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Perry, the GOP, and Cowboy Diplomacy
RealClearPolitics ^ | 9/1/11 | Colin Dueck

Posted on 09/01/2011 10:20:52 AM PDT by CA Conservative

Rick Perry’s dramatic entrance into the Republican presidential race has triggered within a few short weeks a remarkable amount of invective, clucking, and alarm on the part of leading critics. Perry, we are told in worried tones, cannot and must not win the presidency: he is too Texan, too Christian, too “extreme,” and altogether too provincial. Never mind that these concerns issue mainly from a Northeastern liberal-leaning commentariat that is amazingly inward-looking in its definition of worldly wisdom. The central fear seems to be that Perry is another George W. Bush – in a word, a cowboy.

--snip--

Here’s a crack at what the genuine version of cowboy diplomacy would look like: not reckless, but measured, backed up by strength, unwilling to tolerate insult, and ready to act with force and decision when necessary. So far as we can tell, this seems to be Rick Perry’s inclination.

--snip--

Perry has an excellent opportunity this month, in a number of televised debates between GOP presidential candidates, to clarify his foreign policy views so as to rally Republicans while undercutting his detractors. Critics who dismiss him as either a lightweight or unelectable are kidding themselves. Perry is a tough, shrewd, disciplined campaigner who has shown in multiple winning efforts that he can take a punch as well as deliver one.

(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: openborders; perry; perry2012
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To: CA Conservative
You know very well that Perry's biggest problem is that he is INSUFFICIENTLY CONSERVATIVE and is actually a flaming Leftwingtard on some of our more sacred policy directions.

You just don't want anyone to have a public conversation about those issues.

21 posted on 09/01/2011 11:11:36 AM PDT by muawiyah
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To: CA Conservative
Here comes the PDS crew to brighten our day with their humor! They may not be smart or original, but they are funny...

Lol, and using the overused and long-in-the-tooth slur of PDS is smart and original?

So, some in this thread are guilty of Palin Derangement Syndrome? Oh, my mistake. This thread is about Perry, and all you smart and original Perry cheerleaders have borrowed the slam on those who question Palin and copied it to use against those who question Perry?

Have I got that right. But, wait, didn't PalinDS come about when some copied BushDS from years ago?

Wow, how smart and original of all these Perry cheerleaders to copy third hand something from years ago.

(And who knows if BushDS was actually the original?)

22 posted on 09/01/2011 11:19:44 AM PDT by Will88
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To: Cincinatus' Wife; RoosterRedux; jonrick46; deepbluesea; RockinRight; TexMom7; potlatch; ...
Perry Ping....

IF you'd rather NOT be pinged FReepmail me.

IF you'd like to be added FReepmail me. Thanks.

23 posted on 09/01/2011 11:21:12 AM PDT by shield (Rev 2:9 Woe unto those who say they are Judahites and are not, but are of the syna GOG ue of Satan.)
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To: muawiyah
You know very well that Perry's biggest problem is that he is INSUFFICIENTLY CONSERVATIVE

Based on the posting by a lot of Palin supporters, Reagan would be insufficiently conservative. After all, he was once a Dem, supported the New Deal, signed a law legalizing abortion, raised taxes, signed amnesty...

24 posted on 09/01/2011 11:24:55 AM PDT by CA Conservative (Texan by birth, Californian by circumstance)
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To: CA Conservative

Congratulations are in order don’t you think.

Congratulations!

I suspect the thinking may be that Romney would be too strong up there. I don’t think Bachmann has the backing to go as far as I would like. I do see that as a real shame. I would like to think that people who espouse what she has proven to believe would rally behind her, but people love a winner with a lot of money.

So be it.

When we’re lamenting the things that aren’t getting done after January 2013, and lamenting some of the things that are getting done, you’ll be able to look back on these days fondly and realize what you helped usher in.


25 posted on 09/01/2011 11:26:36 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (McCain 5 yrs Left/1 year right "BAD!" - Republicans 3 yrs Right 1 year Left to elect RINOs. "Good?")
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To: CA Conservative

We didn’t have many choices back then. Now we do. You guys ought to get busy and find a Conservative to run for office.


26 posted on 09/01/2011 11:29:41 AM PDT by muawiyah
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To: muawiyah
You guys ought to get busy and find a Conservative to run for office.

We've got a great conservative running in Rick Perry. Just ask Sarah Palin, Chuck Devore, Jim Inhofe (or are you going to call Inhofe, with his 97.6% conservative rating from the ACU a RINO?), etc.

27 posted on 09/01/2011 11:37:00 AM PDT by CA Conservative (Texan by birth, Californian by circumstance)
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To: CA Conservative
Based on the posting by a lot of Palin supporters, Reagan would be insufficiently conservative. After all, he was once a Dem, supported the New Deal, signed a law legalizing abortion, raised taxes, signed amnesty...

You forgot two gun control laws, and the first ever no-fault divorce law. Reagan wasn't conservative enough for me. He had an atrocious actual record.

He was good at rhetoric though and that fooled a lot of people like Bush and now it seems Perry is doing.

