Why Perry may be the real deal

Hot Air ^ | 8/14/11 | Ed Morrissey

[Nachum]

My good friends John Hinderaker and Scott Johnson offer eulogies for the Tim Pawlenty presidential campaign today at Power Line, and as usual, they are quite insightful. Scott says that Pawlenty’s descent started when he backed down from challenging Mitt Romney in an earlier debate, and notes that Republicans in this cycle want a fighter. John laments the loss of the one candidate he thought could easily beat Barack Obama based on his record, and says that Pawlenty never got past “the first impression of him as just another guy in a suit.” Both are fair conclusions, and be sure to read both posts in their entirety.

However, both Scott and John express some reservations about Rick Perry and his ability to be a “viable alternative” to Mitt Romney and/or Obama himself. I’ve been covering Perry as a potential candidate since April 2010, when he rocked the house with a speech to the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans. Even then, while being challenged in the primary for his third term as Texas governor by Kay Bailey Hutchison, his appeal as a presidential candidate was apparent:

I’ve seen Perry give speeches on television (mainly on YouTube) and knew he could be dynamic. Earlier in the day, I mentioned that alone among the other speakers on the ticket today, Perry had the only shot at matching the energy of Sarah Palin’s appearance. Perry has a very active delivery, in the same manner as a preacher. He doesn’t stand still, but instead puts his whole body into what he says. Perry’s speech turned a political conference into a Republican revival meeting, complete with the call to action at the end.

[hocndoc]

Did you hear that the Governor Perry fast tracked a successful voter ID bill this year? What other candidate has advocated, much less passed, anything similar? The entire statement from that speech:

“President Fox’s vision for an open border is a vision I embrace, as long as we demonstrate the will to address the obstacles to it. An open border means poverty has given way to opportunity, and Mexico’s citizens do not feel compelled to cross the border to find that opportunity.

[indianrightwinger]

So, just taking positions and sloganeering is the new criteria to be a great candidate, and merit a comparison to Reagan. It is the ultimate insult to one of the greatest presidents. I hope you know all the things Reagan actually “did” before becoming a candidate for president.

[hocndoc]

See more of this post at WILLisms.com: Texas' Interest Payments On Government Debt: Third Lowest In America.. Texas also has the second lowest state debt as a percentage of personal income. While it is true that voters in Texas have approved far more bond debt, mostly for roads, in the past decade (voters, even conservative Texas voters, tend to vote "yes" to almost any shiny objects on the ballot), those bonds are at least paid for with fees and assessments, and they are targeted and temporary, for specific purposes like infrastructure. Texas has seen its non-self-supporting debt (the kind that gets you in trouble because the money is spent on who-knows-what and there's no mechanism for paying back the borrowing) fall significantly in recent years, to the tune of roughly 16%. Forbes ranks Texas number four (meaning, one of the best) on its debt weight scorecard, and gives Texas four stars out of four for avoiding a state debt disaster. All this, and Texas remains a donor state, contributing more in taxes to Washington than it receives back in federal benefits. Moreover, while America got downgraded under President Obama, Texas got a credit upgrade under Rick Perry.

[humblegunner]

Stop talking sense.
We’re only supposed to post the negatives today.

[shield]

I don’t have cable either...reality shows are on the alphabet networks...and living in Texas you commie had better be very careful...we shot commie’s in Texas.

[hocndoc]

Look at his record:

This year, we had several forces working. One was the passage of good bills left some Lege members convinced we had gotten enough. Another was that we have a lot to get through in the 4-5 months the Lege is in Session. Redistricting is huge, with the next ten years of elections hanging on the outcome.

Other time-consuming issues were successful: abortion restrictions, education, and the one thing the Constitution requires - the budget for 2012 and 2013, which must be balanced based on projections.

We got the ultrasound bill and Voter ID that were fast tracked. In addition, we defunded not only abortion-focused businesses by diverting family planning funds to comprehensive, continuing care. We also confirmed other restrictions and made new law to ensure that county and city hospitals and clinics that perform elective abortions will no longer receive State tax dollars.

We got a voter ID. It appears that it will stand, unlike similar law in Arizona. (We did have their experience to draw on.)

The sanctuary cities bill passed the Senate, but coalitions fell apart all over the State over wording that our Attorney General suggested in order to pass the scrutiny that the courts have given similar laws in other States.

Perry has established his credentials in the Great State of Texas, the reddest State in the Union. Have you read our Republican Platform? Perry has survived nearly 11 years with maybe 3 problems with the Platform, and those are not deal-breakers. Obviously.

Perry has demanded that Republicans stop trying to get the left to like us. He will not apologize for his worship of the Creator as the source of our inalienable rights. He is pro-life and understands why he’s pro-life - from conception to natural death.

He fights for one man one woman marriage and championed our Defense of Marriage amendment to the State Constitution. He is certainly pro-2nd amendment and carries when out jogging (don’t mess with his dog).

