Why I Cannot Support the Rick Perry Candidacy

opinion | 9/4/2011 | brianbaldwin

[Brian_Baldwin]

Personally in my opinion, each State has the right to decide how to handle illegal immigration and allocation of the law and State rights to such illegal aliens in the event that the Federal government refuses to follow the constitutional and legal obligations under the law. Having said that, I still feel that, the Federal government should complete the fence as was agreed upon and that each State certainly does not have the right to refuse the fence nor should they be in the business of taking on the debt to built it themselves.

Having said that, my opinion, and of which I would hope fellow citizens of my State would share (too many do not, but I guess that is democracy and representative government), is my personal opinion that illegal immigration is a threat to our very principles of constitutional sovereignty. No accordance should be given to it, no allowance, no favor. Period.

Illegal immigration is not my primary, single issue of importance. I am not a single issue voter. During this time, the issue of most importance to me individually is the economy of our nation. I have four issue of which are important to me during this election cycle, and of which will continue to be of importance to me until a resolution to my concern puts these issues to rest:

(1) Jobs, the debt of our nation, the falling value of the US dollar, the stability and growth of the stock market and the GDP, the decline of domestic industrial production and exportation of industrial and military technology, in other words the economy and the current state of economic decline …
(2) The war on terrorism, the threat from modern politicized Islamic fascism, and the strength of our military readiness in face of …
(3) Illegal immigration, which is a serious violation of our constitutional sovereignty, the sanctity of our democratic vote, and without hesitation I am not speaking of Russians, or Chinese, or those from India or Europe or others who have not had the blanket luck of being directly adjacent to the borders of the United States, nor am I speaking to political or social refuges whether they come from far or just over the border, but rather I qualify that I am specifically and without any racial motive speaking to the invasion of large numbers of uneducated Mexican class who are not interested in assimilation but have many other personal or even ulterior motives of which we can no longer consent to in the name of helping the poor, nor tolerate the crimes, nor allow the security threat to remain in the face of drug cartels who would also assist Islamic terrorists …
(4) Crime – which in notable part is also linked to issue number 3 and 1 ...

All of these issues are of vital importance to me. I am not a single issue voter and frankly I do not want to hear statements that try to claim so. Having a stance on these issues is larger than any of that. If a candidate does not speak in terms of these issues, but holds an opinion so directly counter to my vital concerns and voices it in such a manner, I simply cannot support such a candidate.

The other day, it came to my attention that candidate Perry, whom until then I was very enthusiastic about, does not, and has publically stated he will not, support the border fence. I have researched and found that what was being told to me in this regard is, in fact. That he does not support the fence, that he supports in-state tuition and other rip-offs to legal citizens, that he did not stand with Arizona.

Now that the truth has been verified, I cannot support Rick Perry. I have noticed that Mitt Romney is publically taking a counter position, and pointing out we must stop providing incentives that promote illegal immigration, that as governor he vetoed legislation that would have provided in-state tuition, and he has now publically called for the building of the border fence as a priority. No doubt, others may say that Romney is simply making such public statements in the face of Perry’s surge in the polls among conservatives after the Perry announcement for candidacy. There could be truth in that, but it doesn’t change the fact that Perry, even as recent as this week, made statements in relation to the illegal immigration question that simply eradicates any chance of a personal consideration on my part to vote for his candidacy. Period.

I don’t care what Perry supporters say, I think we are now going to see the typical and historic pattern that occurs during the Primary contest which is, you see a candidate who is in part unknown emerge during the Primary, who may even initially surge in the polls and in support by the Party members, but as we learn more about the candidate we simply realize that perhaps another choice would be more wise.

I believe this is exactly what is going to happen here. I believe the surge in support for Perry, due to this Achilles’ heel in regards to his stand on illegal immigration, will notably wane his support to the benefit of other candidates.

I also understand that Michele Bachmann has made similar public statements to those of Romney, that she has a firm stand regarding illegal immigration which I support and thank her for, and of course I have already had a liking for her candidacy and this only reinforces it.

My personal opinion is, understandably, not of importance and simply posting such an opinion can seem pompous. I am only using my personal opinion in this regard to example what is no doubt likely about to happen, the gut on it, which is -

- that the Rick Perry candidacy is going to fail, unless he dramatically changes his stance on this. And even if doing so to members of the Republican Party who are really making the difference, and that is specifically the conservatives, even a dramatic turn around on this issue may not be enough.

