Posted on 01/09/2012 8:25:23 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Is Rick Perry the Tea Party’s last hope in the 2012 election? As he prepares for his Alamo-moment in South Carolina, the longest serving governor in Texas history makes the case for limited government.
It’s a deliberate play for South Carolina’s once powerful Tea Party to come to his aid. During the 9AM MSNBC debate today with David Gregory, Rick Perry promised the Tea Party across the country that he would have their back against big spending Republicans. But will they have his?
Today, Amy Kremer of the Tea Party Express promised on Breitbart.tv that the organization will endorse before the January 21st.
Perry’s proposals of cutting the pay of Congress and prosecuting congressmen for insider trading have been popular among Tea Party supporters. Indeed, in November, Perry was accused of “pandering to the tea party” by none other than House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). The Texas Tea Party, however, withdrew their support of the governor for his support of sanctuary cities for illegal aliens. An October Washington Post/ABC poll confirms that his support was cratering among Tea Party activists, placing him just above Romney and Ron Paul. Perry is hoping that South Carolina is a bit more generous.
Only a few of the Republicans swept into power in South Carolina by the Tea Party have made endorsements. Tea Party darling, Gov. Nikki Haley endorsed Mitt Romney and has been an active surrogate for the former Massachusetts governor as far afield as New Hampshire. Haley’s support in South Carolina, however, is cratering. A poll conducted by Winthrop University between Nov. 27 and Dec. 4 showed only 34.6 percent of those surveyed approved of Haley’s job performance, making her one of the least popular governors in the country.
Haley’s support for Romney may be pecuniary or payback. Romney’s “Free and Strong America” political action committee donated $36,000 to Haley’s campaign in 2010. More than 35 other Romney-backers received PAC money from the former Massachusetts governor before making their endorsements. Perhaps they were merely returning the favor. Or perhaps their campaigns were paid for that favor early in the process.
Thus far, the very popular Tim Scott has declined to endorse anyone for president. Rep. Scott’s highly coveted endorsement is seen as something of proxy for Senator Jim DeMint, the godfather of both the Tea Party and the South Carolina. In 2008, DeMint endorsed Mitt Romney, but in 2012, he has remained deliberately on the side lines.
Of the federal legislators in South Carolina, only freshman congressman (and Tea Party favorite) Mick Mulvaney has endorsed and he has endorsed Rick Perry. Mulvaney reportedly decided to support Perry after seeing his 20% flat tax proposal. “It’s very, very similar to what we’ve been talking about in terms of the Republican Study Committee, the conservative group within the House Republicans, and he went a little bit further than I think we’re going to go even. I was enthusiastic about somebody actually taking some bold steps,” Mulvaney told MSNBC. Perry also won the support of Bobby Harrell, South Carolina’s Speaker of the House.
South Carolina’s Tea Party groups hold their own convention in Myrtle Beach on Sunday, Jan. 15, and Monday, Jan. 16, the same day that the next– the 16th– of the presidential debates takes place.
Perry’s sure to be helped by his South Carolina advisors, which include former state GOP chairman Katon Dawson, who believes that Perry will play well with both evangelical and military voters who make up the Palmetto State’s Republican electorate. “Iowa picks corn, New Hampshire picks presidential campaign pockets, and South Carolina picks Republican presidents,” Dawson told reporters after Perry’s fifth place finish in Iowa.
Though there is no clear Tea Party candidate in South Carolina, Tea Party groups are pretty clearly opposed to Mitt Romney. Karen Martin, the head of the Spartanburg County, S.C., chapter and other Tea Party leaders put it simply in an interview with National Public Radio:
“There’s no Tea Partier that I talk to in the state or nationally that would want to promote Romney. Other than the people that have come out publicly and endorsed Mitt Romney and the people left over from his 2008 campaign, I do not personally know anyone that does not despise Mitt Romney and doesn’t hate the idea of him being our nominee.”
Governor Perry will be sure to keep proclaiming his conservative bona fides, especially on the Tenth Amendment, which is popular among Tea Partiers. To capitalize on that vote, Perry would do well to throw his backing to South Carolina’s fight against the Justice Department over voter fraud. He would also do well to speak out against President Obama’s unconstitutional recess bids, especially as those recess bids governing the National Labor Relations Board which is at war with Boeing over relocating their plant to a right-to-work state.
Damn, dirtboy, have you been paying off CC to say that? I thought I was the most anti-Perry poster! That Trans-Texas Corridor did it for me. He wanted an express lane from Mexico through Texas into the heart of American to allow companies to do business in Mexico instead of the US. He did so even though he was being screamed at by Texans and other Americans alike and it took the Texas legislature to shut him down and stop him from giving Texas lands to a Spanish company.
So then are you affirming that Perry positing a return to Iraq is pandering to Muslims or not?
You made the ‘pandering’ charge, defend it.
