In Which (I Argue) the Financial Times Gets it All Wrong

 

Herewith, a screenshot from the webpage of the Financial Times at this hour.  

Perry

Question for the good people of Ricochet:  

Is the FT correct in suggesting, along with nearly every other organ of the mainstream media, that Rick Perry’s indictment represents a serious blow to the Governor? Or am I correct in insisting just the opposite—that, in enabling Perry to offer a powerful, utterly unapologetic response, proving to conservatives across the country that there’s a great deal more to the man than “oops,” the indictment has proven a rich boon?

 

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  1. Ryan M Inactive
    Ryan M
    @RyanM

    Peter…  when your bumbling hero (Obama) is out golfing like Nero playing the fiddle while his administration burns, and the world is proving you 100% wrong about everything you said about foreign policy for the past 10 years, and the economy is proving you wrong about everything you said on domestic policy over the past 10 years…  you post headlines like this, and inadvertently omit the most important part:   we wish this was damning for Republicans.

    Dreams, indeed.

    • #1
  2. Look Away Inactive
    Look Away
    @LookAway

    Peter, you are of course correct and the FT is wrong. However, given the fact that the British, particularly London,  are so willingly benefiting from the rape of  Russia by the oligarchs the FT needs to point the dirty finger somewhere else.

    • #2
  3. Eric Hines Inactive
    Eric Hines
    @EricHines

    First, I’m not convinced “Oops” was more than a momentary embarrassment.  People–even politicians–screw up.  Governor Perry handled his with aplomb.  Then he got visibly better with each debate (as did Governor Romney), plainly learning from his mistakes.

    Second, to your question, it occurs to me that the near universal claim by the NLMSM that the indictment dooms Perry’s Presidential (even political generally) aspirations is more a desperate hope than a prediction.

    The NLMSM, for instance, conveniently ignores the indictment of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and her trial, which was tossed five minutes after it started.  The lady didn’t fold, and Perry will benefit similarly.

    Eric Hines

    • #3
  4. Casey Inactive
    Casey
    @Casey

    Peter:  Perry Indictment – Serious Blow or Rich Boon?

    America:  meh…

    • #4
  5. Kevin Inactive
    Kevin
    @Kevin

    If Perry stands his ground, he’ll be fine.  If he backtracks at all, he’s doomed.

    He should never let a public appearance go by w/o  noting that this indictment is being brought to defend a District Atorny arreste for drunk driving w/ a .238 BAL and using her authority to get  privileged treatment an average person could never hope for.  Make sure that DWI video is played constantly.

    • #5
  6. user_537146 Inactive
    user_537146
    @PatrickLasswell

    If the Democrat Party and the Mainstream Media, but I repeat myself, want to cut their throats with this knife…try not to distract them.

    • #6
  7. Spin Inactive
    Spin
    @Spin

    I agree with the others.  This will be a boon for conservatives if we stick together and Perry sticks to his guns.  

    If the Democrats wants to make political hay out of this, they hit too early, I think.  This will be long over and done with by the time Perry is the nominee on the right (assuming he is so).  So they clearly think that they can nail him, and so long as he sticks to his guns, I think he’ll be fine.  Let’s keep showing the videos of that nutty woman…

    • #7
  8. user_86050 Inactive
    user_86050
    @KCMulville

    Even though it was a nakedly partisan indictment, Perry made an important point … unlike the current occupant of the White House … he will obey the law.

    • Even when he disagrees.
    • Even when it’s partisan.
    • Even when it may make him look bad, or temporarily frustrate him.
    • Even when it gives the press some mud to sling at him.

    That’s a mighty powerful credential, especially in contrast to Obama. And if Obama decides to ignore the Constitution, Perry will just look all the better.

    I think it’s a great move.

    • #8
  9. MikeHs Inactive
    MikeHs
    @MikeHs

    Whenever I want you
    All I have to do is drea…ea…ea…m
    Dream, dream, dream,

    Drea..ea…ea..m, dream, dream, dream,
    Drea…ea…ea…m, dream, dream, dream

    • #9
  10. Old Whig Inactive
    Old Whig
    @user_81407

    I agree with Kevin–it’s imperative that Perry keep fighting: He must never miss an opportunity to state precisely why he is right and his drunken foe is wrong.  And drunk.

    We in the conservative community sometimes get discouraged by our defeats and blame them on the fact that our candidate wasn’t conservative enough.  But I think success is less about purity and more about conviction.  Will our candidate fight for what he believes in–even if it’s less ideologically “pure” that I would prefer–or will he crumble when confronted?  Sure, I’d like more “true conservative” candidates and officeholders; but what’s more important is to fight and win in an effort to move the ball in the right general direction.

    It looks like Perry gets that.  And, based on what I’ve seen of the Drunken DA, he’s fighting from a position of strength.

    “Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.”

    • #10
  11. user_82762 Inactive
    user_82762
    @JamesGawron

    Peter,

    We are two countries seperated by a common language.  I recommend you “Call Dr. Delingpole!”  You need a consultant.

    Regards,

    Jim

    • #11
  12. Pete EE Member
    Pete EE
    @PeteEE

    Screenshot but no link. Isn’t that against CoC?
    http://video.ft.com/3739819206001/Tarnished-Perry-a-problem-for-Republicans/World

    • #12
  13. user_75648 Thatcher
    user_75648
    @JohnHendrix

    If David Axlerod is siding against Perry’s indictment then the FT must be wrong.

