So, the political pundits and talking heads – particularly on the conservative side – all think Rick Perry (President of the 2nd Republic of Texas) should – or will – jump into the race for the Republican/Tea Party (GOTP) nomination. On what grounds do they – or Perry – think he’s electable? Do they think he’s electable because he’s uber-right conservative Christian; because he’s been governor of Texas; because he’s folksy, and has a cowboy’s swagger?
Now where have we seen those credentials before? Oh yeah, George W. Bush – quite probably one of the worst presidents in our nation’s history (which is saying something considering some of the past presidents); the man singly responsible for allowing terrorists to kill more than 3,000 Americans on U.S. soil; for taking our country into two wars, not paying for either, and lying to get us into one; for not only ending but dismantling one of the country’s longest running peace time economic expansions , spending away a budget surplus, expanding the debt, deficit and size of the federal government to new and exasperating levels. Yeah, let’s elect another uber-conservative Christian, former governor of Texas full of folksy cowboy humor and swagger …
“Texans, God love them, have that bigger-than-life persona about politics and that doesn’t necessarily play everywhere,” said (to the AP) Christopher Nicholas, a Republican political consultant who has worked extensively in the Northeast and Midwest. “I haven’t heard a lot of Republicans call Social Security a disease.”
According to the Associated Press (AP), Perry has. “He branded Social Security and other New Deal programs ‘the second big step in the march of socialism,’ according to a book published last year. The ‘first step” was a national income tax, which he has said stands alongside the direct election of U.S. senators as a major mistake among the amendments to the U.S. Constitution.'”
That’s right folks; Perry thinks a citizen having the ability to elect their senators was a major mistake; seems he’d prefer the good old days when state governments – or governors – chose who would represent each state in the senate.
Reportedly in the recent Texas legislative session, Perry’s “emergency items” included laws that require a photo ID in order to vote, a sonogram before a woman had an abortion and enforcement of federal immigration laws by local police.
While I don’t necessarily disagree with a photo ID for voting, requiring women to have sonograms and having the local police enforcing federal laws is the typical uber-conservative over-reach of late. Conservatives scream about government involvement until they want to become “involved” then it’s OK.
But will he run for president? While promoting his book last year, “Fed Up: Our Fight to Save America from Washington,” Perry said, “The best concrete evidence that I’m really not running for president is this book, because when you read this book, you’re going to see me talking about issues that for someone running for public office, it’s kind of been the third rail if you will.”
During the debate over health care Perry said outright that Texas should secede from the United States and pushed the idea of pulling Texas out of Medicaid, the state-federal program that provides health care for low-income people.
It’s the state’s rights stance that has placed Perry so far to the right that he would – in all probability – find it difficult on the national political stage. His pro state’s rights agenda has led him into raucous fights with the Environmental Protection Agency.
Last month, Perry signed a symbolic bill – meaning it has no teeth – allowing Texas companies to continue producing incandescent light bulbs banned by the EPA, as long as they are sold within the state. Texas is the only state that has refused to put in place the EPA’s new rules regulating carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases.
While the Texas style bravado plays well in Austin it is doubtful it will play well outside if the Lone Star State. In recent national polls Perry places a distant third – just behind Michelle (Krazy) Bachmann with 12% of Republican/Tea Party (GOTP) voters polled, while Mitt (Flopsy Mopsy) Romney is at 25%. Perry hasn’t shown up on any polls for Iowa, and in New Hampshire polling he is coming in with a dismal 7% tied with Herman (Pizza Man) Cain, and trailing Ron Paul (9%), Sarah (Ice Queen) Palin (11%), Krazy (18%), and Flopsy Mopsy who leads with 25%. Generally when one enters a political contest you want to poll somewhere close to the front of the pack; so far Perry ranks a distant third in some and very distant 6th or 7th place in others. But who knows, maybe his Texas size ego won’t allow him to sit back and watch. Maybe he’ll jump in and prove how uninformed he truly is on national and international issues, although one would guess he’d probably hold his own against Katie Couric.
The Liberty Tree 