Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Rick Perry fails to impress in GOP debate
washingtonpost ^ | 09/07/2011 | Jennifer Rubin

Posted on 09/07/2011 10:58:58 PM PDT by free me

Texas Gov. Rick Perry needed to show in tonight’s debate that he is presidential, substantive and ready for prime time. While he made no major gaffes, he certainly did not stand out in the crowd. He took hits on his views on Social Security and on mandatory HPV testing, and unsurprisingly did not have convincing comebacks. At times — on foreign policy and on global warming — he seemed to search for words. He will need to lose the frozen grin as well. His best moment came near the end of the debate when he gave a measured, tough-minded defense of Texas’s high rate of executions, explaining the circumstances under which you will pay “the ultimate penalty” in Texas.

Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Michele Bachmann turned in solid performances. Nevertheless, it was largely a Romney vs. Perry affair.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: palin; perry
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 101-120121-140141-160161-174 next last
To: All

The article seems to be a fairly accurate assessment of the debate results. Paul needs to go away. He is nuts.


121 posted on 09/08/2011 6:08:30 AM PDT by LuvFreeRepublic (Support our military or leave. I will help you pack BO!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 120 | View Replies]

To: SaraJohnson

BUMP


122 posted on 09/08/2011 6:46:52 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (God, family, country, mom, apple pie, the girl next door and a Ford F250 to pull my boat.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 92 | View Replies]

To: free me
This was "Bash Rick Perry Night". The moderators gave him a bunch of leading questions designed to make him look like an ignorant hick (in yankee parlance.... I should know I used to be one...a yankee, that is). At no time before the anointed one was elected president, did the MSM challenge Obama like they have Perry or any of the other GOP candidates.

Anyhow, I thought Perry's performance was O.K., but he probably can and will do a lot better in the future. He should have been better prepared last night to answers questions about his book because the media would like to make that the focus of the campaign and not the economic performance of Texas (and Rick Perry's stewardship of it).

I think most of us here on Free Republic would agree with Perry's assertions that, "Social Security is a Ponzi scheme", and that there is "no conclusive evidence to prove that man is responsible for global warming". However, to a large group of easily frightened senior citizens and wishy-washy people in the middle, these statements, without the benefit of a more lengthy explanation, scare the hell out of them or confirm the biases they may have about Southerners in general, and Texans, in particular. Perry should explain that he advocates a different retirement process for the future, but will take action to shore up the current system for those who have retired or are near retirement. As for the global warming, Perry should simply say that this a matter for climatoligists to figure but he's is skeptical of the evidence he has seen to date.

In style, I think Mitt Romney did very well, but we all know that he is just a very polished politician who will say almost anything to get elected. He does not have very deep nor consistent political convictions.

Perry will have to pick up him game a little bit more and answer questions more completely, so as to avoid be labeled and characitured by the MSM as a "Wacky Right-wing ignoramus."
123 posted on 09/08/2011 7:02:44 AM PDT by 3Fingas ( Sons and Daughters of Freedom, Committee of Correspondence)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: truthfreedom

The argument we were having was not over whether a specific requirement for Gardisil was appropriate. Well, that is the argument we SHOULD be having, but because of both the “sound bite” nature of debates, and the desire of Perry opponents to attack him with the strongest charges possible, the argument made against him is that he opposed parental rights because he required a vaccine.

My argument is that this is a different argument, because we DO have a long list of mandatory vaccines, Texas law already gives the executive branch the responsibility for determining which items are on the list, and provides the opt-out provisions which appply to vaccines on the list.

So the attacks on Perry that he usurped authority are wrong, and the argument that he opposes parental rights are wrong. His error, and I strongly agree it was an error, was to make Gardisil a mandatory vaccine. That argument has nothing to do with parental rights or usurping authority.

I agree with you on Gardisil. I wrote two articles in Virginia opposing our Gardisil vaccine requirement, using those same arguments.

The problem with anti-perry folks is that the error in judgment of adding Gardisil to a vaccine list is a minor one, which Perry reversed, and has admitted was a mistake. That is why they are trying to make it into an argument that Perry rejects parental authority. That’s a rediculous claim for a guy who has pushed parental rights throughout his governorship, including parental consent laws.

Even in his executive order, he ADDRESSED parental rights, directing the administrators to streamline the opt-out process and advertise it, to make it easy for parents to opt-out.