Politics is a tough game. Actually, it is not a game. And it can be very dirty. That is how it is. One candidate will attempt to defeat another through exposure of the other candidate. Exposure can come in terms of personal attacks. But this is not a personal attack, not by any of the other candidates who would benefit through a decline in support for Perry. Truthfully exposing opinions and where a candidate stands on an issue, even if done as part of defeating another candidate, is expected, and is how politics works. It is not fun. Not for anyone. It is how it is, and it is serious business.

[SharpRightTurn]

Good analysis on Gov. Ricardo.

Thanks.

[central_va]

Here's the game, both sides play bait and switch.

The Democrats run candidates that appear centrist ( with a wink and a nod to the MSM'ers) that, immediately upon election, run as fast as they can to the left.

Now the Republicans do the opposite. The R party runs candidates that appear conservative to the MSM'ers (not to real conservatives because we see right thru it) but in fact are RINO's. Upon election they run to the center as fast as they can, "reaching across the isle" in a show of bi-partisanship and true "leadership".

It is a very effective system set up by the MSM/Democrat complex to minimize damage to the welfare state. So this ingenious system setup by the leftist/Marxist that control the country, ensures that at worst they get stuck with a milquetoast "moderate" and at best a Commie(Obama is a prime example). It completely blocks out the 70% who call themselves conservative from the political process.

It is a great system for the left. A tough nut to crack.

[JewishRighter]

You are quite right. I hate to say it, but there is a further component to this scheme whereby the Republicans play right into the system: crony capitalism. The Republicans know that their big business supporters want to keep the massive spending spigot turned on full. This includes many of the welfare or statist programs: big Pharma loves the prescription drug benefits, benefits to illegals is good for all the industries that want cheap labor, earmarks and other pork barrel spending go to favored industries in every congresscritter’s district or state. The tax code is larded with regulations and loopholes to benefit one industry after another. It’s ridiculous.

None of this means that I am against business or free-market capitalism: I am just pointing out what many others have: democrats are not the only ones propping up the corrupt system that is our federal government.

[RowdyFFC]

Well, sure, out along 1200 miles of wilderness someone with a ladder is going to stick out like a sore thumb TO WHOM? The rattlesnakes and lizards? Son, I lived on the Black Gap Game reserve for five years, there isn’t anybody who gives a spit out there for over 100 miles from the east or west of the ranger’s house which sits right above the Rio Grande close enough to throw rocks over in it from the front porch...neither the mountain goats, puma’s, or the blue indigo’s gave a spit about who dunked their toes in the river. My kids were flown out of there every day to attend school at Presidio, just like the children of the many ranchers who live along that border.

And if you think concertina wire is going to stop anybody, have you ever seen a Mexican national work a pair of wire cutters? They can erect a mile of eight strand barbed wire fence over your head in half a day and not even pop a wire or cut a finger. You are just fairly naive, Son!

BTW, Israel’s widest border is less than 70 miles long, highly populated, mostly. Why do you think they are vulnerable to rocket launchers. How do you think Hamas slipped over that border and cut the throats of a whole family and nobody even knew they were there?

There, you see how conversation goes when you visit reality? Pardon me, if I hit the post button twice. I thought I missed it the first time...didn’t mean to offend your little sensitivities with an honest mistake.

[DejaJude]

Just two of my reasons for not supporting him:

Dream Act
Gardasil

[mad_as_he$$]

Who died and left you in charge?

[ElectionInspector]

CA Prop 187 was declared unconstitutional by the 9th circus and the Democrat governor declined to appeal. It is widely considered to be the pivotal moment dooming the state GOP to permanent obscurity

... only in your world or listening to left wing journolistas.
187 had MAJORITY support of “hispanics” in CA and the Gov illegaly bottled up the appeal so as to not actually appeal it. It had nothing to do with the Repub decline in CA... that was the doing of the Rinos who torpedoed every conservative candidate that won a primary... funny how that works out for the elite establishment class. Try and get some facts straight and they don’t come from Wikipedifile...

ymmv

[CowboyJay]

Put another way, Perry will mobilize 100,000 national guard troops along the border his first day in office as President, he will build a border security fence that is state of the art and known to work, and Perry will take a position that not one person should enter the country illegally. The border security construction Perry advocates will stretch the entire length of the U.S. southern border and will look something like the pictures below.

You may want to consult with Perry about this. That's not his position either historically or currently and I'm pretty sure the people pushing him hardest and bankrolling his campaign would go into seizures immediately if Perry quit being a good little open borders shill.

