My point? My point is that Perry is going to be asked why he's against Social Security and Medicare. And why he's advocated positions that would end both of them. And what he would suggest in their stead. And I suggest he come up with some reasonable answers other than 'Read my book' because his book doesn't have any.
Of course Perry will have to make specific proposals — in six or eight months. There’s plenty of time for that. But whatever he proposes will have to change Social Security and the rest of the New Deal/Great Society welfare state into something unrecognizable and much more benign. Any candidate who can’t propose and defend such change isn’t worth the effort associated with going to the polls.
Perry’s book explains quite clearly that Social Security and Medicare are destroying us. That’s exactly what America needs to hear. Making that case is the necessary first step in digging ourselves out of the hole we find ourselves in.
You seem to think Perry should drop into a defensive crouch and try to explain that he really loves Social Security and wants to save it for future generations. That lie has run its course and trying to get it around the track one more time would be a terrible mistake. One way or another the welfare state is going to be dismantled. Nothing good can come of trying to hide that fact from the electorate.
Perry doesn’t have to look for ways to mitigate the political fallout from his critique of the welfare state. He needs to stick to his guns, which seems to be his plan.