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Perry’s real test would be border security. He’s decried the federal government’s failure to secure the border, but the problem has stymied presidents from both parties for decades. Perry might be able the change that, but the odds are he’d merely find himself transformed from the critic to the criticized.

The author of this article clearly has not studied Perry or his backers over the last 10 years. Perry is not the border security proponent the author thinks he is. Whether it's because Perry's donors benefit from illegal labor or not, it's clear that Perry does not want our border to become another Berlin Wall. He understands that illegal immigrants are just trying to help their families and I think that shows what a good Christian that Perry is.

While some pundits question whether voters will back another Texas governor so soon after George W. Bush’s divisive two terms at the helm, others see Perry as a different sort of conservative. Unlike “compassionate conservative” Bush, some see Perry as more like Ronald Reagan.

Again, the author of this article clearly has not studied Perry. Having watched or read many of his speeches and editorials Perry is one of the most compassionate Republicans I've ever seen. While I disagree with him and think he can be incredibly sleazy as far as helping his friends and donors out, I will not deny that on some level, Perry deeply cares about many, especially illegal immigrants. A few years ago when he blasted Congress over lacking the "maturity" (Perry's choice of words) to allow illegal immigrants to legally work in the United States, you could sense the anger in him over the treatment of these people. When you read about how great he felt for signing the Texas Dream ACT, allowing the children of illegal immigrants to benefit from in-state tuition prices and talking about looking at healthcare for poor people on both sides of the border, it almost makes me feel ashamed to criticize him and others over their support of illegal immigrants.

It's hard to read his speeches about helping illegal immigrants without the Christian in me wondering if I'm wrong over thinking illegal immigrants should all be deported. On a certain level, Perry is right, this nation is a nation of immigrants, and for us to act like we are now, maybe that's not the proper path.

Unlike Bush, I think Perry can actually get the guest worker program passed that he has wanted for many years. Bush pretended to be compassionate, but Perry, I think on some level he is compassionate enough that he would continue the fight to get a guest worker program through Congress.

Cincinatus' Wife, not many FReepers have gotten me to change such a hardline stance that I've had for years, but thanks to you and other Perry supporters, and to the Perry speeches I've read, I'm coming awfully close to entertaining the idea that Perry is right and that we should allow these illegal immigrants to continue working here and that we shouldn't look at them as criminals, and that we should give their children the same educational opportunities that we given children whose parents are here legally.