Posted on 06/18/2011 1:09:31 PM PDT by presidio9
Four summers ago, 73 percent of Republicans were satisfied with the candidates seeking the 2008 GOP presidential nomination. Now, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll revealed on Wednesday, only 45 percent of Republicans are happy with today's 2012 contenders. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, 61, could cure the GOP's ennui. As America's economy slumbers, Perry tells a stimulating story about Texas' pro-market growth and job creation, two subjects that top the American mind. Between January 2001 and June 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates, Texas' non-farm employment grew from 9,542,400 in January 2001, when Perry took office, to 10,395,800 in June 2010 -- an increase of 853,400 or 8.9 percent. Big-government California simultaneously lost 827,800 jobs. Employment in Texas grew more than in the other 49 states combined. Since June 2009, when the Great Recession officially ended, Texas has produced 265,300 net jobs, equal to 36.7 percent of the 722,200 positions created nationwide. For seven years running, CEOs polled by Chief Executive magazine have rated Texas first in business development and job growth. Texas boasts 58 Fortune 500 companies -- more than any other state. As America's No. 1 exporting state, Texas shipped $206.6 billion in goods abroad last year, composing 16 percent of America's $1.28 trillion in exports. California's $14.4 billion in exports ranked it second, with 11.2 percent of U.S. outflow. Texas' achievements so stunned Gavin Newsom, California's Democratic lieutenant governor, that he flew a delegation to Austin last May to ask Perry how he lures defectors from the Golden State. Of the 70 companies that fled California in 2011, the Wall Street Journal's John Fund reported last April, 14 relocated to Texas -- these exiles' primary destination. So, what is Perry's secret? Texas taxes neither personal incomes nor capital gains, and Perry proposed a 2010 constitutional amendment to require two-thirds super-majorities to legislate tax hikes. Beyond that, as Perry told Manhattan Republicans Tuesday, "don't spend all the money." He advised "a regulatory climate that is fair and predictable" as well as "a legal system that doesn't allow for over-suing." Thus, Perry signed groundbreaking "loser pays" tort-reforms and medical-litigation rules that caused malpractice-insurance rates to fall. Some 20,000 doctors since have flooded Texas. Texas is a Right to Work state, which Perry should trumpet nationally. He should demand a woman's right to choose ... whether or not to join a union. On December 21, 2000, while Illinois State Sen. Barack Obama was casting some of his 129 "present" votes, Perry took over a state government that now features some 384,000 workers and a $172.5 billion biennial budget. While Obama's oratory often soars, he sometimes seems disengaged and indecisive -- as if the Oval Office were a training facility. As Texas' governor for a record 10 years, Perry's executive experience is quadruple Obama's. Perry's biggest challenge may be that he is the governor of Texas. Americans suffered through the mitigated disaster that was George W. Bush's presidency. They may recoil at electing another commander-in-chief from Austin. Perhaps more worrisome for Perry are his appearance and mannerisms. At a well-delivered speech to the Heritage Foundation's Resource Bank in Dallas on April 28, Perry did not quite resemble Bush. However, he mirrored actor James Brolin's portrayal of the 43rd president in Oliver Stone's film "W." Perry can overcome this potential handicap by loudly and explicitly distancing himself from the White House's disgraced former occupant. Perry should remind voters of the aristo-socialist Bush's LBJ-like spendaholism and Carteresque regulatory overreach (e.g. Bush's repugnant 2007 ban on Thomas Edison's incandescent light bulb, effective 2012). Perry should declare that his domestic agenda will not echo Bush's, much beyond tax relief and school choice. As the un-Obama and un-Bush, Perry soon could emerge as a seasoned, competent, growth-generating conservative. This should unite the Republican base, make Tea Partiers boil with glee, and magnetize independents and sensible Democrats. If so, voters just might dispatch Barack Obama to design his presidential library.
