Perry Regains His Footing at IFFC [Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition] Event

The Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition’s presidential forum unofficially marked a critical time for candidates in Iowa to start sealing the deal with Iowa’s ample number of social conservatives. It’s hard to say that some candidates won, while others lost. For the most part, all the candidates did well. Some just stood out more than others.

For an event that attracted scores of media and six presidential candidates, the most important people in the room were the activists who sat through the five-hour event. The Super Bowl takes less time if you don’t count parking, but even that event allows those in attendance to stretch their legs at halftime. That wasn’t the case on Saturday night.

In talking to a number of people after the event, the winners event were Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum. Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann did well too, but the other three shined. Herman Cain on the other hand was a disappointment.

Ordering the top three is difficult. I was looking for more than just which candidate could strike a chord with the audience. I was considering what each candidate needed to get of the event politically, which is incredibly important with the caucuses less than three months away.

Texas Governor Rick Perry did exactly what he needed to do on Saturday night. Perry looked and sounded like the conservative candidate many were excited about when he entered the race back in August. Gone was the unpolished candidate who we have come to know in the debates, and in his place was a relaxed, confident candidate who commanded the stage. Facing a roomful of more than 1000 social conservatives, the question that Perry needed to address was whether or not he was one of them. He gave the audience plenty of reasons to believe that they have a lot in common.

Perry did two things in his speech that were incredibly important. He touted his long list of pro-life, pro-family accomplishments as governor, but maybe more importantly, he shared his own personal testimony. As Perry bared his soul to the audience, the room fell silent. It was at that point that Perry captivated those in the room.

Perry’s pro-life accomplishments, including defunding Planned Parenthood, passing a parental consent law, and requiring women in Texas who are seeking abortions to have a sonogram, are impressive, but it was his personal testimony on Saturday night that may change Perry’s fortunes in Iowa because it will help build trust with social conservatives across the state.

Unlike the rest of candidates, Perry didn’t shrink away for taking issue with Herman Cain’s recent flubbing on the issue of abortion. Perry didn’t mention Cain’s name, but everyone knew whom he was talking about when he said, “It is a liberal canard to say I am personally pro-life, but government should stay out of that decision. If that is your view, you are not pro-life.”

Perry was the clear winner on Saturday night because he accomplished everything he needed to do.

Promote his pro-life, pro-family record: CHECK
Convince the audience that you are an authentic social conservative: CHECK
Make a personal connection with the people in the room: CHECK
Capitalize on your opponent’s recent problems: CHECK
Define yourself instead of letting your opponents or the media do it: CHECK

I’d have a spring in my step today if I was the Perry campaign in Iowa. Again, this was the candidate that many were expecting when he entered the race.

>>As Perry bared his soul to the audience, the room fell silent.<<

They did that with Santorum too. In fact I saw a couple of them sleeping. The guy who wrote this wasn’t watching the same crowd I was.

>>including defunding Planned Parenthood, passing a parental consent law, and requiring women in Texas who are seeking abortions to have a sonogram,<<

That actually came off weak, weak, weak compared to Gingerich, and Cain. It appeared as if he was trying to sound tough but leave loop holes for getting votes from the pro abortion crowd.

>>Perry didn’t shrink away for taking issue with Herman Cain’s recent flubbing on the issue of abortion.<<

A petty, poorly veiled jab in the wrong forum. Trust me, I grew up in Iowa and know the thought patterns. That didn’t go over well after the rousing reception Cain got.

>>Perry was the clear winner on Saturday night because he accomplished everything he needed to do.<<

Not even close. Third at best. Gingerich hit a bases loaded home run, Cain was second favorite of the crowd without doubt. Perry was a strong third but well behind Gingerich and Cain.

No he is not. First off calling someone a liar….well, nuff said. Perry himself has said, and proven he wants open borders. He pushed the TTC and has stated he will continue even though it was stopped by fierce opposition. Partially through his efforts we now have Mexican trucks coming across the border freely heading into every state. He clearly wants the ability for the Mexicans to come into the US to work which sends billions of US dollars back to Mexico. Open your eyes and see what he does.

