Posted on 06/11/2011 1:36:32 PM PDT by Brices Crossroads
While I freely concede that both Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry have a right to run for President, it is impossible to overlook the fact that their recent benefactress, Sarah Palin, is rolling out her own Presidential campaign at the same time. This would not generally be extraordinary. In politics, alliances are sometimes (although not regularly) forged and broken. However, in my forty years or so of close political observation, I cannot remember an analogous situation in which the beneficiaries of one politician turn on their benefactor (especially a benefactor as conspicuous as Palin) so shortly after having obtained and used the benefactor's endorsement and appearances to secure both campaign cash and votes. In fact, not since Judas hustled away to the Chief Priests from the Last Supper has there been such a propinquity between the favor and the betrayal. I predict that this disloyalty, spotlighted by the freshness of the favors spent upon these two by Palin, will sour the stomachs of GOP primary voters who tend to place more emphasis on character, which is to say: loyalty. Americans despise disloyalty. Disloyalty and its associated character flaws are a tragedy in a human being, but they are a catastrophe in a President. The association, in the American psyche, of disloyalty and the traitor, Benedict Arnold, bespeaks the level of national revulsion with this particularly poisonous character flaw.
Michele Bachmann, by all accounts, faced a tough reelection fight against State Senator Tarryl Clark, a more attractive and far better financed ($4 million war chest) candidate than she had faced in in 2008, when she narrowly beat lightly regarded and under-financed lobbyist Elwyn Tinkenberg by less than 3% of the vote. At Bachmann's request, Palin rode to her rescue early, appearing on her behalf at a packed rally of over 10,000 in Minneapolis on April 8, 2010, which was nationally televised on Sean Hannity's FOX program. Bachmann parlayed Palin's endorsement and high profile support into a fund raising bonanza of $13.4 million, which she used to swamp Clark. Indeed, the lopsided money advantage freed her to travel around the country campaigning for others and posing as the real TEA party heavyweight. Armed with this Palin-generated largesse, she easily beat Clark by 12%, the largest margin of victory in her career, including her two state Senate Races. Now she is using the balance of these "thirty pieces of silver" to pay odious characters like Ed Rollins to smear Sarah Palin as "not serious" and too lazy to "gain substance" in contrast to Bachmann, who "ha[s] worked hard" and been "a leader of the TEA party". Such treachery, which is both frank and fresh, makes me and every fair-minded person (whether pro- Palin or neutral) sick to our collective stomachs.
Rick Perry similarly faced a very competitive GOP primary against a sitting U.S. Senator, who is more liberal than he, and a solid conservative, Deb Medina, who was very popular with conservatives in Texas and nationally. In essence, he was squeezed from both directions, a challenge on the left and on the right. As she did with Bachmann, Palin went to Perry's aid early and often, endorsing him in the summer of 2009, ahead of the March 2010 primary. The first poll of Perry (by Rasmussen on September 16, 2009), which included both Hutchison and Medina, showed Hutchison pulling ahead of Perry 40-38, with Medina in single digits at 3%.
Perry crowed ad nauseam about Palin's endorsement in order to prevent Medina from gaining real traction and eclipsing him among conservatives. At the time of the endorsement, Perry had this to say about the value of Governor Palin's endorsement and their warm personal friendship:
'Facing a tough Republican primary fight next year in his bid for a third term, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas is brandishing the heavy artillery: Sarah Palin's endorsement of his campaign."If there's a bigger endorsement in the Republican universe, I don't know who it is than Sarah," he declared in a telephone interview over the weekend. He described the Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential nominee as a "close personal friend" who knows my heart."'
As Matt Lewis observed in the article, "Palin's nod is indeed an asset for Perry, helping him cement his appeal to social conservatives in the Lone Star State." While Perry never again fell behind, even Palin's endorsement could not totally blunt the momentum for Deb Medina, who continued to rise in the polls, reaching a high point of 24% on February 7, 2010, three weeks before the primary, and reducing Perry's showing to 39% (Hutchison had 28%). Enter Palin again. She appeared at a nationally televised rally in Houston that drew over 8000 people on Super Bowl Sunday, February 8, 2010. After the rally, Medina never again broke 20 in a poll.
With Palin's conspicuous and staunch support, Perry barely beat back the challengers in March 2 primary, winning 51% to 30% for Hutchison and 19% for Medina. Even with Palin's support, Medina nearly forced a runoff, so great was conservative revulsion with Perry in Texas. Had Palin backed Medina as strongly as she backed Perry, it is quite possible that Medina and Hutchison would have been in a run off, and Perry would have been odd man out. Had Palin done nothing for Perry, it is a foregone conclusion that he would have faced a tough runoff. In other words, Perry owes Palin his political hide.
As I said at the outset of this article, both Perry and Bachmann are free to run for President or any other office for which they are constitutionally qualified. The First Amendment however also grants observers the right to express themselves on both the timing and the circumstances of their putative candidacies as well as their previous interaction with "close personal friends" who come to their aid. In assessing both Perry and Bachmann, conservative voters should ask themselves the following question: "In light of how these two have conducted themselves toward Sarah Palin in the last year or so, do you trust either of them---should they be elected--not to double cross you?"
I believe that question answers itself.
LLS
LLS
Governor Perry exhibits leadership, even today. This is NOT an attack on Palin. This is open and blatant support of Perry for the 2012 GOP nomination.
TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EIGHTY-SECOND TEXAS LEGISLATURE, FIRST CALLED SESSION:
WHEREAS, the people of Texas, through their state constitution, have placed the power to call the legislature into special session in the hands of the chief executive officer of the state; and
WHEREAS, the members of the Eighty-Second Texas Legislature, First Called Session, have now convened to consider items presented to them by the governor;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICK PERRY, Governor of the State of Texas, by the authority vested in me by Article IV, Section 8, and Article III, Section 40, of the Texas Constitution, do hereby present the following subject matter to the Eighty-Second Texas Legislature, First Called Session, for consideration:
Legislation relating to the use of the federal Secure Communities Program by law enforcement agencies, the issuance of driver’s licenses and personal identification certificates, and the abolishment of sanctuary cities in Texas.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have signed my name officially and caused the Seal of the State to be affixed hereto at Austin, this 7th day of June 2011.
RICK PERRY
Governor of Texas
I heard the Beck interview and witnessed the events on 9.11.01.
The *government* confirmed what we saw and nothing more. Lots of holes in their analysis.
Believe what you will.
Didn’t mean to hijack the thread.
Michelle Bachmann is just as much the face of the TEA PARTY as Sarah Palin.
More so if you consider her votes in Congress against TARP.
Palin herself was given a job by Gov. Frank Murkowski and later ran against him (and beat him) in a primary. Nothing wrong with that.
Like what?
For the very reasons mentioned....I have totally lost ALL respect for MB. She CLAIMS to be a Christian while she allows her people to attack her sister in Christ Sarah.
Also refusing to answer a straightforward Palin question from The Christian Post. Not to mention that my info suggests MB camp has been quietly back stabbing Our Gov Palin for months now.
Withholding opinion on Perry for the moment.
I second that.
I do think the Republican establishment is still looking for a candidate because they aren't excited by the current field, but to characterize Perry as a Bush insider is to ignore the animosity that has developed between them over the years.
Tex, this is MAFIA. It isn’t personal. It’s business. Perry is so beholden to the Texas moneymen he can only go so far. And you know that the governor of Texas really wields very little power. The Texas legislature does the doing. So now Texas has a bill to ban sanctuary cities. NOW. How long has perry been governor? If he was so agin’em, why wait until now?
His reelection is directly attributable to the TEA Party AND Sarah Palin, not the gop-e. Why on earth do you think they are trying SO HARD to take her out? Because SHE can beat them. I think she is the ONLY one who can.
We will kick perry’s arse just like we will defeat the others... there is only one real deal and she delivers ONE PUNCH KNOCKOUTS! Palin in Round 1!
LLS
“And you know that the governor of Texas really wields very little power.”
The constitutional and statutory duties of the Governor include:
Signing or vetoing bills passed by the Legislature.
Serving as commander-in-chief of the state’s military forces.
Convening special sessions of the Legislature for specific purposes.
Delivering a report on the condition of the state to the Legislature at the beginning of each regular session.
Estimating of the amounts of money required to be raised by taxation.
Accounting for all public monies received and paid out by him and recommending a budget for the next two years.
Granting reprieves and commutations of punishment and pardons upon the recommendation of the Board of Pardons and Paroles and revoking conditional pardons.
Declaring special elections to fill vacancies in certain elected offices.
Appointing qualified Texans to state offices that carry out the laws and direct the policies of state government. Some of these offices are filled by appointment only. Others are ordinarily elected by the people, but the governor must occasionally appoint individuals to fill vacancies. The governor also appoints Texans to a wide range of advisory bodies and task forces that assist him with specific issues.
Please retract your falsehood. Leadership “trumps” all others.
“Palin in Round 1!”
Woo-Hoo! Just like the 2008 GOP loss. Go team! Let’s give the Dems 4 more years of administrative control. Then next time we will really, really, and truly show them. After we purge every person that is not worthy and pure.
Does this really sound like a great plan?
Nikki Haley will not run, but I don’t trust her for support either nor Kelly Ayotte...only Joe Miller..and he lost, but I would imagine he’d work tirelessly on her behalf and even be a potential staff or cabinet hire. :) Secretary of Defense perhaps?
Nikki Haley will not run, but I don’t trust her for support either nor Kelly Ayotte...only Joe Miller..and he lost, but I would imagine he’d work tirelessly on her behalf and even be a potential staff or cabinet hire. :) Secretary of Defense perhaps?
Nikki Haley will not run, but I don’t trust her for support either nor Kelly Ayotte...only Joe Miller..and he lost, but I would imagine he’d work tirelessly on her behalf and even be a potential staff or cabinet hire. :) Secretary of Defense perhaps?
sorry for the triple posting! i am typing from my smartphone and it got excited.
This was bound to happen. Each one of them wants to be in that Oval Office in he worst way. It’s human nature. It is the eye of the tiger. I dont know how you can arbitrate a truce in this kind of environment, the prospect that just about any Republican (except Ron Paul) can beat Obongo in the General. How DELICIOUS!!! (Heck I might even jump in with those odds).
PURE GOP ESTABLISHMENT CORRUPTION/
It existed in 2008. It will exist in 2012.
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