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Here are the facts--as posted in another thread by Cincinatus' Wife:

"Rick Perry started as a Democrat in West Texas (that was THE only party). He served in the Texas legislature - was known as one of the "pit bulls," conservative members who sat in the lower pit of the House Appropriations Committee and bitterly fought spending increases. Perry changed parties in 1989, joining Phil Gramm and other conservative Texas Democrats, who now had a true ideological party with a burgeoning Texas GOP. When Perry campaigned for Lt. Gov. [1998], he and his campagin staff were in it to win and his hard-nosed style was against the "friendly" advice and request of GWB and Rove to run easy against Sharp, a popular democrat (and Aggie friend of Perry's from their A&M years together). Rove wanted to broaden Bush's base for his upcoming White House run. Perry told them where to stick their advice, because he knew the voters would vote for Bush and then cross back over and vote for Sharp (D) if he just walked through the motions like the Bush-Rove team asked him to do. Perry won the seat for Lt. Gov. -- the first GOP elected to that office since reconstruction. Now 13 years later and into his 3rd term as Texas governor, the GOP holds a super majority. So Perry has earned his conservative spurs -- fighting both parties! [The Bushes and Rove supported Kay Bailey Hutchison's primary challenge against Gov. Perry this last election too] "

Lt. Governors, in Texas, don't get elected on the "coattails" of any one. Again, you speak of what you do not know. If you bother to do any research, you would know that Bob Bullock, a Democrat, was Bush's first Lt. Governor. Lt. Governors are elected on their own merits and not as an adjunct to the Governor.

In 1988, in Texas, a large percentage of Democrat voters and pols were conservative. The transition and ascension of the Republican Party was just getting in the swing of things and a great many Democrats held on to their party memberships in hopes of reversing the leftwards drift of their party. Traditions run deep and it is hard to admit that your party, the party to which your family held allegiance for over a century was no longer your party.

Making claims about things of which you know nothing, "makes you look silly."

Supporting Gore was a mistake that Perry realized and corrected right after the election, by switching parties. It was that campaign that enabled Perry to come to the realization that the Democrat Party was no longer aligned with his beliefs.

No, my family has been Republican for some time. We have been so in spite of the political bent of most Southerners--primarily because of FDR and his programs--but we were an exception in Shreveport. Most of my friends who voted for Nixon when I was in college did so as Democrats and did not change parties when they did so because to do so prevented you from being able to vote in the Democrat Primary, from which most elected state officials came. In the 70's and 80's, if you lived in the South and wanted a voice in who your governor or state reps were, you had to vote in the Democrat primary. Conservatives voted for the conservative Democrat and liberals voted for the liberal Democrat.

As I have stated several times now on several of these threads, Bill Clements was the first Republican Governor of Texas in a century, David Treen was the first Republican Governor in 102 years in Louisiana, and Kirk Fordice in Mississippi was the first in a century.

Liberal or conservative, state elected officials were Democrats. A great many--probably the majority--of Democrat conservatives still voted Democrat because that's what Southerners did. They voted for Kennedy because he was a Democrat, they voted for Johnson because he was a Democrat, and the same goes for many who were still doing so with Carter all the way through Clinton.

The parents of a number of my friends, though super-conservative, still will not vote Republican, because to them it is a betrayal of their heritage. That is from where the term "yellow-dog Democrat" comes--they would vote for a yellow-dog on the Democrat ticket before they would vote Republican.

The Republican South is a phenomenon of the past 3 decades and it has only been over the past 2 that it has become clearly established.

YOu cannot understand Southern Politics until you understand the depth and breadth of the resentment held by many (still held in some cases) of the Reconstruction and the Republican Party's part in it.

The first sign of wisdom is not making judgments until you understand what you are judging. You made the mistake of judging us based upon your own experiences rather than trying to understand the dynamics of Southern politics.

Thanks for using that quote “Sudetenland.”

Yesterday “Bronze Titan” told me [paraphrasing] that since Perry had not fought both parties like Sarah Palin, Perry hadn’t earned his conservative stripes.

Since I know that is not true, I took the opportunity to respond fully.

“BT” has not responded back but my effort will not be wasted.

Thank you. It makes a lot of difference when the facts are learned.

Bump!

You apparently don't know what coattails are. How amusing.

You might recall that Reagan won lots of states in 1980 and pulled a lot of Republican Senators in, on his coattails .

You might recall that Bush won 68% in 1998 at the top of the ticket while Perry (and Rylander-Strayhorn) barley won. They may very well have lost without Bush's landslide at the top of the ticket. Capisce?

Once again I don't know why you arguing this nonsense as this entire thread of conversation stems from me agreeing with you that Perry praising Bush in public doesn't mean that Perry really likes him!

In 1988, in Texas, a large percentage of Democrat voters and pols were conservative.

Voters sure, not as large % of pols as you seem to think. Certainly Al Gore was NOT and Rick knew it (or he was too stupid not to know it, take your pick). If this were 1968 you'd have a better case that being a rat was the "only choice" for Perry but not the 80's sorry. Has he said who he supported in the general elections in 1980/84/88? If it's Carter/Mondale/Dukakis I'd like to hear you defend that.

The parents of a number of my friends, though super-conservative, still will not vote Republican, because to them it is a betrayal of their heritage

Yes the types of idiots who hate the Republicans cause their great-grand pappys fought for the sainted CSA. If you want you can tell them I think they are morons of the highest magnitude (more then welfare bums because they know better) and they can shove their "heritage" where the sun don't shine.