Elsewhere I’ve explained that opt-in doesn’t make sense for a vaccination program, because you can always opt in to a vaccine, you don’t need a law or order. But the Texas vaccination law doesn’t provide for an opt-in procedure anyway.

IN summary, it’s absurd to argue that mandating a specific vaccine demonstrates a rejection of parental authority — because the vaccine program as a whole falls under that same argument, as does the attendance rules for public school.


124 posted on 09/08/2011 8:21:13 AM PDT by CharlesWayneCT
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 69 | View Replies]

To: stephenjohnbanker

This guy’s idea of “strong” is Rino Ginrich standing up on his hind legs calling for amnesty. His idea of poor performance is Perry standing up for the death penalty in Texas.

Hmmmm. He produced an article with a point of view; but not the majority of the Republican voters’ point of view. So much for his “analysis.”

My husband who is a conservative but not involved in politics, said he was impressed by all of them. Huntsman, less so. Because of Romneycare, Mitt’s out for him.

Perry has to deal with a troubling series of positions in his history. But the offensive things he has done as a Governor under the tenth amendment brought up in the debate, is not the same as what he would do as a President under the tenth amendment where most decisions are left to the people and the States. If he is being honest about the tenth amendment, these kind of meat head decisions should not be imposed by him on the country.

All of the decisions debated in Perry’s back yard are State decisions which were in his constitutional power as Governor to make or propose. If he gets the nomination, conservatives will not be able to rest and ride it out as GOP head bobbers. He’s better than Romney, that is for sure. I think he can beat Obama. He’s not perfect.


125 posted on 09/08/2011 9:00:18 AM PDT by SaraJohnson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 122 | View Replies]

To: FreeReign
Few agreed with Perry on the vaccine. He had his hat handed to him by Texans.

That is the way it will be for conservatives with any Republican president who beats Obama. We won't be able to lay back and take a hay ride. We will have to ride him/her - inspect what we expect and raise cain when we don't get it. No room for screwing up in these times. With Perry, we have the tenth amendment to hang over his head when he is President. The decisions discussed in the debate that conservatives don't like, are decisions left to the people and the States so Perry, as Govenor had the authority to do what he did with the vaccine. He'd have no such authority as President under the constitution, to impose that on the country. Texans handed Perry's hat to him because vaccines are a decision they wanted left to the people. That's why I like Texas. We fight A LOT.

126 posted on 09/08/2011 9:11:03 AM PDT by SaraJohnson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 115 | View Replies]

To: Polybius

Yes, Perry has refused and vetoed many nanny state invitations to control the lives of Texans. It is not a knee jerk reaction for him to impose his will on the State like Obama, Bloomberg or Romney. This is what I like about him.

The vaccine mess was a brain fart. He should have left that up to the people, in consultation with their doctors, to decide. As the debate unfolded it came to light doctors were not real crazy about being the first state us use that vaccine on Texas children. He fell for a Pharma sales (snow) job drenched in fear of a vaccine to prevent an epidemic of cancer. DC is full of fear artists posing as lobbyists and advisors.


127 posted on 09/08/2011 9:24:40 AM PDT by SaraJohnson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 98 | View Replies]

To: DRey

It was a MANDATE!! What is the point in having a MANDATE if your going to have an opt out clause? Why wasnt it just made available to the piblic if THEY CHOSE to use it? Perry was looking for a kickback, thats why. Besides, I doubt the Texas legislature would have ruled against him like they did had it been legit.


128 posted on 09/08/2011 10:20:51 AM PDT by allsouthern
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: allsouthern

Do you have any links to show Perry takes kickbacks?


129 posted on 09/08/2011 10:44:40 AM PDT by SaraJohnson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 128 | View Replies]

To: SaraJohnson

Do you honestly believe such things are done in such a way as to be easily linked back to him? There is only two reason a one would push a mandate. 1. Hes a flaming commie who believes the govt should control everything, even parental decisions. 2.He is looking to profit from it. Some things are common sense. Just like the Perry donors killing the sanctuary cities bill. I guarantee you he had them do the dirty work so he wouldnt look like the bad guy. There is none so blind as he who will not see.


130 posted on 09/08/2011 10:59:57 AM PDT by allsouthern
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 129 | View Replies]

To: allsouthern

If you are going to accuse people of crimes (taking kickbacks), you should have some evidence of it. Otherwise, you are just bearing false witness - smearing people you don’t like.

