Posted on 07/21/2011 1:56:21 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
In the Russell Senate Office Building Caucus Room, Fred McClure was watching the crowd. It was March 1978, and the American Agriculture Movement a pressure group for government support of farm prices was meeting with Texan congressmen.
A legislative aide to Sen. John Tower (R.), McClure was leaning on a door when a rancher from Paint Creek, Texas, named Rick Perry walked past. Newly retired from the Air Force, Perry held a degree in animal science from Texas A&M. His class ring gave him away.
Spotting the ring, McClure, a fellow Texas A&M grad, introduced himself, and the two hit it off. Thirteen years later McClure, a notary public, would swear Perry into office as Texass agriculture commissioner, his first statewide office.
[snip]
Ken Luce, who managed Perrys campaign for agriculture commissioner in 1990, believes the advantage extends beyond Iowa. The agriculture economy is very important from Florida all the way to California and in between, he says. As agriculture commissioner, Perry felt comfortable getting into the weeds of agriculture policy, such as inspecting gas pumps and determining funding for fire-ant programs. And, perhaps most importantly, the skills Perry sharpened in winning his first statewide race could be useful if he runs for president.
In 1990, Perry was an obscure state legislator running against one of the most popular Texas politicians of the 1980s: Jim Hightower. Although Hightower had the advantage of incumbency, Perry rallied several important constituencies to his side. Farmers were livid with Hightower over his opposition to pesticides and his favoritism toward niche markets such as organic foods. Perry argued that Texas should support its mainstays, such as cotton and wheat. When the European Community temporarily banned imports of hormone-treated beef, Perry urged Hightower to stick up for Texas ranchers (instead, Hightower suggested they could sell hormone-free beef to Europe).
Hightower ignored mainstream agriculture for years, so they were riled up and Rick got them to cross over, Luce says. Perry beat the well-liked incumbent, 49 percent to 47 percent, even while the Republican gubernatorial candidate, Clayton Williams, lost to Democrat Ann Richards.
[snip]
Perry also won his election the old-fashioned way, outspending his opponent by about $400,000. And many of Perrys attacks on Hightower hit less on his agricultural incompetence and more on his unabashed liberalism (especially his endorsement of Jesse Jackson for president in 1988). Perry took the personality contest to such an extreme that when Hightower cut his finger in a lawnmower accident a few days before the election, Perry told reporters the event showed Hightowers total lack of common sense.
[snip]
And as for Perrys retail skills, Luce says theyre Grade A. Rick campaigned in all 256 counties in the state, he says. He went to rural and urban areas; he did small and big events. Rick is a campaigner.
Perry may be a latecomer to the Iowa race, but he is an old hand at face-to-face politics. This former Texas agriculture commissioner knows a thing or two about grass roots.
He’s talking about what happening in the race. Rove ran that race, and the Democrat is talking about what happened. Is anybody disputing what happened? If someone else, a third party, wrote the same article and it was Hightower said this, Hightower said that, it would be fine, I’m just trying to get across that Rove was involved closely in that campaign.
Rick campaigned in all 256 counties in the state, he says.
There are only 254 counties in Texas.
**What are the reality TV shows from Texas recently Hog Hunters gone wild?**
This came from Greg Cooper who has a huge ranch SE of Brownfield,Texas...south of Lubbock. I don’t know where the chopper hog hunting op is but it is clearly West Tejas. This is a long run video (about 20 minutes total) but the hogs get it!
I don’t see them dropping flags or stakes from the air to ground-mark their kills so as to go find them easily but I assume they “know” the country or wait for the turkey buzzards to tip them off. The pilot is really good!
Eleven years of executive experience leading the second most populous and the most economically successful State in the Union.
It can be boiled down to:
EXPERIENCE. COMPETENCE. RESULTS.
Kind of makes me want to growl in triumph as I vote for Palin.
Look, it's time to grow up and put aside childish fantasies.
There is no Santa Claus, there is no Tooth Fairy, there is no Easter Bunny and there will never be a President Sarah Palin.
There is a Marxist in the White House that is destroying the America the so many previous generations fought and died for and it is time to decide if you are going to help get that Marxist out of the White House or if you are going to allow him an easy reelection.
FOX News Poll (February 7-9, 2011)
Question 3: I am going to read you a list of names. Tell me if you think that person would make a good President or not.
Sarah Palin:
.................YES.........NO.......DK.....Never heard of
ALL...........23%.......72%.........4%.......1%
Dem ...........7%........87%........5%.......1%
Rep ...........40%.......56%.......3%.......1%
Ind ...........25%........69%.......3%.......1%
The question remains painfully academic until and unless Sarah Palin declares. As a non candidate she has made no presidential level promises except those made as a veep from behind John McCain’s shadow.
A rather unorthodox metric has correctly anticipated the last four presidents (or facsimiles thereof): T shirt sales. When you sit down and think about it, a politician really has to move you before you want to be a walking billboard for him or her. Well, today the T-shirts have it for Sarah Palin. If she chooses to walk through that door, the grassroots will be positively on fire (to shamelessly mix 3 metaphors).
As far as Sarah Palin is concerned, it has been "settled" for a very long time by now as her extremely toxic negatives among voters (outside of her rabidly loyal Fan Club) have sunk deeper and deeper and depper into the abyss since 2008.
FOX News Poll (February 7-9, 2011)
Question 3: I am going to read you a list of names. Tell me if you think that person would make a good President or not.
Sarah Palin:
.................YES.........NO.......DK.....Never heard of
ALL...........23%.......72%.........4%.......1%
Dem ...........7%........87%........5%.......1%
Rep ...........40%.......56%.......3%.......1%
Ind ...........25%........69%.......3%.......1%
It's time to join the present tf. You are harping on a 1989 campaign for the Texas Agriculture Commission -- it is 2011 -- 22 years later. Rove worked for Perry on ONE campaign 22 years ago (NO ONE has ever said different) and since then they have been estranged. I don't know how you think this is helping you "hurt" Rick Perry.
Ummm .... Okaaay ..... That's right up there at the top of the Tin-Foil Hat scale: Sarah Palin is unpopular because people are jealous of Alaska.
So why is Sarah Palin so unpopular in Alaska right now?
Because Sarah Palin supporters outside of Alaska are jealous of Alaska?
Do the delusions of the blind Palin worshipers have no limit?
Pay the Palin hating troll no attention, dear Eye of Unk.
His understanding of Alaska is ZERO.
It establishes a close early connection. Now, if you’re arguing that it might be more worthwhile to talk about something more immediately damaging than Rove.
I just want to talk to those Conservatives who said after Rove treated Christine so terribly that no way would they vote for a Rove candidate ever again. And I’m just saying that Perry was most definitely a Rove candidate, and once a Rove candidate, always a Rove candidate.
:-)
I see. Interesting. Well, have fun with that little lump of coal.
"I'm Rick Perry, governor of the state with the best economy and job growth in the nation."
Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry don't believe the same things?
Shocking! He switched parties like Ronald Reagan did!
Why don't you now fill us in on his connection to the Bilderberg group?!
Was Reagan in elective office?
And the point was not that he switched.
The point was that he was switched by Karl Rove.
No more Karl Rove Candidates.
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