Seriously?! You actually believe that?
All the white space that follows is me being struck speechless by the sheer absurdity of that comment.
“Did you know that by Texas State law, you can opt out of any of the “strong-arm” vaccine mandates? “
So why did he have to make it a law instead of a recommendation?
In practice some private schools would not accept the opt-out because they felt if it is a law then it must be important. That law of his hurt children and violated the very Constitution Perry claims to support. Our bodies are our private property and Perry thinks he should be allowed to mandate what he thinks is best for us. That is no conservative.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqVE-DzQMS8&feature=player_embedded#!
Yes, I think Americans are significant, apparently you only think of the ones from Texas are.
If Iowa was so insignificant than why spend all that cash in the first place hmm? Perry myopia now relocates to SC, so when he loses there too will you call SC insignificant as well?
Either they meant what they said or they were full of it. We will see how much they meant what they said.
Wake up America. Rick Perry is the ONLY fiscial and social conservative that is running. He will make a great President.
Of course these ‘people’ don’t really think that, they just like to spit it up on their anti-Perry bibs for their friends to see and applaud.
“The guy flew military aircraft. It takes nerves of steel to do that. It also takes true grit to stumble like he did in that debate then come back time and again and stand and deliver”
He flew cargo aircraft, a C-130. No “nerves of steel” for that. Second, he is arrogant, and that is why he stays in with terrible polling numbers. He fights for himself, which is why he refused to give up that pro-Mexican anti-American Trans-Texas Corridor when everyone demanded he stop it. Even here on FR it was a major issue.
Well showing up for the groundbreaking for a mosque certainly won’t hurt. You guys are too funny...
If Iowa was so insignificant than why spend all that cash in the first place hmm? Perry myopia now relocates to SC, so when he loses there too will you call SC insignificant as well?
So that's what all this "Perry-is-Satan!-NO-HE'S-NOT!" in-fighting is about. I seem to have stepped into a hornet's nest full of people on both sides of an 'argument' who have lost their objectivity.
I hope y'all get this touchy-feely crap smoothed out soon. If i knew of a good marriage cyber-therapist, i'd recommend one, for the sake of keeping the family intact before it's too late to do any good.
Hold on there Hoss, this is the same argument the pro-choice folks try to make. Far be it from me to accept Perry's mandate meddling but your statement right there is straddling the fence.
>>Obamacare mandate(because there are no opt-out exceptions there.)
Better check your facts there. Seems there have been plenty of ‘opt-outs’ for Obamacare. Hundreds of thousands last time I checked.
Keep pimping for your boy Perry. I really don’t care. Mr 1% won’t be around much longer anyway...and good riddance.
dirtboy is no "Paultard." Puhleaze. He's as conservative as i am.
I gotta get outa here. You guys are giving me heartburn!
The Perry-is-Satan people just want Perry’s slice of the pie for their own candidates, including Obama.
If they were real conservatives, they’d be chomping at the bit for a man who plans to cut Washington DC to half its size or less.
That, or they have an ox or two that Perry might be threatening to gore.
But the true common denominator is they use the illegal argument for any and every topic: defense, state’s rights, killing fedzilla, tort reform, right-to life, none of that matters to them. And they hate it when you remind them Sheriff Joe Arpaio is stumping for Perry.
“It is a great honor to be in the presence of the Imam of 16 million Muslims around the world, a global humanitarian leader, a man of peace with a pluralistic vision for people around the world, His Highness, the Aga Khan, the 49th Hereditary Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims. Your Highness, on behalf of 23 million Texans, and over 600,000 thousand Muslims living in Texas, I extend our heartfelt appreciation for your 50 years of great international leadership. We are delighted to welcome you to the Lone Star State and participate in the celebration of your Golden Jubilee. I am also grateful to the many federal, state and local leaders in attendance tonight. By their presence, these special guests convey the profound respect that exists in the Western World for His Highness’ work and leadership.”
"The radicalization of Islam is a great concern," Perry said. "Islam of and by itself is one of the great religions, along with Christianity and Judaism."
Was that in ‘04? Whatever votes that may have won him, he sure
shot them to hell in ‘12 with back-to-Iraq.
But that’s ‘pandering’ to you.
It’s a bit deeper than that. The Palin Fan Club has it in their minds that Perry’s entrance into the race was the factor that convinced her NOT to run...Perry spoiled the party for them...they remain bitter to this day...it’s irrational, so don’t bother arguing with them.
Thanks ‘Bear. Lets see the LaRaza ricarrdo perryTinklers defend that info you found.. ALL islam is evil. There is no such thing as ‘moderate’ islam. islam is a death cult. Anybody who supports anything to do with islam is anti-American. The savages who follow and practice sharia law and islam want us DEAD. I guess even some FReepers don’t get it. 9/11 has been forgotten by some I guess.
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