To believe this you: 1) do not know what you are talking about 2) are spinning to elevate another candidate 3) are a tool of environmentalists and Democratic Party operatives.

CorridorWatch.org Submitted Three TTC-35 Draft Environmental Impact Statement Comment Documents
July 27, 2006
August 17, 2006
August 21, 2006

CorridorBotch.org, or David Stall-ed………The problem is, Corridor Watch et. al. are by no means allowing the facts to get in the way of a good beating. Every proposed path (and there are still at the very least three) currently under consideration places the TTC on the northern and southern ends of planned SH-130, which is a good fifteen miles west of the villes in question and in crisis over their alleged impending devastation.

That these Corridor clowns are asserting anything with certitude belies their veracity on all things, because right now NO ONE outside of the TxDoT TTC circle knows anything about any aspect of the plans.

As per Federal Highway Administration (FHA) law, these chosen few are required to remain tight-lipped thereon; to violate this legal oath of secrecy would be to inviolate the ridiculously exhaustive two Tier, six year FHA approval process, forcing them to then begin again anew.

So too would it open them up to lawsuits from any and every environmental group in the state wishing to return us all to the horse and buggy (or simply to caves awaiting Prometheus to grace us with his fiery presence), further impeding any progress on any progress.

No Press queries, no citizen demands, no Freedom of Information Act requests can breach this federally mandated confidence. These officials must sit silently by whilst the CW.org vanguards storm the ramparts with their dishonest assaults on a plan the details of which they are absolutely bereft.

Has no one else yet noticed the blatant inconstancy of the Stalls et. al. decrying the super secrecy of the process, yet promulgating with absolute certitude that towns criss-crossing the state are all doomed to TTC ruin?

There are attending political ramifications to all of this, which is rarely the case when one is discussing a candidate who garnered a mere 8% of the interest of the citizenry. For there is a distinct waft of Strayhorn in the air surrounding the empty Stall and his Corridor Watch.

Comptroller Carole Keeton McClellan Rylander Strayhorn, currently adrift on signature collection waters in her bid for Independent Gubernatorial validity, has been a fixture at CW.org events, railing prodigiously (yet without substance) against the TTC, and the very concept of toll roads.

But herein arises a consistent theme when discussing Madame Comptroller; her inconsistency. Because prior to her decision to run against the TTC-proposing Governor Rick Perry, she too saw the meritoriousness of the concept of consumption road funding. “……

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The governor is battling misinformation from political opponents and environmentalist activists in his push for more transportation infrastructure

Yes, yes I do hold them to the same standard.

How this for heart...sure you can come here illegaly, and we won’t deport you, because we have heart, but as an illegal alien, you are a guest of the USA, whose citizens with heart have chosen to allow you to stay here, but as a guest, you may never vote in any local, state or federal election. You may benefit from no welfare or foodtasmp program, and you may not receive free emergency care or otherwise. You are subject to the will and generosity of those citizens whom are legal and have allowed you to remain.

Then those who wish to have heart can have their heart, and those of us who no longer want politicians pandering to this voting block don’t have to worry about it.

A well written article. I felt like I was there, and the author provided good insight as to what each of the candidates did (or missed out on) up in Iowa.

That was a good list of campaign accomplishments Rick Perry capitalized on in Iowa this past weekend. It was great to hear the author report that Perry is finally showing himself to be the candidate that many were expecting when he entered the race. Newt had a great showing too which is also great. And the author is right, conservatives can always depend on Rick Santorum’s commitment to being a pro-life politician and a pro-life person. Apparently Santorum’s loss of a pre-mature infant child was very touching to those who heard his story. I’m glad to see Ron Paul participated as well, showing Iowans he cares about the issues that are important to Evangelical conservative voters.

I’m sorry to hear the press was more or less ignoring Michele Bachmann as she was speaking. I guess that is the way it goes in politics and journalism when the speaker (Representative Bachmann) has a campaign not making much news and when the journalists see a chance at possibly getting a bigger story from an already-big story from someone else in the room. It’s hard to be in politics, that’s for sure.

Thanks again for posting the article!

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