Gov. Perry Gets an Award (He's a big fan of the 5000 year leap)

D Magazine ^ | April 21st | Glenn Hunter

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

It promised to be an interesting evening at the Strait Lane mega-manse of Kenny and Lisa Troutt. Actress Janine Turner, now a conservative political sort, would be hooking up with left-of-center Hollywood type Richard Dreyfuss for a dinner honoring Gov. Rick Perry with something called the "Constitutional Champion Award." Equally as intriguing was the rare opportunity to buttonhole the guv in person with a few questions.

...

It all made him appreciate America and our "incredible" form of government, Perry said. He thanked Turner for once giving him a book –it was titled The 5000 Year Leap–that opened his eyes for the first time to the power of the U.S. Constitution. (The book wasn’t that hard to comprehend, he added: “If an Aggie understands it, it’s gotta be pretty easy to understand, right?”) And that led the governor to tell how much he loves the constitutional amendments.

"I love the first amendment," he said. "It allows me to talk about the current administration anytime I want to, without anything happening. [Big applause for that.] I love the second amendment. It allows me to go running and protect my daughter from any coyote out there. [Big laugh for that.] But my favorite? The 10th amendment. The simple but powerful statement that Washington, D.C., needs to have branded above every door ... 'The powers not delegated to the [federal government] are reserved to the states.'"

This, needless to say, brought down the house.

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

I'm not decided on who I would vote for in the primaries yet. With Perry joining in the race, that gives me yet one more choice.

Perry used to be a democrat, an al gore supporter, but something changed his mind back then.

But what if he's recently had a change of mind yet again? What if he's changed into a constitutionalist in the past year or so?

I don't know if he's ever enumerated his change of heart moment regarding his party switch a decade+ ago, but he's clearly articulated what's made him become much more fond of the constitution.

What say you about this?

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

Do you happen to know if there's a Perry ping list? The master ping list hasn't been updated in so long now........ *sigh*

[C210N]

Perry should get photographed holding 5000 Year Leap while walking on a tarmac somewheres. Will make for a tremendous contrast with any politicians that did that with Post American World.

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

I’d love to see what that would do to the media. Oh the hysteria................ hehe

[TexasFreeper2009]

Nearly everyone in the South used to be a Democrat (a left over from the civil war), but you have to remember that back then a Southern Democrat was extremely conservative, and had nothing in common with the modern democratic/socialist party, beyond their historical hatred of the Republican party. They used to be called yellow dog Democrats, but meaning of that name has morphed over time.

People forget how quickly things changed politically in the South. Within the span of about 15 years most whites went from hating Republicans with the heat of a 1000 suns to voting straight Republican. While simultaneously, blacks went the other way.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Hi!

I don’t know of a Perry ping list.

That is going to be a very long list very soon and there will be no need for one!

Bump!

[dusttoyou]

Ever hear of Ronald Reagan?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Perry used to be a democrat, an al gore supporter, but something changed his mind back then.

Perry, shown here with Lewis in the background, was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1984. He came to be known as one of the "Pit Bulls," members who sat in the lower pit of the House Appropriations Committee and bitterly fought spending increases. - PHOTO: The Texas Tribune/Courtesy of Texas State Library and Archives Commission

[Beagle8U]

“I don't know if he's ever enumerated his change of heart moment regarding his party switch a decade+ ago, but he's clearly articulated what's made him become much more fond of the constitution.”

It wasn't a decade ago, it was over 20 years ago.

As for campaigning for Owl Gore, he said a while back that any gorebull warming is likely caused by Gore running his mouth.

[gitmogrunt]

http://cautionamerica.com/?p=1582

[Chode]

The book lists how the Founding Fathers of the United States used 28 fundamental beliefs to create a society based on morality, faith, and ethics,^[4] which Skousen asserts resulted in more progress having been achieved in the last 200 years than in the previous 5,000 years of every other civilization combined.^[2] Those beliefs are:

1. The only reliable basis for sound government and just human relations is natural law.
2. A free people cannot survive under a republican constitution unless they remain virtuous and morally strong.
3. The most promising method of securing a virtuous and a morally stable people is to elect virtuous leaders.
4. Without religion the government of a free people cannot be maintained.
5. All things were created by God, therefore upon Him all mankind are equally dependent, and to Him they are equally responsible.
6. All men are created equal.
7. The proper role of government is to provide equal rights, not equal things.
8. Men are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights.
9. To protect man's rights, God has revealed certain principles of divine law.
10. The God-given right to govern is vested in the sovereign authority of the whole people.
11. The majority of the people may alter or abolish a government which has become tyrannical.
12. The United States of America shall be a republic.
13. A constitution should be structured to permanently protect the people from the human frailties of their rulers.
14. Life and liberty is secure so long as the right to property is secure.
15. The highest level of prosperity occurs when there is a free market economy and minimum of government regulations.
16. The government should be separated into three branches—legislative, executive and judicial.
17. A system of checks and balances should be adopted to prevent the abuse of power.
18. The unalienable rights of the people are most likely to be preserved if the principles of government are set forth in a written constitution.
19. Only limited and carefully defined powers should be delegated to the government, all others being retained by the people.
20. Efficiency and dispatch require government to operate according to the will of the majority, but constitutional provisions must be made to protect the rights of the minority.
21. Strong local self-government is the keystone to preserving human freedom.
22. A free people should be governed by law and not by the whims of man.
23. A free society cannot survive as a republic without a broad program of general education.
24. A free people will not survive unless they remain strong.
25. Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations—entangling alliances with none.
26. The core unit which determines the strength of any society is the family; therefore, the government should foster and protect its integrity.
27. The burden of debt is as destructive to freedom as subjugation by conquest.
28. The United States has a manifest destiny to be an example and a blessing to the entire human race.

[noinfringers2]

I’m not sold on Perry either after reading about some of his past politics. However, I refer back to Reagan and look to see how a person morphs from one political mindset to another mindset. Reagan showed it could happen. I’m not so sure Perry has morphed enough on all issues e.g. illegal immigrants.

[Steamburg]

I am convinced that we are unlikely to find a candidate with which we are comfortable on all issues. I am sure that any candidate who agrees with me on all topics will not meet all of your expectations.
One point of greater importance is that who ever we pick for president, must have legislators from our home states who understand that they are elected to represent our positions not those of the beltway.

[CowboyJay]

"I'm not decided on who I would vote for in the primaries yet. With Perry joining in the race, that gives me yet one more choice.

Perry used to be a democrat, an al gore supporter, but something changed his mind back then."

It was the worst kind of cynical politics, rather than the issues of the day that changed Perry's mind. The reason Perry became a republican is pretty well documented. Karl Rove whispered in Perry's ear that he could have the Texas Ag Commissioner's job if he swapped parties.

Perry is a feckless politician. He'll say literally anything to pull the wool over people's eyes and get himself elected to whatever office he's running for. Once elected, he'll do literally anything his big donors tell him to regardless of whether or not those actions are in the public interest. Anyone who mistakes him for a real-deal limited gov't conservative, or someone with even a shred of pro-US nationalist sentiment is going to be SORELY disappointed. This man is already conspiring to sell the entire country down the river in exchange for campaign donations.

[onona]

Awesome list

[Chode]

isn't it...

[fieldmarshaldj]

He was Gore’s Campaign Manager in Texas. He supported the liberal Giuliani for President in 2008. He’s open borders, pro-illegals, and is militant about children getting Gardasil shots. What’s not to like ?