By "base", you mean "Conservatives" and Texas is a pretty damned conservative state.
Yet, by a 98% margin, 177 to 4, the issue in question passed the Texas Legislature and would have crushingly passed, Governor's veto or no Governor's veto.
Obviously, SOMETHING ELSE besides "conservatives" was in play that maybe was a little bit more complex that can be explained by bumper sticker sound bites in a 30 second responses in the silly format that passes for a "debate" nowadays.
I do not recall any mention of "race" or "Hispanic" or "Mestizo" or "Chicano" or "Brown" or anything else even remotely related to a "race word" in the debate. Show me, in the transcript of the debate where race was EVER mentioned.
Right now, the children of the most loathsome murderers on Death Row in Texas are eligible for in-state tuition rates if they grew up in Texas during their high school years.
Those children have a despicable father, THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN (Perry used that phrase). Should they be punished as a result?
THAT is the question without the bumper sticker sound bite demagoguery.
To deny them the tuition rates that their classmates have and destroy their futures because of the sins of their murderer fathers would be "heartless".
That point is EXACTLY the point Parry was making and that point was made TO ANOTHER DEBATER ..... NOT TO YOU.
But, there you go: "Perry called his own party base racist and then heartless."
Yes, Perry should have seen Romney's tactics coming and he should have prepared for the debate better instead of being caught flat-footed and blurting out "heartless".
On the other hand, yes, you have allowed Romney's slick debating skills to play you like a cheap fiddle.
You have allowed Romney to convince you that Mitt Romney is "more conservative" than 98% of the Texas State Legislature.
Then there is the other bit of demagoguery pushed by Mitt Romney:
If you advocate BOOTS ON THE GROUND instead of spending BILLIONS on a Fence that illegals can easily jump over, cut through or dig under (as well as cut off the access of Texas ranchers to the Rio Grande), then you must be FOR illegals.
VIDEO: See how easy illegals can jump over, cut through or dig under Mitt Romney's Border Fence
Such bumper sticker demagoguery results in two big winners:
1.) Mitt Romney
2.) Raul's 21-Foot Ladder Rentals