    • #13
  14. Paul A. Rahe Member
    Paul A. Rahe
    @PaulARahe

    As I said in a comment on an earlier post, this is a godsend for Perry. It focuses attention on him with regard to a dispute where he is clearly in the right, and it divides liberals — some of whom fear that the same trick could be played on one of their own. So far, Perry has exploited the opportunity to the hilt. This event gives him a leg up in the struggle to become the Republican nominee. It is not phony grandstanding (of the sort that Rand Paul and Ted Cruz have engaged in). It is a real crisis, and he has emerged looking . . . like a real man. The mainstream press is peopled with idiots.

    • #14
  15. Belt Inactive
    Belt
    @Belt

    I dunno.  If Perry can take control and drive the narrative, then he’s got a good chance of turning the tables on the left.  But we also have to recognize that the left and the media (a redundancy, of course) is committed to this story and will keep trying to push it.  They have the advantage in that they get to keep talking about the ‘indictment’ over and over without going into specifics, and they can rely on the ‘low information voters’ who only ever read the headline and think, “Meh, another corrupt politician.”

    Bottom line, I don’t think is a game-changer either for or against Perry, but it could shave a few percentage points off if he doesn’t stay on top of it, and that might be enough.

    • #15
  16. user_216080 Thatcher
    user_216080
    @DougKimball

    Once again the mainstream press underestimates the electorate.  People are capable of understanding the difference between the banana republic tactics of criminalizing the political opposition and real crime.  They also undertand executive powers, which include some pretty powerful unilateral weapons, including the veto, the pardon and commutation.  They can see that the criminalization of these powers is a both an abuse of the legal system and a clear usurpation of executive authority.  These are the same folks who indicted and convicted Tom Delay in their attempt to criminalize legal political funding, only to have their convictions vacated by a higher court.  Vacating a standing conviction is a clear rebuke.  These kinds of tactics are like bloodlust on the left.  I should mention the elimination of the filibuster and the misuse of Congress’ reconciliation rules in jamming though Obamacare to illustrate how far the left is willing to go to exercise and keep  power.  They  abuse the rules, the law and the opposition.  And that is nothing compared to their willingness to abuse the treasury, the constitution and the truth.   This indictment further reveals who they are and it ain’t pretty.

    • #16
  17. user_124695 Inactive
    user_124695
    @DavidWilliamson

    You are correct, Peter :-)

    We could do a lot worse than Mr Perry as President. In fact, we are.

    • #17
  18. Jim_K Inactive
    Jim_K
    @PlatosRetweet

    Yes, it’s a big plus for Perry. Watch him climb on the next Republican voter presidential preference poll.

    Even I, a secular Republican not disposed towards Perry’s religiosity and anti-gay rhetoric, can now envision him as a tough, take-no-prisoners leader capable of leading us into battle against the Democrats.

    • #18
  19. user_423975 Coolidge
    user_423975
    @BrandonShafer

    You are correct, this is a boon to his image and will backfire against the dems.  However, I will temper that with the unfortunate reality that even baseless indictments take time and money to fight.  That is the dirty trick of legal maneuvers like this.  In the case of Wisconsin, the legal moves of the John Doe investigations caused the targeted PACs to forfeit a great deal of time and forego a lot of fundraising and action that they otherwise would have done.  In the case of the IRS scandal, the chances of the IRS keeping tax-exempt status from the tea party groups forever was slim, but they effectively sidelined many for a whole election cycle.  Oh that there were effective punishments for this behavior to dis incentivize  bad actors from doing these kinds of things, but, alas, there is not a lot of downside to acting this way when you have no conscience and no honor.

    • #19
  20. Peter Robinson Contributor
    Peter Robinson
    @PeterRobinson

    Old Whig:

    We in the conservative community sometimes get discouraged by our defeats and blame them on the fact that our candidate wasn’t conservative enough. But I think success is less about purity and more about conviction.  

    Very nicely put, Whig.

    • #20
  21. Rightfromthestart Coolidge
    Rightfromthestart
    @Rightfromthestart

    They abuse the rules, the law and the opposition. And that is nothing compared to their willingness to abuse the treasury, the constitution and the truth. This indictment further reveals who they are and it ain’t pretty.

    That’ s perfect , Doug . The Republicans should flood the airwaves with that and let them scream.

    • #21
  22. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    Doug Kimball:
     These are the same folks who indicted and convicted Tom Delay in their attempt to criminalize legal political funding, only to have their convictions vacated by a higher court. Vacating a standing conviction is a clear rebuke. These kinds of tactics are like bloodlust on the left. 

    And what political office has Tom Delay held since then?
    Their tactics may be illegitimate, but they certainly seem effective.

    • #22
  23. user_18586 Thatcher
    user_18586
    @DanHanson

    So far, this is a huge win for Perry.  The Democrats just made him the spokesman for the people who fear government power.   His case is also a very clear demonstration of just how government power can be subverted for nefarious ends. 

    My opinion is that the indictment just made Rick Perry the front-runner for the Republican nomination.  In second place and perhaps coming up fast is Mitt Romney.

    • #23
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