[xzins]

Perry is a conservative:

Pro-Life
Pro-Gun
Pro-Family
Pro-God
Pro-America
Pro-Fiscal Responsibility
Pro-Secure Borders
Pro-Business
Pro-Trade
Pro-Spending Cuts
Pro-Justice

There is a point at which reality bites deep when erroneous reports surface.

There is no basis for challenging Perry’s conservative credentials. He has governed as a conservative. He has made mistakes. He has corrected those mistakes.

Texas is a conservative model for America: no income tax, vital economy, moral strength, and a place to raise a family.

That sure isn’t my state of Ohio, nor is it Calif, Michigan, PA, etc. Texas is far better off than those states, although Kasich is attempting to put the pieces back together again in Ohio.

There is no point in attempting to destroy our few tested conservative leaders in order to further one’s own favorite conservative leader. If we’re going to injure people, then let’s injure rinos like Romney, Giuliani, etc.

How many of us former supporters of GW Bush wouldn’t welcome him back with open arms rather than continue down the socialist path with Barack Obama? With all his warts, GW was FAR better than Obama.

[philman_36]

Perry is a conservative:
I couldn't disagree more strongly. He's whatever the political winds blow. At heart, IMO, Mr. Goodhair is nothing more than a Progressive who wears whichever political hat he needs to wear to get elected.

There is no basis for challenging Perry’s conservative credentials.
Yes there is. Would you like me to show you?
You've always seemed open to discussion.

[philman_36]

Texas is a conservative model for America: no income tax, vital economy, moral strength, and a place to raise a family.
Texas is those things in spite of Perry, not because of Perry.

[napscoordinator]

Texas is a conservative model for America: no income tax,

lol. The property taxes more than make for the no income tax. Texas is insane with the amount of taxes they charge.

[philman_36]

Pro-Family - He did sign the Defense of Marriage Act. Again, he knows which way the political wind blows in Texas. However, there are enough rumors going around about his personal sex life to choke a mule. There are far too many examples of such conduct amongst political power players for it to be easily passed over.
And no man should mandate via executive order that someone else's daughter should get a HPV vaccine especially when he had ties to the only company that produced the vaccine. That isn't his job and reeks of totalitarianism and cronyism! It should have gone before the legislature.

[philman_36]

Pro-God - I'll give him that.
Candidates mirror population in attending more than one church
Perry said he grew up in the Methodist church with a structured ceremony, where there was "comfort in tradition and stability."
"We sang the doxology, the preacher would preach, we would have a hymn," he added.
Perry now attends Lake Hills Church more frequently than he attends Tarrytown, he said, in part because it's closer to his home. The megachurch attracts about 3,000 members to its two services on Sunday at its West Austin and downtown campuses. Lake Hills offers a completely different experience.
"They dunk," Perry said. "Methodists sprinkle."
I've got my qualms about Methodists, but he at least appears to be a life-long Christian and doesn't mind attending a nondenominational evangelical church.

Pro-America - Well that's rather vague so you would have to be more specific.
From his little excursion with Spain's Cintra, in relation to the Trans-Texas Corridor, his "American values" are put to the question. The H.P. Zachary angle to that whole boondoggle of the TTC was never covered enough in my book. Cronyism again is an issue.

[philman_36]

Pro-Secure Borders - Now, now, you can't combine all of the border issues into one group. This is the area where he's weakest. First off there was the in State tuition bill. He should never have signed that bill.
MALDEF Forces Withdrawal of Legal Challenge to Texas’ In-State Tuition Law, H.B. 1403
Known as Texas House Bill (H.B. 1403) and signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry in 2001, the in-state tuition law provides educational access to all qualified Texas residents, regardless of immigration status.
Texas Gov Says US Needs Migrants, Not Border Wall
"We know how to deal with border security, and you don't do it by building a fence," Perry said, ahead of a meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
Texas Governor opposes Border fence
YouTube...Rick Perry: Border Fence is "Nonsense"
"The idea that we're gonna build a wall is nonsense."
And, of course, when the political winds began to blow against him he changed his position...somewhat.
Texas Gov. Perry: ‘Boots Needed on the Ground’
“That’s our point about having boots on the ground — you cannot secure a border with just technology, or just fences, or just aviation assets, for that matter,” Perry said. “You have to have boots on the ground. So we’re spending millions down there building this fence, and I’ll guarantee you, you know, the 15-foot ladder business is going to get good on that 14-foot fence.”
(everybody knows that "what everybody knows", you know, is usually wrong) we don't need no steenking ladders!
If we don't need the fence then why is it being built? And as far as putting boots on the ground...isn't he in charge of the Texas National Guard?