Perry is involved in creating conditions condusive to building industry in Texas. He deals with business people and tries to meet their needs in Texas so they locate here, flourish and hire Texans. He walks that talk about making a friendly business enviornment in Texas. He’s not Jesus, though and is open to and surrounded by temptations and has to be watched - like all people in power.


131 posted on 09/08/2011 11:23:25 AM PDT by SaraJohnson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 130 | View Replies]

To: Polybius

The Black Death that swept the continent beginning with the middle of the 14th century was accelerated by the failed harvests, which left peasants with not enough surplus to tide them over the winter. People in the cities suffered because the price of grain went up so much. For the next few hundred years, malnuitrition racked the populance, Wasn’t until the new foods from abroad began to appear that the population levels began to rise again.


132 posted on 09/08/2011 11:43:07 AM PDT by RobbyS (Pray with the suffering souls.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 97 | View Replies]

To: americanophile

The two dollar gas thing is not so absurd. The price of oil is —like the price of gold—psychological. If Obama and Biden were to die tomorrow and be replaced by Boner, and all the stops were removed, there would be a huge rush to increase production in the future.


133 posted on 09/08/2011 11:46:59 AM PDT by RobbyS (Pray with the suffering souls.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 100 | View Replies]

To: Berlin_Freeper
What happened to all the Michele Bachmann supporters on FR? There used to be a steady stream of news items being posted for Bachmann, but now there are like ZERO. I just scanned 75 posts here, before coffee, and have not seen a single post in support of her.

She blew up one time too many. She made some goofy comment in which I recall myself and about 25+ Freepers simultaneously facepalming, and deciding we couldn't stay on the sinking ship, the SS Bachmann, any more.

134 posted on 09/08/2011 12:25:21 PM PDT by Lazamataz (If Hitler had been as lazy as Obama, the 1940's would have been a very nice decade!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 79 | View Replies]

To: SaraJohnson

My impression of Rick is that he lives to live well, but that the money is secondary to the power and the esteem. Not unlike Reagan, except Reagan was much more an idea man.


135 posted on 09/08/2011 1:09:42 PM PDT by RobbyS (Pray with the suffering souls.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 131 | View Replies]

To: Savage Beast

Certainly Bush mad some questiionable picks. Many on hisd administation were on to Fannie and Freddie, but he chose as his last treasury secretary a Goldman Sachs flunky. Talk about putting the fox in charge of the hen house. Another member of the Cartel is Geitner.


136 posted on 09/08/2011 1:15:49 PM PDT by RobbyS (Pray with the suffering souls.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 109 | View Replies]

To: allsouthern
What is the point in having a MANDATE if your going to have an opt out clause?The point of having a mandate is so that Medicaid and insurance will pay for the $360 shots. Without a mandate, they will not, and MOST kids whose parents actually want them to get the shot are no longer able to afford it. Without the mandate, it's not FREE to consumers. However, as Perry well knew, some parents would not want to give their kids the vaccine, so he did, in fact, include an "opt out" provision. It required parents, at the doctors office for other required vaccines, to sign saying they opted out.

By the time the Texas legislature met (they are rarely in session), the misinformed and the Perry haters in Texas had twisted this thing into something crazy, we all believed it, and the legislature bowed to our demands that our daughters not be forced to take the vaccine -- which was never an issue. Dirty politics and MSM BS. Perry was right.
137 posted on 09/08/2011 1:29:37 PM PDT by DRey (Perry/Rubio 2012)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 128 | View Replies]

To: DRey

Medicad isn’t paying for it, we, the taxpayers are paying for it.


138 posted on 09/08/2011 1:31:57 PM PDT by beandog (You can't elevate Perry by tearing down Palin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 137 | View Replies]

To: beandog

No, we are not. It was rescinded. Anyone that wants the vaccine pays $360 each for the first of, I believe, three in the series.


139 posted on 09/08/2011 2:04:25 PM PDT by DRey (Perry/Rubio 2012)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 138 | View Replies]

To: DRey

I knew the Perry spin master would show up. So, you must be ok with Obama style governing. Perry wants to cram the Gardasil mandate down our throats and then decide who gets the waiver. Does that sound familiar? Let me help you, Obamacare. Remember? Perry looks alot like Obama from here.


140 posted on 09/08/2011 2:37:58 PM PDT by allsouthern
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 137 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 101-120121-140141-160161-174 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson