Posted on 01/07/2012 1:40:13 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
After his embarrassing result in Iowa, Rick Perry seemed to get the message the polls have been sending him for months: Republican voters just arent that into him. On caucus night, said hed go back to Texas and figure out what comes next.
But within hours, Perry was sprinting into South Carolina, to make at least one more stand.
Given that the TPM Poll Average shows Perry pulling just 4.8% support in the state, a clear question arises: What on earth is he thinking?
The answer is, team Perry really thinks they can make it happen in South Carolina. The campaign says it really is all-in in the Palmetto State.
At the end of the day, Gov. Perry is the only Washington outsider in this race, and the only candidate proposing real, substantive conservative reforms that will overhaul Washington, get America working again, and reintroduce fiscal sanity, spokesperson Liz Mair told me. Those are key attributes that South Carolina voters care about, especially fiscal, social and Tea Party conservatives who make up a sizable chunk of the electorate in the Palmetto State.
Perry, of course, has made government reform a huge part of his agenda. He wants a part time Congress, he wants to cut lawmakers salaries, he wants to eliminate departments. Its the kind of thing that supporters say could really resonate in South Carolina.
Mitt Romneys new surrogate, Sen. John McCain, has been making that case out a line against Rick Santorum in South Carolina, where he points out that unlike the states senators, Santorum was pretty friendly to earmarks.
I think its wrong for America and so does Sen. DeMint and so does Sen. Lindsey Graham who have been staunch fighters against earmark and pork barrel spending, McCain told the South Carolina crowd. And I know youre proud of that.
Indeed, South Carolina Republicans have a long history of backing the kind of candidates who want to turn their government upside down. Gov. Mark Sanford (R), who was popular before he took that Appalachian Trail trip, once brought live piglets down to the state house to protest what he said was the porky ways of state lawmakers.
But if Perry really thinks he can ride this wave in South Carolina, that tactic hasnt yet been evidenced yet. His first ad in the state is a retread of a bio spot [Values] from November that doesnt even mention his government reform plan.
But it does mention something else Perry backers say plays well in South Carolina: his military background and Christianity. Unlike New Hampshire, where Molly Ball showed how hard it can be for a values candidate to make a connection, South Carolina is a land where mixing in some ol time religion into your stump speech is very much appreciated in a lot of places. In addition, the state is home to a lot of veterans and active-duty military. Perry is a vet himself, and can speak their language, too.
The combo went down very well for Perry in South Carolina in months past. In August, I spent a couple days following Perry around the state. He was so famous back then a guy literally stopped on his way to pick up his wife who was going into labor to have her talk to Perry on a cell phone.
So, Perrys dialing up South Carolina voters again. And hes betting the house that theyll still enthusiastically pick up the call.
The BEST candidate.
Gov. Rick Perry!
Nice spinning. Dizzy yet?
Here are the facts:
They didn’t actually break the law if they were brought here by their parents when they were children.
And out-of-state Americans get a better deal than the illegals: they only have to live in Texas one year, whereas illegals have to live there three years, plus meet other criteria.
Perry is tough on border control. He has been dealing in his state with a situation created by others before he became governor. The Texas legislature made that decision, based on the wishes of their constituents, with only four dissenting votes. What was Perry supposed to do, veto it? It only would have gone back and been overriden. It just might have been the right decision when all the facts are considered.
I don’t know how often this stuff has to be repeated before people stop bashing him on this one issue.
That's got to be the weakest and most poorly excuted salute since Kerry "reported for duty" in 2004.
Then again, Perry may just be peering into the distance at his fading hopes.
What I noticed by some who want to trash Perry or Newt - they never compare them with Mitt. With each one of them mitt gets a free pass.
Here Perry served our country in the military, he’s not a one term governor, has consistently fought w/barry as he’s not a favorite, daily has to contend w/the immigration problem compared to a one term governor who instituted a socialist style of healthcare - I don’t know one thing he’s done FOR America. Why he isn’t at 2% - I’ll never know why - other than Americans are taken in w/the MSM. But this is never brought up with those roaming around trashing other candidates.
There is another point that seems to be lost on the out-of-state Perry bashers.
These are the children of Texas taxpayers. Texas has no income tax; it relies on statewide sales tax to raise revenue to fund the sate government, and to provide aid to education in Texas.
The children of Oklahomans who don’t ordinarily pay Texas state sales taxes on their purchases have no moral claim on the resources of the State of Texas.
So, all that is happening in Texas is that these particular Texas taxpayers are paying the same tuition as their neighbors and fellow Texas taxpayers. I can’t see what’s so wrong with this.
Not to mention the long-term benefits to Texas, in that those who are deemed to be deserving are allowed to continue their education instead of being restricted to low-end jobs or worse for the rest of their lives.
“That’s got to be the weakest and most poorly excuted salute since Kerry “reported for duty” in 2004.”