[gunsequalfreedom]

You may want to consult with Perry about this. That's not his position either historically or currently ...

It was a question, not a statement of his position. I'm still waiting for Perry camp, errr I mean Perry supporters, to state what his position is on this issue.

If you come across any Perry supporters will to clearly state his border control position, please let me know. So far all I have heard is "every candidate has some weaknesses" which is a lame excuse for not stating clearly and succinctly what Perry's position is (I swear we have the liberal syndrome of avoiding the question going on here with the Perry people).

[RowdyFFC]

You must be the big dumbo in the yellow cap, Tempest, is this your self portrait?

[CowboyJay]

LOL. I didn’t have my sarcasm detector turned on when I was reading your post. Dead right about PF’s. Obfuscation is the only nation where Perry’s positions are concerned.

[Chief901]

With all the anti-Perry threads on FR, it is beginning to look like “Newsvine and DU”.

Our common enemy is the Democrats, Our mission is to rid American politics of liberal, progressive, Marxists, socialist and communist politicians!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pelham]

“It is widely considered to be the pivotal moment dooming the state GOP to permanent obscurity”

Proof that stupidity runs rampant within the GOP. The Democrats can’t believe their good fortune in having Republicans repeat that bit of idiocy.

Wilson was losing until he attached himself to the coattails of the grassroots Prop 187 vote. The useless GOP elites in this State convinced themselves of that same foolishness you just posted and then ran a series of weak, illegal-pandering moderates, the last one being Meg Whitman. The “lesson” you all appear to learn is that you haven’t grovelled enough to win all those pro-amnesty voters.

“CA Prop 187 was declared unconstitutional by the 9th circus”

Not so. Prop 187 was never allowed to get to the 9th Circuit for review.

The law was scuttled by one Federal Judge, Mariana Pfaelzer, who colluded with Gray Davis. Pfaelzer issued an injunction in 1994 and then dragged out issuing her decision for 3 years. This prevented Pete Wilson’s appeal of her decision from reaching the 9th before Gray Davis replaced him. Davis then withdrew Pete Wilson’s appeal which left Pfaelzer’s one woman vote the last word on Prop 187.

It didn’t have to remain so. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the pretend Republican, could have renewed the appeal at any time, but being from the Open Borders/Treason Lobby wing of the GOP he was no more interested in deporting illegal aliens than was Dubya. Perry has a record of being cut from the same cloth.

[Pelham]

Good post.

You sometimes wonder who is the bigger problem here in California.

The hard left La Raza Democrats, or the spineless Republican ‘moderates’ who act as their waterboys, endlessly repeating Democrat talking points.

[Repulican Donkey]

Then, by default, you are helping Obama. So, I guess you really are a democrat spewing bile here.

[Repulican Donkey]

Then, by default, you are helping Obama. So, I guess you really are a democrat spewing bile here.

[palmer]

I'm pretty sure the people pushing him hardest and bankrolling his campaign

Thanks for the "Perry is a puppet" meme, I hadn't heard that one before.

[Oceander]

Here's his position, as he stated it last night at a South Carolina town hall meeting with Rep. Tim Scott:

On the issue of illegal immigration, Perry shared his belief that a high-tech security fence is not the answer, as some in Congress have suggested, and that "the only way you can truly secure that border is with boots on the ground." As president, he said he would add 4,500 additional federal agents from Brownsville, Texas to Tijuana, Mexico. While those agents were being trained, he said, he would detail National Guard units to protect the border.

There you have it; he's not an open-borders lib-freak RINO the way he's been slandered on this forum by some, he simply shares the view of many that fences won't do it.

[palmer]

Now that the truth has been verified, I cannot support Rick Perry. I have noticed that Mitt Romney is publically taking a counter position, and pointing out we must stop providing incentives that promote illegal immigration, that as governor he vetoed legislation that would have provided in-state tuition, and he has now publically called for the building of the border fence as a priority.

It would be unwise in the extreme to favor Romney because of this one issue. It is also unwise (although less so), to dismiss Perry because of his immigration stands. You are going to get a candidate who does not agree with you on every issue. I don't think you can justifiably get that worked up on this issue.

[CowboyJay]

"Thanks for the "Perry is a puppet" meme"

No problemo amigo. Anything to help. I heard Perry had a colonoscopy last week. They found Dick Armey's wedding ring. Ba-dump-ching.

But seriously. I'm under no delusions about whose interests Perry is paid to represent, and other than a couple basic issues, it's not mine or my family's.