Posted on 10/18/2011 1:55:48 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
I think it's safe to say the Romney campaign is going for the kill with its latest attack on Rick Perry. The former Massachusetts Governor has already gotten a fair amount of mileage out of attacking his Texan rival from the left on Social Security, and from the right on immigration, but this new spot strikes at the heart of the Perry campaign's raison detre -- jobs, jobs, jobs:
The Facts --Mitt Romney's political ad
[snip]
The spot's most striking image is a tumbleweed blowing along a deserted Texas highway. That's rich. It's intended to create the impression that Rick Perry's Texas is something of a depressed ghost town. Nothing could be further from the truth. Since the recession began, desperate job seekers have flocked to Texas at a clip of roughly 1,000 people per day. And they're finding work, too. Despite a huge population influx and a bruising national recession, Texas' unemployment rate remains below the national average. How remarkable has the Lone Star State's economic performance been? Read this Political Math analysis (written by a self-professed non Perry supporter), and marvel. One telling data point:
This chart depicts what Texas' unemployment rate would be if three-quarters of a million people -- many of whom were jobless -- hadn't barged into the state looking for jobs during this recession. Texas absorbed all of those folks, and still has an unemployment rate nearly a full point below Obama's national average. The data presented also dismantles other challenges to the "Texas Miracle," including the claims that most of state's new jobs are very low-paying, and that Texas' "luck" is predominantly due to a florishing oil industry.
But what about George Stephanopolous' assertion that nearly two-thirds of Texas job gains were in the public sector? First, that statistic cherry-picks certain years out of Perry's tenure as Governor. Fine. Second, the fact remains that over the last full decade, Texas has netted more private sector jobs than the other 49 states combined. In the last five years, Texas was responsible for 73 percent of all job growth in America. During that same period, the similarly-situated state of California lost over a million jobs:
And what to make of the ad's eye-opening statistic regarding illegal immigrants? Have illegals really accounted for almost half of Texas' job growth since 2007? The Texas Public Policy Foundation examined that figure, and found it badly wanting (The rest of the piece picks apart the CIC study in even greater detail):
[CIS used faulty methodology to make its main point. It compared a net increase in jobs in Texas over a four-year period with a gross increase in employed newly arrived immigrants in Texas. This is truly an apples-to-oranges comparison; it is as if a report claimed that Google is a larger company than Apple because its market capitalization of $162 billion exceeds Apple’s annual revenues of $100 billion.]
In short, Romney's new ad is dubious on the details, and laughable in its overall narrative. Perry's biggest problem, frankly, is that he seems incapable of consistently, specifically, and succinctly pushing back against these misleading numbers when he's confronted with them -- both in interviews and debates. That's not a minor shortcoming, it's a monumental weakness -- especially since the Democrats are preparing a vituperative and relentless smear campaign against the eventual nominee. If Perry's support were holding steady, and if he'd proven adept at fluently defending his record, running this sort of ad might make more sense. Instead, it comes off as an borderline desperate attempt to bury a candidate who seems to be in the process of burying himself. Not the Romney campaign's finest moment, I'd say.
[snip]
It will never happen, Perry loathes the vile statist Romney almost as much as he loathes the vile statist Obama. 2nd DivisionVet is being his usual irrational self when it comes to all things Perry.
I can see though,lentulusgracchus, that it would please you if Romney got the nomination. You should be ashamed.
Yeah, me and those minor in-state tuition for illegals, pay-for-play, crony capitalism and no border fence issues. Why can’t I seem to get past such trivial matters?
What?! I've been screaming "Yacht Club!" at the top of my lungs for 10 years on FR, and now I'm going to support Mitten Man? Hell, no!
Boy, you seriously misread me on that one!
But get used to the idea of a VP offer coming Rick Perry's way, because, as af_vet_rr pointed out above, and Alan Keyes predicted six months ago, Romney plans to trap the Right but needs a Judas horse to do it, and he won't get a lot of the Bachmann, Palin, Santorum, or Cain supporters, but he has a shot at the Perry supporters and is already competing for them -- and if Romney nails down the nomination, he's going to have a GOTV problem that he can solve by offering the nod to Perry. Then Perry will have a decision to make, and I predict he'll take an offer -- Perry has weak principles anyway, and that will make it easy for him to "grow" and "rise above" his increasingly visible detestation of Mittens (I saw some debate footage tonight, and Perry looked like he was about ready to pop Willard in the mouth).
2ndDivisionVet, I agree with lent that your words are generally not plagued with name calling and bias and that there are many times that you make good comments. I made a comment to you based on your Hispanic name calling, but I don’t think you make a habit of making such actions. As I said, you have had many other good thoughts when you write, and many of your comments are right on. If I went overboard for just one small thing, please accept my apologies.
