Posted on 06/09/2011 8:01:07 PM PDT by smoothsailing
Allen Blakemore
June 9, 2011
GOP primary voters across America are still looking for their presidential candidate — but if Gov. Rick Perry jumps into the race, he would immediately be a leading contender for the party's nomination. He would appeal to all segments of the Republican electorate and would come armed with a record of economic success and a commitment to liberty that no other contender can match.
What Perry has to offer is still missing from the current field. He speaks not only to fiscal conservatives but also to Republicans more concerned with social and defense issues. For example, he successfully advocated legislation this year requiring sonograms prior to abortions. While not a priority to every voter, it is a core issue in a Republican primary.
On the stump he is a master campaigner who has developed an engaging stage presence. Unscripted, he is affable and witty while maintaining strict message discipline.
Given the current economic climate, Perry has a unique and compelling story to tell that America is ready to hear. As governor of Texas, he has presided over the most dynamic and successful economy in the nation.
Texas is dominating in job-creation and economic dynamism, even in a national recession. In the last 10 years, Texas has created 730,000 new private-sector jobs. The next best state mustered only 90,000 over the same period. California, the liberal antithesis to Texas, has lost 623,000 private-sector jobs — the most in the country.
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Texas’ success has earned accolades from observers nationwide, and not just from conservatives. For seven straight years, CEOs surveyed by Chief Executive magazine have ranked Texas No. 1 in job growth and business development. Newsweek and TheWall Street Journal have pegged Texas as the best place to find a job. No other state is home to more Fortune 1000 companies. Even Californians like the liberal former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, now serving as his state’s lieutenant governor, traveled to Texas trying to figure out why we're doing so well.
How did Texas do it? Perry’s message is simple: low taxes, restrained spending, reasonable regulations and a fair legal system. This is a story he can deliver to the nation. It's a recipe for success that stands in stark contrast to the expensive, top-down policies of the Obama administration.
While any Republican candidate can talk about smaller government, Perry’s story is truly unique in that Texas, under his leadership, has repeatedly — and recently — put these principles into action despite the tough choices involved. Texas has balanced the books each biennium, as required by its constitution. When necessary, Texas has slashed spending to reconcile the numbers. That line bears repeating. Texas has actually cut, in real terms, the dollars spent by government to balance the budget rather than stifling growth by raising taxes. That's not what we're accustomed to seeing in Washington. Perry has successfully led a legislative body in implementing these bedrock principles, even in the toughest of times, and real people are reaping the benefits.
Tea Party voters continue to exert significant influence and will be necessary for victory. Perry's success in balancing budgets and cutting spending has already endeared him to the Tea Party, but he is perhaps even more attractive to them for his consistent defense of liberty and constitutional principles.
On issue after issue, Perry has demonstrated the courage of his convictions in resisting federal overreach. He has refused federal funding for unemployment and education because he recognized that the carrot was not worth the stick that followed. Texas, he insisted, would set its own standards and protect its fiscal health by refusing to swallow another expansion of a federal program for which funding would never be provided. He has pointed out that the federal government has proven a failure at running the entitlement programs, which are busting federal and state budgets.
Perry has gone further than others in honestly acknowledging the unsustainability of the entitlement status quo and has begun a conversation about alternatives. In his book Fed Up!, he cites the success of the three Texas counties that were bold enough to opt out of Social Security in favor of a private option. Those counties are now running their own retirement programs, and returns to county workers are better than they would get under Social Security.
Perry offers the voters a compelling alternative to current national policies. President Barack Obama had a sizable legislative majority during his first two years in office, and the Democrats unleashed a massive experiment in liberal government. It has failed to work. Even traditionally “progressive” states like Wisconsin have begun to emulate the type of pro-growth policies favored by Texas — a right-to-work state, at least in the realm of government pensions and labor regulation.
Critics will be surprised at how receptive voters of all stripes can be to a story about more freedom and demonstrated economic growth. Perry doesn’t just understand that story — he wrote the book. And the nation is primed to listen.
Allen Blakemore is a Houston-based Republican strategist and the founder of Blakemore & Associates, a full-service political consulting firm. He served U.S. Sens. John Tower and Phil Gramm as regional director for West Texas operations.
AND THE HORSE YOU RODE IN ON!
Hell yea mutha trucka!