Pro-Business - Legislature's area, not the governor.
Pro-Trade - Legislature's area, not the governor. And being in favor of NAFTA is not a good thing in my book.
Pro-Spending Cuts - Legislature's area, not the governor.
He can be pro or con on any of those issues and it doesn't make a bit of difference. It's just political pandering when he has no control over the issue.

Pro-Justice - Expand your thoughts on that. Being in favor of the death penalty hardly exemplifies being "Pro-Justice".
Again, the political winds blow a specific direction in Texas. He knows better than to push against it.

This has all been just light stuff I've quickly thrown together. God help him if I got into the heavy stuff.

[af_vet_rr]

There is no basis for challenging Perry’s conservative credentials. He has governed as a conservative. He has made mistakes. He has corrected those mistakes.

Those are not mistakes. A mistake is whenever he pretended to support people talking about secession. Once the media got a hold of it, he issued a statement through the governor's office saying that he would never support secession.

The other stuff, that was stuff that he tried hard to accomplish, he planned it for years, or he handled it in ways that made it clear that he knew people would oppose it. Being the first sitting Governor to support a Republican for the 2008 Presidential campaign, a pro-abortion Republican at that, and then going out of his way to campaign for that pro-abortion Republican in various states and on Fox News and I believe CNN as well, that is not a mistake. A mistake would have been if he said something positive about Giuliani and people got upset and he retracted it, but no, he went on the campaign trail and went in front of the news channels.

Talking in 2001 about more closely linking Mexico and Texas through transportation and working hard to get that through all the way up until being slapped down 8 or so years later is not a mistake. Bypassing the legislature to push the HPV vaccine, which was going to cost either parents or taxpayers or both $360 per girl was not a mistake.

The point is, these are not simple gaffes, except for the secession thing. He planned these for years, followed through on them, or tried to carry them out in such a way as to slide them through without opposition.

They are especially not mistakes when you look at how many people associated with those things and companies had close ties to Perry.

[LibertarianInExile]

Let’s start with your most egregious lie, that Perry is:

“Pro-Secure Borders”
OH, GIVE ME A BREAK! Talking tough and fast-tracking this year does not make up for failing to show leadership on this issue throughout his entire term of office. He’s coddled sanctuary cities—until now. He’s said Arizona’s immigration law is wrong—until now. He’s done jack on the border, when he could have been a leader. He was ready to Kelo up TTC and hand all that Texas property to Mexico; he’s just as eager to do that to the rest of the country if he sets foot in the White House. He’s not pro-secure-borders AT ALL.

“Pro-Life”
If this is true he could have fast-tracked anti-abortion legislation any number of times over the last few sessions. I’m sorry, when did that happen before this year...

“Pro-Gun”
...about the same time he fast-tracked guns to protect students on campus? That, of course, was not on his emergency list, was it? He’s been governor since Bush left. Where was Perry on that issue in 2005? 2007? 2009? None of these were emergency issues until he started “not” running for President. And of course, he endorsed Al Gore and Michael Dukakis, and when you think of pro-gun, you think Michael Dukakis first, don’t you? Perry can shoot all the coyotes he wants, but it doesn’t make him a Second Amendment hero.

