Rick Perry - A Perspective

For Republicans the inevitable has happened. We now have a Class A conservative competing with a Class A moderate to face a vulnerable liberal incumbent Democrat in 2012. Both Perry and Romney have significant records of success (Romney in business; Perry in government); both have national networks (Romney from his 2008 run; Perry from his chairmanship of the Republican Governors Association); both are prodigious fund raisers; both have been governors; both appear to have unblemished personal histories. A welterweight or two may remain in the hunt, but these are heavyweights.

By chance I have met Governor Perry twice - once at the Red State Gathering in Austin in 2010; once at a Northern California Lincoln Club seminar in 2011. A fews observations:

1. Perry is legitimately "down home." In Austin his schtick included hosting a Texas-style BBQ for several hundred conference participants, casual western dress, and an afternoon at a rifle range for a few VIPs. He mingles well, has a lot of Texas small talk, and is a gracious host. His roots, life story, and politics are all transparent.

2. He enjoys being "in your face." With the more moderate California group containing many potential donors he enjoyed explaining that his primary reason for being in California was to recruit businesses interested in moving to Texas. The style plays well in Texas and is OK with core Republicans. With others, not so much.

3. He also enjoys discussing policy and economic development. A primary talking point is tort reform which resulted in an increase in doctors moving to Texas, particularly to poor areas. On taxes, regulation, and appreciation for business he justifiably relishes the position of being the anti-Obama.

One has to have some sympathy for the liberal media. Perry can fairly be criticized for the Texas's low ranking in public education funding and health care; he has offered many exploitable quotations on secession, social security, Medicare, and the Federal Reserve; his speech cadences even sound like George W. Bush. Liberal minions like Paul Krugman will make laughable efforts to show that Texas' leadership in producing jobs in the past decade is an illusion. Serious students of politics might read "Fed Up", Perry's 2010 book about his "unwavering belief in the goodness of America", unencumbered by big federal government.

The difference between Perry and Romney is real - with President Perry (and the likely Republican House and Senate) you would get a balanced budget amendment, a major downsizing of the federal government, and socially conservative judges. In Newtonian terms, the liberal "action" of the past decade would result in an "equal and opposite reaction". With Perry the reaction would be by brute force. With Romney it would be done withiin the system and would be less complete. (For example - Wall Street reform would be vastly different.)

It will take a month or more for the polls and the frenetic media to settle down; meanwhile Romney ramains the frontrunner, even to knowledgeable conservative observers. The scheduling of Republican primaries (beginning in February with the convention in late August) favors a conservative early, but a moderate later. Romney's strategy will apparently be to remain focused on Obama and his 26% approval rating on the economy; Perry will apparently speak loudly about whatever is on his mind and may well wander into many meaningless minefields. In the end most Republicans and conservatives will vote for ABO.

The Democratic quandry is how much to attack the easily-attacked Tea Party favorite, thus increasing the odds for Romney who would be a much more formidable candidate among swing voters. This choice will undoubtedly occupy President Obama between rounds of golf and his laser-like focus on jobs during his 10 day Matha's Vineyard vacation.

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This week's video, for those in low exposure TV markets, is Perry's first presidential campaign ad. A few more may follow.

bill bowen - 8/19/11

also visit www.BillBowenAuthor.com.

 

Comments

[Bill McCormick]

SOME GOOD LUCK-----

The relatively harmless earthquake in Virginia and the limited destruction of Irene have seemingly given the economy a shot in the arm. That is good news to the President and all of us on the East Coast. Aside from a quick return from vacation and a lot of TV appearances to look like a commander in the FEMA control center the President actually did sound more like he cared rather than was selling this time. Good job on the preparation and execution side by FEMA and the Governors/Mayors for this one. Now let's hope they get the power back on and the floods receede quickly.

[David Howe]

Texas spokesmen have recently debunked the inaccurate statements of Arne Duncan regarding Texas's educational results and classroom sizes.

More of my opinion of Rick Perry at

http://www.redstate.com/wosg/2011/08/21/rick-perry-our-next-president/#comment-176

[Morgan Warstler]

TX Black students out perform Illinois and Wisconsin Black students.

TX Hispanic students out perform Illinois and Wisconsin Hispanic students.

TX White students out perform Illinois and Wisconsin White students.

Hi to Sarah!

[Bill McCormick]

GE's CEO----

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, liberal Democratic Ohio Congressman has called for GE's Jeff Immelt to resign his post as head of the President's job commission. I guess it is not only conservatives and Republican's who see the folly in Immelt's behavior and the conflict of interest between his actions and the role the committee is supposed to be playing for the President. But, when you contibute as much PAC money as he does then it must be difficult for the President to ask him to step down and at the same time try to raise $1B for his campaign.

GOAT HERDER REGULATIONS----Really?

Another of America's small businesses are being regulated, thank goodness. Goat and sheep farmers are now being required to provide separate sleeping quarters for each goat herder, a matress to sleep on, fire proof walls , a cell phone and cooking instructions. Just this week the President told the farmer in Iowa "don't believe everything you hear". I wonder what the cowboys and indians think about now? I'm sorry but this is an example of just how far off line this administration is. Small business people everywhere are being directly targeted to increase costs to support his social issues.

[Bill McCormick]

ONE MORE DOWN----

NATO with rumored help of American drones and special forces finally
appears to have finished off another Dictator. Is Assad next or will he take the low road and leave town? The clearest message for me out of all this is how powerful the US is and how weak the rest of the world is militarily. It took NATO, arguably the 2nd most powerful force in the world, many month's to take out a token military force. One the US would have unraveled in a matter of a few days. Of course the good news is NATO did ost of it and we did not have to use overt US forces. And, if this starts a pattern of NATO taking more responsiblility for these wars it will be a positive for this President. Feeling thier oates perhaps they will remove Assad next. Or, perhaps the President can now turn Iraq over to NATO and get more support for the Afghan war or drawdown--whatever that policy is. In any case if the Libiyan oil is back on line then Europe and Amemerica should benefit economically. Let's hope so. And. Al Queda? I'm sure they are in the mix somewhere.

[Bill McCormick]

The BIG 12-----

So last night the numbers came out again on the 12 Budget Committee members PAC money contributions. And, combined they have gotten $64M
over the last ten years from special interest groups. $15m to Kerry the leader. $8M to Baucus second. In total $43 M to the 6 Democrats and $21 M to the 6 Republicans. So why is it that Republicans are always the ones who are accused of being in the pockets of big business and special interest groups? Guess what two nonbanking, nonlegal companies led the PAC contributions? GE and Micrsoft. Any surprise that they get the President's favors? And, in banking it was Goldman, Citigroup & Bank of America. Wall Street and the bailout guys. And, these were the 12 best choices to determine what we should cut spending on? No conflict of interest here? In the past 12 months these 12 Congressional members have sponsored $85B in cuts and $1.2T in spending increases. Baucus has not sponsored a single dime in cuts. This is a shining example of why we are in this position. You see that the old guard runs Congress and unless the American people throw them all out they'll never get things to change. And,our leader? 26% approval rating on the economy. 71% disapproval.

[Dick G]

Couldn't resist looking a bit further into the 'Education knock'. The article referred was a little suspicious as it dwelt solely on the expense paid per student ; over and over #44. The article gave the highest (New Jersey), the lowest (Utah) and Texas (44th).
Interestingly enough SAt's & ACt's averages were all within 5% of each other. As New Jersey was on the SAT scale and the median was in the lower 500's;it seemingly was of little consequence. Both Texas and Utah were at or above the national Average in Math and equal to it in 'Reading'. As usual whenever the NEA participates; concentration is most assuredly financial.