Lent, Romney and Perry or Obama and Biden? If Romney were our nominee, it would seem like we would have to vote for Romney. Sickening to have to vote for a Romney nominee, but if we DIDN’T vote for Romney if he were our nominee, then we would get Obama.
However, I don’t see why Perry would need to take a VP slot with Romney even if we had a Romney Republican nomination... if that’s what you are asking. Perry has led the Republican Governor’s Association. He’s been greatly involved in energy and also in emerging technology. He’s been very involved with pro-life groups and activities and also with religious and faith-based activities. He’s also very acquainted with law enforcement and the various aspects of homeland security. I would think Perry could make a real difference as POTUS, but I would think he could find positions and roles other than a VP to a preppy socialist pimp like Romney where he could make more of a difference for the the people of the U.S.
If we are stuck with Romney, I think Romney will be looking for someone who NEEDS him, and that would not be Governor Perry.
Yeah, where is your postmodern, metrosexual, Gen-Y flexiness? I'm so disappointed in your fuddy-duddyness. Honesty -- bosh! Who needs "honesty" when putting half a dozen Perrywinkles on FR with Marks-a-Lot will do more for your Netizen mindshare?
I don't know, maybe because the ones you mention are half truths and smears?
The idea of Romney being the Republican nominee is repugnant to me and it obviously is to Perry.
Remaining the Governor of Texas would be the route Perry would take, not being second fiddle to a vile statist asshat like Romney.
Enjoy your disgusting fantasy if you choose, I find it disgusting.
Oh, barf! What a grisly thought -- all the more reason, then, for conservatives to close ranks behind a conservative and fight off Willard and his Armies of the Tight.
Here in Texas, there is Zero chance that Obama will carry the State under any foreseeable circumstance whatsoever, so I would have no problem voting third-party to appease my conscience and escape Romney's cynical trap. If, in such a contest, Romney carried Texas by eight votes and was locked up in recounts for four weeks or so and had to send an army of supporters down here to make sure he didn't get screwed by Sheila Jackson Lee, Eddie Bernice Johnson, the Zetas, and the MS-13's, that would be an okay outcome with me. Honestly. I never voted for Richard Nixon or the detached Yacht Club milquetoast George Herbert Walker Bush for the same reason. When Nixon ran, I lived and voted in Louisiana and wasn't voting strategically, but I didn't want to offer support to a guy who'd used, and then screwed, the Right in 1968. In 1988 and 1992, there was no chance whatever that Texas would go to the Democrat, so I breathed easy denying my vote to a man I despised almost as much as Ross Perot did.
Clarify much?
No vote for Willard.
Enjoy? I think the word I used was "grisly". But we had to look at "grisly" a few times, didn't we, when the RiNO's controlled the nomination and we were given the choice between "vile statist asshats" and "vile Alinskyite ex-SDS Manchurian-traitorous major asshats".
So Texas doesn’t give in-state tuition to illegal aliens? Really?
Oh, and just chew on this a while... a Perry-Newt coalition would be much stronger than Romney who couldn't pick up ANY of the other candidate's supporters.
Perry and Newt supporters are the ones who are extremely committed to small government, Constitutionally-principled and mature leaders, and I don't believe any Perry or Newt supporter would fall in line with Romney, no matter how hard he "courted" them, and Romney knows that too.
Don't think that's going to sway many FReepers, coming from a hidebound doubleplusgood duckspeaker.
You're really good at putting up part of the story yourself, but I've yet to see you discuss candidly Perry's deteriminative, foundational relationship with his circle of 200 major financial backers.
Neither have you been candid about Perry's role in the failure of the "sanctuary cities" bill last summer.
I am really confused with your post. Are you saying you are going to vote for Obama if Romney is the Republican nominee? I have seen your posts before and don’t believe you would do that, but your post here seems to indicate that is what you would do. Please clarify what you just said. Thanks.
Oh, hell no! Wow .... how would you conclude that, if I were screaming bloody murder at the prospect of Willard stealing the nomination? I'm going to go out and vote for Communist Muzzie Honkey-Hater of the Year?
No, I'd have to go off and find someone else. Somewhere.
Or write in Sarah. That would feel pretty good.
Yes, I agree that would be a whole different deal. Though right now it looks like a really long shot.
Give it time, and you'll see which candidate the conservatives choose to entrust this nomination with. We also don't know what else is going to unfold for ANY of the candidates. It may be frustrating to have to wait sometimes, but that's the way it is, and that's the way it should be. The good thing is, conservatives WILL have a say this time around.
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