Posted on 09/19/2011 9:39:45 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
WASHINGTON — Rick Perry's Republican rivals are struggling to find a coherent, easy-to-grasp argument against the Texas governor, who tops GOP presidential polls despite attacks from all sides.
In fact, it's the "all sides" nature that complicates the opposition's message. Republican voters who watched last week's presidential debate and its aftermath might wonder: Should I see Perry as too conservative or too moderate?
Perry is the newest face in the GOP race and his opponents are determined to define him for primary voters, casting him as liberal, conservative and unelectable. They hope their characterizations of the front-runner take hold before he has a chance to sway opinions.
Mitt Romney depicts Perry's criticisms of Social Security as too far to the right. "If we nominate someone who the Democrats could correctly characterize as being against Social Security, we will be obliterated as a party," the former Massachusetts governor said recently.
On immigration, however, Romney and other opponents say Perry veers too far left. The governor opposes a fence along the entire border with Mexico, and he granted in-state college tuition to illegal immigrants in Texas.
Meanwhile, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann leads a chorus that contends that Perry is too lax about individual freedoms because he wanted Texas to vaccinate all schoolgirls against a sexually transmitted disease.
This anti-Perry strategy forces voters to sort through subtleties and contradictory narratives. Fair or not, it's easier for people to grasp bold, unambiguous images of politicians as conservative or liberal, strong or weak, and so on.
(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...
Are you of the school of thought that the DREAM Act is bad when Democrats push it at the federal level, but fine and dandy if a Republican governor does it at the state level? That school of thought is incoherent. It’s like saying Obomneycare is both bad for America federally and good for America at the state level, as meathead Mitt tries to argue.
The Left doesn’t like him because of his words.
The Right doesn’t like him because of his record.
Typical alignment of style vs. substance for both.
I believe almost everything Rick Perry SAYS. I could support him as a candidate IF ONLY he believed it, too. Alas, his record speaks for itself and tells a different story than his rhetoric.
Show me where Gov. Perry pushed the federal Dream Act on Texas?
You won’t because you can’t.
But go ahead — and explain it to the thread.
Instead of vague rambling posts — try being specific.
You’re trying to absolve Perry of something he brags about? This takes apologism to a whole new level!
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