As a native born Texan (way before 1987) I can promise you that your satement about "conservatives" in Texas not liking him is incorrect. If Texas does not secure it's borders it is doomed. Texas, relative to all the power it has versus the Feds, totally ignores the border problem. But hey, if you want politics as usual Perry's the man. It'll be like Bush No. 3.
>> but the people on my short list are more conservative, imo.
Don’t be shy. Who do you got?
Give me ham on five and hold the mayo.
From the best of Clint Eastwood:
“A Mexican, A Jew, and a colored guy walk into a bar..,the bartender looks up and says;’Get The F.ck Out of Here’.”
The question is NOT whether you could get a waiver, it was WHAT is Perry’s mindset when he ordered it by executive order (it was not voted on by the house and senate).
Your logic is like defending Obamacare by saying that over 300 organizations have successfully got waivers.
The issue is the over-reaching, big government, nanny-state style of government, which “Slick” Rick is known for.
It's been a hoot! G'Night All!
You're letting your mouth write a check that your ass can't cash, friend.
I don't know a single Texas conservative who's happy with Governor Goodhair, and as far as him being "red hot with the Tea Party" - now that's hilarious.
So, I guess that makes it alright in your book? Do you have young daughters of your own? I do.
We are, but only because he's been the least gawdawful alternative.
Dittos from a fellow Texan.
Until about a month ago, that was basically my opinion about Gov. Goodhair. Then I started assessing his RESULTS in his stewardship of the G.S.O.T., and came away with the opinion that whatever impression that I had of him not being a Conservative, was really belied by the economic success of the Texas economy. He's been Governor for about eleven years (Ever since GWB went to DC), and whatever results Texas has achieved is directly attributable to Perry. In short, I removed him from my "Nightmare list of Rep. Primary Candidates" about a month ago. He's not on my Dream List yet, but I do believe that IF he runs, he will shoot to the top, and have almost unlimited financing, and will be one of the top contenders for the nomination. The General Election against Hussein (IF he is the Dem candidate) will be a cakewalk. My position on Rick Perry has changed from "He ain't really a Conservative" to "His results with the State of Texas are truly Conservative". I can and will support him if he gets the nomination.
My short list is: 1.DeMint 2.Palin 3.Bachmann 4.Bolton 5.Cain
That vaccine crap was among the scariest proposals of any politician, Left or Right.
We like most of the same people, and the only reason I didn’t add DeMint is because I don’t think he wants to run, but you never know, he might change his mind.
It sure was. We hadn't been living in Texas all that long when Perry mandated the vaccine for young girls. Our daughter was around 9 at the time, and we were almost ready to turn around and go back to California over it.
How any conservative can seriously contemplate supporting such a man for president, is beyond me.
Having said that, I do admit to having voted for him in the last two gubernatorial elections, but it was only because the alternatives were much worse.
“How did Texas do it? Perry’s message is simple: low taxes, restrained spending, reasonable regulations and a fair legal system. This is a story he can deliver to the nation. It’s a recipe for success that stands in stark contrast to the expensive, top-down policies of the Obama administration.
While any Republican candidate can talk about smaller government, Perry’s story is truly unique in that Texas, under his leadership, has repeatedly - and recently - put these principles into action despite the tough choices involved. Texas has balanced the books each biennium, as required by its constitution. When necessary, Texas has slashed spending to reconcile the numbers. That line bears repeating. Texas has actually cut, in real terms, the dollars spent by government to balance the budget rather than stifling growth by raising taxes. That’s not what we’re accustomed to seeing in Washington. Perry has successfully led a legislative body in implementing these bedrock principles, even in the toughest of times, and real people are reaping the benefits. “
I think this would resonate with most Americans. And he has an excellent record. Let’s put his record up against Obama’s.
I think Perry is the “anti-Romney” — he can beat Romney AND Obama.
“As a Texan since I moved here in 1987, I can promise you that your statement about conservatives in Texas not liking him is incorrect. He’s pretty red hot with the tea party here.’
Thanks for setting the record straight.
“quite frankly I don’t want to see GWB part 2,”
Let’s make sure we don’t nominate someone, like Perry, who could actually beat Obama, no, let’s not have a “GWB part 2.
Yes, we are SOOO much better off with another 4 years of Obama!
(/sarc on my part, but seems like you two are serious)
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