Two former Perry chiefs of staff were lobbying for Merck at the time as well.
But, of course, that's all a coincidence and nothing worse will come out after we let this guy sail on through the nomination process. Heck, he wears cowboy boots!
We could do a h*ll of a lot worse.
We need a man with cross-over appeal to win against the Marxist/Muslim- something that Palin and Cain (no matter how much we love them) don’t have.
I think Palin or Cain would go over better as VP.
So, the aspects of your candidate’s record that you don’t like are now ‘lies’ and the creation of ‘single issue idiots’, eh? We’ll see how well that one plays.
Sorry bud. I call a spade a spade. Perry is no conservative in action. Never has been. He attempted the largest land grab in history and the Guardasil executive order that was done outside the legislature was way over the top.
If it did come down to Perry against the loser Obama I'd hold my nose gladly again for Perry. I've voted for him in every election and would support him of it came down to him vs Obama.
Perry is all talk. He had a grand opportunity to shut people like me up in the special session where he could have gone a long way to be a conservative in action. He did make a baby step along those lines via support of the provisions of SB 9 but why in the hell didn't he support the same thing in the regular session? In the special session Perry sets the agenda. He could have easily taken action on numerous topics that are conservative.
Ok, if he had not received the 5k check, would you have been happy with him issuing the EO?
Also, do you really think Rick Perry, a pretty well off man, would risk his governorship over a $5,000 qui pro quo?
And regarding your tagline, what exactly has Rick Perry done to deserve prison?
So, Rick Perry takes money from Merck and then tries to mandate that the citizens of Texas must use a Merck product and that’s okay with you because you can file a religious objection?
BTW—I have absolutely no problem with Capitalists or Capitalism. I love ‘em both!
The main point is; you could opt out. It was never forced.
Ok, if he had not received the 5k check, would you have been happy with him issuing the EO?
Yeah, I don't know what I'm thinking. I wonder why he bothered with that fundraising stuff at all, since he's so well off and all. Yeah, you've really got a winner of an argument there.
And regarding your tagline, what exactly has Rick Perry done to deserve prison?
He tried to use the power of government to force people to use a product made by a company that paid him off. That's plain and simple corruption. And yes, he should be thrown in jail for it.
Our nation is drowning in corruption. Everything is corrupt from the White House on down to our local communities. Can you honestly tell me that a man who tried to use the power of government this way is someone we should really be elevating to the highest office in the land?
Are you attempting to state that non-religious people couldn't opt out of the vaccine? As you well know, since you're well versed in this vaccine EO, any parent could opt their teenagers out of said vaccine. You weren't required to be religious to opt out. If you had a philosophical objection to it, your teenager didn't have to get it.
No, the main point is that Perry took money from Merck and then tried to mandate the use of Merck’s product. If this whole thing was so hunky dory, why the heck did the legislature have to override his executive order?
Outstanding cartoon.
What part of "opt out" do you not understand? How can one force somebody to take something when they don't have to take it?
If that’s the worst thing Perry has done, I can live with it.
I just want somebody who can win this election.
If this was so great, why did the legislature override this wonderful executive order that was so benevolent to the people of Texas?
And again, I realize this is hard for you to understand, but the real issue is not Gardasil. It's the fact that Perry took money from Merck and then issued the order to mandate one of their products.
Yeah, by all means. Let’s put a guy who sells government power to the highest bidder. What’s the worst that can happen, right?
Yeah, by all means. Let’s put a guy who sells government power to the highest bidder in the White House. What’s the worst that can happen, right?
Nickel..No...you don’t call a spade a spade...you fabricate nonsense according to you demented views...you really do need help. Have you noticed that few agree with you... Have you noticed people snicker at your opinions....take a break and rest. You and the couple of dozen other Perry bashers here on FR are like the gays (that’s homo’s or faggots for clafification)....small in number but very vocal. Don’t take it personal...just my and thousands of other FReepers opinion!
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