“Pro-Family / Pro-God / Pro-America”
I bet he’s against flag burning and for apple pie, too. All non-issue fluff to fill out your list here. But hang on—if he’s so pro-family and pro-God, where is he for increasing school prayer in Texas? Absent, that’s where. Haven’t heard anything from him about that, or the Texas Board of Education’s textbook troubles, because ol’ Slick Rick keeps his name out of the limelight when it comes to anything that might mess up his political hair. And if he’s so pro-America, how come he started right off the block appointing leftists to Texas political offices like Henry Cuellar, Elizabeth Ames-Jones (a liberal who wanted to end judicial elections in Texas) and Xavier Rodriguez?

Pro-Spending Cuts / Pro-Fiscal Responsibility
He increased the franchise tax and hasn’t cut CPS, DOT, TEA, THECB, or any of the huge Texas state departments that a conservative would be eager to slice and dice. Plus, he has been sitting on slush funds—like the Texas Enterprise Fund—that taxpayers have paid for, and he’s used that money to pay off his buddies and supporters, like Countrywide and F1. Security costs for his junkets overseas are legendary (but I guess only Obama deserves criticism there). Yeah, he’s Mr. Fiscal Responsibility all right.

Pro-Business/Pro-Trade
I bet he is, when it comes to his buddies. But when it comes to the average business, paying the franchise tax and heck, even paying Texas’ property tax at home is a heck of a burden. Sure, some taxes are better than they are in other states. But we’re still paying for everything he wants in the huge bureaucracy that is Austin. And it’s hard to see how he’s pro-American and pro-American-business when he doesn’t care about secure borders, borders which let illegals flood out American laborers. Maybe you meant to say he’s pro-businesses that hire illegals.

“Pro-Justice”
Why did he sign the so-called “Hate Crimes” law then? Why did he appoint the self-described David Souter of the Texas Supreme Court? Why has he loaded the Texas judiciary with RINO appointments from city firms that donate money to his campaigns, while passing over conservatives with actual GOP credentials?

“There is a point at which reality bites deep when erroneous reports surface. There is no basis for challenging Perry’s conservative credentials. He has governed as a conservative. He has made mistakes. He has corrected those mistakes.”

He’s made mistakes because he’s not a conservative. He has governed as a conservative because Texas governors don’t do much governing, and the legislature and Dewhurst won’t let him govern as a liberal. He’s corrected his mistakes where forced to do so by conservatives, which is why he’s now shamelessly pandering to them after years of ignoring them.

“Texas is a conservative model for America: no income tax, vital economy, moral strength, and a place to raise a family. That sure isn’t my state of Ohio, nor is it Calif, Michigan, PA, etc. Texas is far better off than those states, although Kasich is attempting to put the pieces back together again in Ohio.”

I’m in Texas right now. I know it’s better than Ohio. But that doesn’t mean it’s perfect, and it sure isn’t because of Rick Perry’s leadership that Texas is better than Ohio.

“There is no point in attempting to destroy our few tested conservative leaders in order to further one’s own favorite conservative leader. If we’re going to injure people, then let’s injure rinos like Romney, Giuliani, etc.”

I’m fine with injuring RINOs and supporting conservatives. You just need to recognize them. And by the way, Perry ENDORSED Giuliani in 2008. So perhaps his (and your own) vision of what constitutes a RINO may be a bit fuzzy.

“How many of us former supporters of GW Bush wouldn’t welcome him back with open arms rather than continue down the socialist path with Barack Obama? With all his warts, GW was FAR better than Obama.”

How many of us former supporters of GW Bush don’t recognize that electing Dubya—and nominating McCain—LED to Barack Obama, because the American people didn’t believe in Republican conservatism any more? Sure, W was better than Obama. McCain probably would have been better than Obama, too. But electing a truly conservative president in 2000 or nominating a conservative in 2008 would have been far better than electing a W or McCain, and wouldn’t have resulted in an Obama in 2008, either. Didn’t McCain teach you that the GOP’s Tea Party base won’t accept RINOs, more Dubai sellouts, or settling. Picking Rick Perry would be settling at best and a sellout leading to more Obamas at worst.