28 posted on 09/01/2011 11:39:06 AM PDT by triumphant values
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To: Polybius

Does it matter to many voters? Unfortunately, yes.

No, it won’t.


29 posted on 09/01/2011 11:40:10 AM PDT by Common Sense 101 (Hey libs... If your theories fly in the face of reality, it's not reality that's wrong.)
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To: triumphant values
Reagan wasn't conservative enough for me.

Thank you - at least you are honest enough to admit what most of the other Perry bashers try to deny - even Reagan was not conservative enough for you.

30 posted on 09/01/2011 11:42:00 AM PDT by CA Conservative (Texan by birth, Californian by circumstance)
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To: AAABEST

Governor Rick Perry: Made from the right stuff.


31 posted on 09/01/2011 11:43:18 AM PDT by jonrick46 (2012 can't come soon enough.)
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To: CA Conservative

My biggest problem with Perry is immigration. You’d think the governor of Texas would do something other than hand out free education vouchers. From Wikipedia: “Perry said the Arizona immigration law SB 1070 ‘would not be the right direction for Texas’ and would distract law enforcement from fighting other crimes.” There are murderous thugs on his door step, and a swarm of fleeing poor who are driving up the cost of education and medical care. Yet he seems unconcerned. My idea of a modern day “cowboy” is someone who’s eliminating a few MS-13 members every week.


32 posted on 09/01/2011 11:49:26 AM PDT by neefer (Big city turn me loose and set me free.)
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To: Will88

You got something agaist the use of PDS? So what if it is not original. Being superficial are you?


33 posted on 09/01/2011 11:52:09 AM PDT by jonrick46 (2012 can't come soon enough.)
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To: neefer
You’d think the governor of Texas would do something other than hand out free education vouchers.

Is this deceit, or just ignorance? Where do you get anything about "free education vouchers"?

34 posted on 09/01/2011 11:52:29 AM PDT by CA Conservative (Texan by birth, Californian by circumstance)
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To: CA Conservative
Thank you - at least you are honest enough to admit what most of the other Perry bashers try to deny - even Reagan was not conservative enough for you.

If one is honest he was a disaster. His amnesty alone is the main reason that California is forever cemented as a Democrat state. That puts any conservative 55 electoral votes in the hole before they even make one campaign speech.

His gun control law support would probably get you banned from this site if he were a candidate today and you supported him.

Conservatives erected a huge myth around him just because they're so on the defensive constantly and liberals hated him.

Conservatism just can't be people who liberals hate. But that's what it has largely become since the 70s. And that's why they, in all honesty, are able to constantly move the "middle" to the left.

There are things that supposed conservatives actually debate among themselves these days that couldn't even have been fathomed 60 years or even 30 years ago by liberals because of this trend.

35 posted on 09/01/2011 11:54:51 AM PDT by triumphant values
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To: AAABEST
Perry isn't my first choice but I could easily pull the Perry lever, if he is the pubbie candidate.

I love the last pix of the bummer with the smoke and straw hat.

His eyes look like he has been really toke'n.

36 posted on 09/01/2011 11:59:34 AM PDT by USS Alaska (Nuke the terrorist savages.)
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To: CA Conservative

I’m referring to instate tuition for illegals.


37 posted on 09/01/2011 12:01:49 PM PDT by neefer (Big city turn me loose and set me free.)
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To: DoughtyOne
Obama’s polling numbers being what they are, independents gone, even Democraps jumping ship, we could essentially run a vampire bat against him and win.

That depends on who the vampire is.

Let's not repeat the Christine O'Donnell disaster of 2008 and the Christine O'Donnell fiasco of 2010 by refusing to accept political reality.

Anybody in the high 50 percent range and in the high 60 percent range of "No Chance of Voting for Them" is burnt toast.

AUGUST RASMUSSEN POLL:

Obama 50%, Palin 33% .... but women prefer the incumbent by a sizable 56% to 29% margin.

AUGUST PEW POLL:


38 posted on 09/01/2011 12:06:21 PM PDT by Polybius (Defeating Obama is Priority Number One)
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To: jonrick46
You got something agaist the use of PDS? So what if it is not original. Being superficial are you?

It's definitely old and unoriginal, and definitely not something to call folks when accusing them of not being "smart and original".

Seems you missed the main point and made an irrelevant comment to what I actually said.

39 posted on 09/01/2011 12:18:06 PM PDT by Will88
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To: Common Sense 101
Does it matter to many voters? Unfortunately, yes.

No, it won’t.

Even on Free Republic, look at how many posters have claimed that Perry could never win because voters are sick of Texas.

The in-your-face, Noo Yawker attitude works great in New York politics. Nationally, it becomes the butt of jokes in many parts of the country. The same thing goes for the "cowboy" act outside of Cowboy Country.

Why risk it?

It is a very easy cosmetic change.

When running for local office you stress regionality. When running for President, you de-emphasize regionality ...... Especially if a very recent and very unpopular President came from your region and dressed and talked just like you do.

40 posted on 09/01/2011 12:29:50 PM PDT by Polybius (Defeating Obama is Priority Number One)
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