Posted on 12/09/2011 8:15:36 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
As conservatives look over the field of candidates we have been provided this election cycle, one thing becomes abundantly clear: most of these candidates will lose to Obama in 2012. But Rick Perry is the only guy that can show why he is the one you want to have a beer with while Obama is the one upset that the price of arugula is has risen at Wholefoods. If you’re reading this, you may not care who the most likable presidential candidate is, but the voters who decide elections do. The simple truth is that Perry is likable, Romney and Gingrich aren’t.
Mitt Romney has shown himself to be inherently unlikable. His whole persona seems contrived. He wasn’t asked to run for president, he dedicated his life to it. In the General Election, Romney will come off as disingenuous, out-of-touch and rich. Before this presidential run he had over four houses–you may not care, but General Election voters will. The only consistent political position he holds is on a healthcare mandate–voters want someone they can trust. Romney is ripe for attacks. David Axlerod will paint Romney as an out-of-touch opportunist and it will stick enough to convince independents in OH, FL and PA to stick with the known quantity of Obama.
Newt Gingrich running for president is like one of those bad movie sequels where you ask yourself, “why was it necessary to do this again?” We already ran an old, rich, fat, white guy. He was out of touch and lost by embarrassing margins.
There are also a lot of differences between McCain and Gingrich, but none of these factors make Newt more likely to win. Newt is more arrogant than McCain, and whether we like it or not — is defined by the media narrative as politically petty. He is a serial adulterer. Obama is a family man. Newt is a fighter and he will take it to Obama. The base loves that, we eat it up and can’t wait to see a debate. But Newt’s style isn’t going to play exceedingly well to General Election Voters. He comes off as self-absorbed and arrogant. When he cuts down a reporter you’ll catch a brief glare and maybe a smirk, but never a smile. The guy has no general election strengths. He is a loser and we have seen the original back in 2008. Don’t be duped into paying for the sequel!
Rick Perry is the only one that can beat Obama. Perry has something that neither Newt nor Mitt possess. Likability. When asked who was the nicest and friendliest candidate backstage at Republican debates, Jon Huntsman’s daughters unanimously answered — “Rick Perry.” Governor Perry has General Election likability and that is what it takes to win.
Would anyone say that Jimmy Carter was more likable than Ronald Reagan? Mondale more likable than Reagan? Bush I or Dole more likable than Clinton? Gore or Kerry more likable than Bush II? McCain more likable than Obama? Of course not, the likable guy always, always, always wins in presidential elections.
Obama is infinitely more likable than Mitt or Newt. But Rick Perry is the guy you want to have a beer with in 2012 and that will make all of the difference.
While Obama comes off as more genuine than Newt or Mitt, he doesn’t have that advantage over Perry.
In the end, Perry, due to his accent and demeanor is the most likable guy in a matchup and his record speaks for itself. He is the only one that can really exploit Obama as the guy who is upset because the price of “arugula” has risen at Whole Foods.
On the stump no one draws a brighter contrast with Obama than Perry. While an Obama speech is a jarring experience with right-to-left teleprompter reads while never looking into the camera, Rick Perry hits the stage with a few note cards and a lot of passion.
On top of all of these factors, Perry is the only guy that can’t be painted as out-of-touch, (During the last election, Romney still had five houses; Newt Gingrich has a half-million dollar line of credit at Tiffany’s Jewelers).
Perry is the guy you want to have a beer with and people don’t have to weigh how smart he is, all they need to know is that he has an amazing record as governor for ten years of one or our largest states.
Whether you are looking for a strong record, conservative consistency or the greatest chances of winning a general election, Rick Perry is your guy. IOWANS: UNITE AROUND YOUR MAN!
Who am I supposed to believe, you......or my lying eyes?
I notice that Mitt and Newt are withing the MOE of Obama. And Perry is not.
The point is, the claim is being made, right here, right now, that Perry is the only one who can beat Obama - even though Perry polls significantly below Mitt and Newt.
Bull Crap
I see you’re incapable of discernment so I see no reason to continue this conversation.
And it's for that spectacularly unfortunate fact, hussein is still polling as high as he is. That waste of oxygen will win because he has more curb appeal than our guys. Perry could have changed that, until he opened his yapper.
The ONLY candidate who can’t beat Obama is N. Leroy Gingrich.
Even though I am decidedly NOT a Mitt supporter I think he'd have a much better chance against obama thaan newt. In fact, I can see no possible way for Newt to win. He is covered in garbage, and just because it's not being broadcast now doesn't mean it won't be in the fall if he's the nominee. His adultery and multiple marriages will turn off women and evangelicals, his lobbying will turn of clean gvernment types, hgis long list of government solutions to every concievable problem will tirn off small government conservatives, his global warming record will turn off ALL thinking conservatives...and on and on and on. A Newt candidasy will be a disaster.
geez...that’s embarassing. The longer the post the worse my typos are..
That's an odd way of looking at it. You could just as easily argue that he had his chance at being the "not Romney" candidate and blew it.
He has to win the nominatuion first. But, if he were to somehow pull that off, I do believe he would beat Obama.
I like Perry and think he could be a pretty good President if he could be elected, but I worry about his electability. Remember how the media convinced a large part of the population that Bush was “dumb” despite his getting B’s and C’s at Yale before the era of grade inflation (his GPA was virtually the same as Kerry’s, who never was called dumb...both probably could have gotten better grades but were too busy having fun). Perry barely got through Texas A & M...a fine institution but not Yale (we’ll hear a lot of Aggie jokes if Perry wins the nomination).
I also noticed that Obama gets no where near a majority of the vote. That is the only pertinent information that can be gleaned from this poll. Less than one year out and the incumbent president is so disliked ANY Republican limits his vote to under 50% by a wide margin.
This is like asking a person if he plans on being married to the same woman next Christmas and saying that the chances are less than 50/50.
How comfortable would you be booking a expensive trip with your wife for your anniversary if you where less than half interested in even want to be married to her next year. Better get refundable tickets.
I hadn't really thought about likeability, but it is not one of Newts strengths.
How on earth can he beat Obama when can’t even out poll Romney? You Perry supporters need put down the crack pipe.
This election is too important, we have to get rid of Obama.
I recently got an email from the Perry camp that their last poll in IA had Perry back into the low teens 13-14% IIRC and moving up. It's still early nobody has voted yet and the first Pub states (SC & FL) don't vote for at least 6 weeks. Why everyone seems to want a bunch of moderates in IA and liberals in NH picking our candidate I don't know.
He gets lost answering questions in a debate and he is a poor debater, there’s a problem here.
Nice photo BUMP
So what.
Perry destroys every stereotype obama wants to run against. Perry is not a DC insider. Perry is not an Ivy League blue blood. Perry comes from a solid fly over country background. While Gov. of TX 45% of all jobs created in the country have been in his state. Perry is looking to diminish the role of govt in peoples lives rather than "manage it better than obama".
I think people will begin to like Perry a lot when they find out how he befriended and helped the Navy Seal Luttrell(sp) and when he shot the coyote that was threatening his dog. Perry is the opposite of obama.
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