It’s not nearly as weak as standing with your hands clasped across your crotch during the playing of the National Anthem - as was the posture of our infamous “Commander in Chief”. I’m sure you remember the shot - it was disgusting.
http://www.bigpicweblog.com/exp/images/uploads/Obama-national-anthem.jpg
Here’s the deal. mitt romney has played so down and so dirty throughout this entire process that his campaign has literally destroyed its opponents into oblivion. Rick Perry stepped out on the wrong foot, but his ideas are fantasric and should not be ignored. No one else could withstand the withering lies and underhanded rumors and insinuations fed to the media by romney’s opposition research, so what have we left?
We have Gingrich who I think is going to go out as a weapon aimed squarely at taking romney out knowing it will take himself out as well. (And if it DOESN’T take him out, then HE is the man.)
Perry still has a warchest and can afford to try again. Santorum is a very principled man and will also stand for us AS A CONSERVATIVE.
So from my point of view, let them have their shot. Trashing any of them only helps romney.
If Rick Perry can’t break out in SC, he will fold. That is just the way it is. But I ain’t going to trash him regardless. I would hope that someone else picks up on some of his better ideas and builds on them if he can’t do it himself.
IF he stays low as he is right now in the polls without making a good showing in SC and keeps going anyway, THEN I might be tempted to see him as a spoiler. But right now, it is ron paul and mitt romney who scare the bejeezus out of me and anyone who can take either one or both of them out gets my vote because beating romney is beating obama. Period.
Perry came in like a wrecking ball knocking Bachmann from her top of the polls perch back in August.
I sincerely believe he is in this race to help split conservative votes so Romney wins.
After Romney wins South Carolina, Rick Perry will pack it in.
No question, but Obama’s feelings toward the country aren’t a secret to anyone paying attention. The two I mentioned were in the Armed Forces and should know better.
Exactly. Anyone who says ABO and then goes on to say they would vote for romney is just asking for four more years.
We have three Conservatives left in this race. Let them do their thing. SC is the first real major test of the candidates. They deserve to compete as best they can and may the best man win.
I have no doubt that Rick Perry is the man we need to bring America back to its sense, but we have been going down the road to socialism for so long now that too many people has accepted it as the norm.
Even though most people will admit that big Government is evil there is always something that some one does not want to give up, Government hand outs, big police force, etc.
And many people would vote for Perry in a heart beat if they thought he could win, but the media has taken care of that little detail, what the socialists want is what they get from the media.
Rick Perry for the president of the United States.
Just this week a couple of friends who support Romney told me they hope Perry will stay in. They see him as a spoiler that will only help Romney win.
Readin about Juan McLame touting Missy Graham and the stupid earmark issue brings me back to horrible memories from 2006 (amnesty push) and 2008 (his disgustingly pathetic campaign and minions’ betrayal of Palin). I absolutely despise this bastard beyond words.
I flatly reject your comment.
Gov. Rick Perry is the consistent conservative with the record, which places him in the best position to beat Obama.
I will not (in this post) comment on the others.
Lets don,t throw in the towel, i believe any one except maybe Ron Paul can beat Obama, but if we elect one of the others it at best will just slow down the fast pace to socialism.
Rick Perry for President.
I thought I was making a valid point that wouldn’t be lost on anyone, but you still want to go back to the precise form of the salute.
I’d agree that Kerry manages what looks like a chimp’s parody of a salute. Perry’s is a perfectly acceptable civilian salute. He doesn’t need to try to simulate a formal parade ground Marine salute and you know it.
So, lighten up on Perry. He’s a patriot and doesn’t need need your approval.
He’d certainly value your vote, though.
Ft. Hood, Texas - Shooter Memorial:
Barack Obamas Workplace violence
Perry: Stand up and stop apologizing......."We need to stop apologizing for celebrating life, the Republican Texas governor bellowed at the Republican Leadership Conference in a finger-pointing, finger-wagging and, at times, bombastic, speech.
Stop apologizing for wanting to stem the tide of the entitlement mindset, .
Our opponents on the left are never going to like us, so lets stop trying to curry favor with them, he said, before imploring the crowd to stand up. Lets speak with pride about our values. Lets stop this American downward spiral. ................
________________________________________
....."In his remarks, similar to those he's offered at other churches in Iowa, Perry recalled how his faith was renewed at age 27, when he realized he had, as he put it, "a hole" in his heart .
"You are Biblically charged to take your values into the public arena," he said, noting that someone's values will "decide the issues of the day."
"The question is, whose values?" Perry said, warning against being intimidated by what he referred to as "the politically correct police.",,,, Source
Perry came in like a wrecking ball knocking Bachmann from her top of the polls perch back in August.
I sincerely believe he is in this race to help split conservative votes so Romney wins.
After Romney wins South Carolina, Rick Perry will pack it in.
-— ### ***
That’s what I’m worried about. I think he wants to help Romney (VP ?)
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