No.
Not sure Texas is, as you put it, “the most conservative state in the union.” We’re a mixed bag, especially around Austin and in the Valley.
We’re an independent bunch and don’t mind thumbing our nose at Washington and doing things right for ourselves, but there’s a healthy mix of libertarianism and orneryness that flavors that “conservatism” to which you refer. Mostly, we want the feds to leave us alone, and Perry’s greatest achievement has been in sassing Washington.
On in-state matters, he gets a C minus at best. He’s backstabbed us on many issues. My pet peeve has been his dogged resistance to eminent domain reform. Perry has demonstrated that he thinks in Kelo terms.
And Perry got elected three times, not because he’s done such a good job, but rather because the Dems are so weak here that he has had no viable opposition.
He so angered his conservative base over the Trans-Texas Corridor that he won re-election in 2006 without a majority of the vote, just on a plurality.
Texan here, who will vote for Perry only if I have to.
Aside from the TTC, what eminent domain issues do you have with him?
And his 2006 plurality win was with 4 candidates where he still got 10% more than his nearest competitor.
I agree on Texas not being the most “conservative” state.