post Feminist, post Gay Power Movement, post NEA, post NOW, post Carter, post Reagan Revolution Democrat, fighting against the Reagan Revolution and supporting Carter, Mondale, and Gore.
I understand how people feel about pro-life and anti-life, but I think it’s only a small part of the story.
Yes, Reagan was a Democrat...but he figured out who they were by 1976 (if not sooner). Reagan was a JFK Democrat and there are A LOT of Republicans that would take a JFK Democrat over half of the Primary field.
Yes, Phil Gramm was a Democrat...but he also figured it out, albeit a bit later...in the early 80s. But Gramm didn’t run around trying to get Dems elected nationally, in fact, he was just a conservative southern Dem, back when that party permitted them. It took Gramm all of TWO YEARS to figure out the Democratic Party, once he saw how they were treating President Reagan.
Yes, Rick Perry was also a Texas Dem in the 1980s, and arguably conservative. But, unless he was a TOTAL AIRHEAD, he had to see what the Washington DC Democrats had done to Reagan by the time Gore was running for President (1987/1988). For example, they CRIMINALIZED supporting anti-Communists in Central America - yes CRIMINALIZED that. And then they used that very law to go out to IMPEACH Reagan in Iran-Contra, and very nearly succeeded.
This was the same Democrat Party that would have answered to Al Gore, had Perry (and others) been successful back in 1988. I guess Perry didn’t have a problem with all of that and felt that giving them uncontested power then was just fine.
I’m sorry, but some of us have trouble trusting his judgement if he couldn’t see anything that OBVIOUS. I remember it like it was yesterday - and he was living it and STILL could not see it - or, even worse, had no problem with it.
For heaven’s sake, I would vote for Howdy Doody if it would remove the incumbent.
Now you see what us Texans were talking about. We are not really enthused about him.
Who CARES? Before 1962, Reagan was a Democrat that voted for FDR in 1932.
This sort of attack is stupid. Are you really spewing this sort of thing over the airwaves?
And, how much did inflation account for the increase?
Can you name a single state that in the past 10 years hasn't had a similar increase in spending?
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