Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
The Houston Chronicle's "Texas on the Potomac" blog looks at the opening of the new legislative session in Austin through the prism of a certain governor's potential presidential ambitions:
The legislative session that opens Tuesday will give Gov. Rick Perry a chance to burnish his credentials if he chooses to make another run for president in 2016.
But some are hard-pressed to imagine a session — or anything else — good enough to make voters forget his disastrous White House race that limped to an end just about a year ago ...
Perry turned into a punch line after a series of campaign missteps punctuated by his inability to remember all the federal departments he wanted to shut down, a debate lapse that entered the big leagues of embarrassing moments when he gave up with an “oops.”
So, can he pull it off? For my money, the answer is no. As much as I respect Perry's accomplishments as Governor of Texas -- and as fervently as I hoped he might be the conservative white knight in last year's presidential race -- it seems to me that there's a clear trend where tarnished reputations are concerned: you can come back from scandal ... but not from becoming an all-purpose joke.
It's the reason Dan Quayle, even as a former Vice President, was never able to mount a presidential campaign that anyone took seriously. It's the reason that a majority of the country would never consider pulling the lever for Sarah Palin. And, lest our friends on the left think it a partisan affair, it's the reason that a Joe Biden presidential campaign will never amount to anything more than the world's longest SNL sketch. Once people have decided you're not a serious enough figure to be president -- rightly or wrongly -- they don't tend to change their minds.
Of course, I could be wrong. Do you think he could pull it off?
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Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
My husband -- rather a skeptical guy by nature, especially when it comes to politicians -- happened to run into Gov. Perry in the American Airlines frequent flier room in Houston, and was very impressed. He insisted that in person, Gov. Perry came across as intelligent, personable, knowledgeable and a natural politician, far different than the image of him that emerged during the 2012 campaign.
Oct '12
Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
But was your husband a television camera at the time?
Oct '10
Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
Rick Perry for President......of Texas!
Aug '10
Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
Re comment # 1To me he always appeared to be intelligent, personable, knowledgeable, a natural politician, and either inexperienced or rusty as a debater. I think he's also courageous and committed to federalism. I think he could pull it off.
Dec '10
Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
Lemme see. White guy from Texas with Texas twang-n'all running against Cory Booker or fill-in-the-preferred-minority-status-candidate-here doesn't stand a chance because of poorly executed 2012 campaign. Riiiiight.
I'm not saying he could win. I think Republicans are at a serious disadvantage going forward because Democrats have an overwhelming advantage with low-information voters, and control the institutions which might help inform such voters (education establishment, media, and Hollyweird), if they had the incentive.
Republican candidates have always been scary or stupid. The difference now is, a majority of people are gullible enough to believe it.
Jul '11
Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
What's funny here is that the caricature that's been painted of Perry has been mostly on the Left, who picture him as being wildly incapable of being President. Those aren't the people Perry could convince to vote for him had he run a perfectly unobtrusive campaign. It just won't happen.
The question is whether or not Perry could convince enough Republicans to vote for him in a presidential election. Considering how many Republicans stayed home for a relative moderate like Romney (and maybe, perhaps, some stayed home because he was relatively moderate), I'm hard-pressed to see a scenario where Perry gets more votes than a Romney.
But it could come down to those several states, like it usually does, and maybe Perry flips a couple of states red in the presidential election. Seems like a big "if" for a party that managed to lose an election with record deficits, 8% unemployment, Benghazi, etc.....
Oct '12
Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
Perry should not have gotten into the race in 2012, he would have been the natural front runner for 2016. He was and will be hung with Bush fatigue, being from Texas. He would make a great President, but I don't think the rest of the country will give him another serious run. (There's always a chance he could be President of the Republic of Texas!)
Oct '10
Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
Amen!
Mar '11
Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
The guy reeked of buffoon well before the Republican race.
Jul '10
Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
Never say never, but I get the sense there is going to be a concerted effort to get a candidate with more minority appeal a la Rubio or Jindal in 2016.
Nov '11
Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
As a Texan, I think Perry's been a decent governor. But there's no way for him in 2016. He'd do better to wait until 2020, and even then, it'd be a long shot.
Feb '12
Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
Perry was my number one choice as nominee, and I was bummed when he bowed out. I liked his "oops", to be honest. It showed something of his character. How's that smooth-talking dude we got now doing on the job?
That being said, it's probably good he didn't win. We need him to be the first President of Texas when it eventually secedes from the United Socialist States.
Dec '12
Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
You cannot go to a nationally televised debate and not have your facts straight. You cannot go up there like that. There is little margin for error, since people have much to do and will judge by mere appearances. I do take him more seriously than Palin and Quayle, though.
Aug '12
Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
I couldn't agree with you more. He should have waited and jumping in in 2012 was an awful if not fatal mistake for a man with any aspirations to the Presidency.
Apr '11
Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
He was my first choice, and I hope he does run again.
May '12
Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
He was a couple months from major back surgery and it showed. Simple solutions to our catastrophic federal government induced problems is a winning strategy. Additionally, federalism is a great path forward for conservatives. Anyone with doubts about Governor Perry should watch his interview with Peter and then add a comment here. I don't think anyone will consider it time wasted.
Aug '12
Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
OK Brent, I'll give it a look. My major beef with him is that he ran a terrible primary campaign and should not have tried if he was not ready, which he manifestly wasn't. I have voted for him as governor twice and been quite glad I did.
Edited on January 8, 2013 at 4:22amDec '11
Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
I disagree. He can come back. Most of the people weren't paying attention to the primaries. Those who did were a) die hard conservatives and Republicans who could be won over, or b) liberals who wouldn't vote for him anyway.
I'm not saying it would be easy. He would have a short leash, and would have to come out looking like a contender. It would also help him to toss some self-depricating humor about his first run.
Jan '11
Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
I don't see it. Not because Perry is not an accomplished politician, because he is. But because Texas will be the the leader of the Opposition over the next four years.
Look, short of economic collapse, the NY/IL/CA of the world simply cannot allow Texas to be the shining example of success that it is today. The EPA was bad in Obama's first term; I wonder how it, and all the other second term organizations, will treat Texas for the next four.
If there is an economic collapse, then we won't be worried about things like elections, as there may not be any.
Jul '11
Re: Can Rick Perry Earn A Second Chance?
TheSophist, you make a great point. The tyrannical EPA and any other government agency will be out to ruin Texas.