Where he can't get rid of the EPA, for instance, he strengthened our State environmental licensing agency. The EPA came after the coal plants and refineries this year, but the Governor protested and urged the companies to continue business as usual. Unfortunately, many of the private companies caved. He and Attorney General Abbott are fighting the EPA now in court.

He's ensured that the appointees to all sorts of agencies in the State are conservative.

For example, the teacher's union wants to end our elected State Board of Education and replace it with an appointed group of academics. Governor Perry has consistently appointed the most conservative members to Chair the SBOE. The Senate Dems have made sure that the last 2 were not given consent, but they only meet every 2 years. When the leg adjourned, the Governor appointed another conservative this year. She will have nearly 2 years to lead the Board as they pick out textbooks (that influence the books published for the whole Nation) and determining the curriculum for our schools.

There’s been criticism of his Emerging Technology Fund and other recruiting of businesses for Texas. However, he has used the opportunities he’s had to bring hi-tech biotechnology and his connections to encourage Caterpillar and other industry to move more manufacturing to Texas.

All of the above explains why he says he “came to my senses” about trying to change the Democratic Party from within.

And because bits are so often posted, here, The entire statement from that speech:

“President Fox’s vision for an open border is a vision I embrace, as long as we demonstrate the will to address the obstacles to it. An open border means poverty has given way to opportunity, and Mexico’s citizens do not feel compelled to cross the border to find that opportunity.

[SamAdams76]

Had the Internet existed in the summer of 1979, anonymous posters like yourself would be running down Ronald Reagan for the same things you are running down Sarah Palin on. Indecision. Just taking positions and empty sloganeering. You would probably criticize Reagan supporters for comparing him to the great Dwight Eisenhower. After all, what did Ronald Reagan ever do to merit comparison to Eisenhower? While Eisenhower was serving the military, planning D-Day, and then running the country for 8 years as president, Reagan was calling college football games on the radio and co-starring in B-movies with chimps. Sure, Reagan ended up serving as governor of a state (like Palin) but how does that qualify him to be president?

Yes, I can picture exactly how you would be if you had access to the Internet in the summer of 1979 as you stumped for somebody "more qualified" like George Bush or John Anderson.

[RVN Airplane Driver]

You speak the truth my friend... Thanks...

[humblegunner]

and living in Texas you commie had better be very careful...we shot commie’s in Texas.

Me commie are very careful, me are understand you has in the past shot some kind thing belong to commie.

You are has retardnation?

[usconservative]

Great ... we have have dueling teleprompters at 20 paces

My thoughts exactly. I watched Perry's "announcement" yesterday while I was away on vacation and had two thoughts: First, "dueling teleprompters."

Second, I listened to the words Perry said .... somewhat "Reaganesque" in the content, however Ronald Wilson Reagan would never have had to read a word from a teleprompter when he spoke about America.

Reagan spoke about America from his heart. Perry read them off a page.

Next. I'm not for Perry. Looks like another "Pretty Boy" running for office a-la Mitt Romney to me.

[SwatTeam]

“There is something other than Al Gore to not like Perry, if you want to be against him.”

Well, you know how those disgruntled democrats are. They’re p.o.’d that Perry matured and became a Republican and that’s all they can think about.

[usconservative]

Get ready for his campaign to literally EXPLODE!

You mean like that 100% increase in Government spending in Texas did?

[usconservative]

Perry is a 10 year governor of a very successful state of 24 million and a net donor state along with 60% of the U.S./Mexico border. Palin was a 2.5 year governor of a state of 700,000 people that receives $1.80 in Federal money for every dollar it sends in.

While you're at it, why don't you talk about Rick Perry's massive spending increases? Something along the lines of what, 100%?

[Steel Wolf]

While you're at it, why don't you talk about Rick Perry's massive spending increases? Something along the lines of what, 100%?

Federally mandated spending? Inflation? This is ten years we're talking about.

[BfloGuy]

Evidently, this corporate RINO (Gore+Bush) has a miniscule but screeching loud fan club here.

Oh, I'm not so sure it's all that minuscule.

[Jedidah]

I’m a Texan. I know it all too well.

I would prefer a candidate of character with a mean streak, but that may not be doable.

I don’t like Perry. I will vote for him if it will rid us of Obama.

As they say down here, he’s been the best governor money can buy.

[JCG]

“President Fox’s vision for an open border is a vision I embrace, as long as we demonstrate the will to address the obstacles to it. An open border means poverty has given way to opportunity, and Mexico’s citizens do not feel compelled to cross the border to find that opportunity.

In other words, Perry is a dreamer -- of things that will never be.

As I said before, he's a politician.

----

Send treats to the troops...
Great because you did it!
www.AnySoldier.com

[Nachum]

It is impossible to govern for an extended period of time with out making somebody angry.

[TADSLOS]

Not so fast! he’s got baggage and he sounds like a bush, we had enough. Look at his record

Record, schmecord. Perry looks good, smells good and has Texas twang charm. That's all that matters. It's time to swoon our way to the voting booth. /s/

[editor-surveyor]

Perry is the real BAD DEAL!