Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
Officially, he's only "thinking" about it. But the resignation of two key Gingrich campaign execs, Dave Carney and Rob Johnson, seems to point to a Perry announcement soon. Both Carney and Johnson are old Perry hands.
From RealClearPolitics:
As a prominent Texan with a longtime political infrastructure, not to mention a key finance perch atop the Republican Governors Association, Perry could gear up for a race more quickly than most of the top Republican politicians eyeing a presidential run.
Though he is widely regarded as the first nationally known politician to embrace the tea party movement with open arms, Perry could also be well-positioned to generate sufficient backing among members of the Republican establishment.
Perry is said to have a solid relationship with his predecessor at the RGA, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who declined to run for president himself.
And in an election that is almost certain to hinge on the economy, Perry is well-positioned to tout his record on creating jobs and keeping taxes low.
Perry's an interesting guy. Stephen Hayes sums it up in 2 consecutive Tweets:
Perry advantages: TX economy, good looks, Tea Party cred, Rush Limbaugh likes him, and access to Big TX money.
And:
Perry disadvantages: TX gov is weak, TX/Bush fatigue, can be undisciplined, not driven by ideas/policy, relatively soft GOP support in TX.
And Ramesh Ponnuru points us to this part of a speech Perry gave two years ago:
One way to stop this serious spiral is to take simple, direct action: cutting the mandate for corn-derived ethanol by at least 50%. While the mandate may have been a well-intentioned effort to move our country toward energy independence, it is doing more harm than good, and should be modified before it makes things even worse.
Perry's record as a successful, sitting governor with major Tea Party credibility seems to spell trouble for the other Tea Party candidate in the race, Michele Bachmann. And I think it's a real challenge to Sarah Palin. But it's probably worse for Mitt Romney, who now has two successful governors running on the conservative executive platform. Hard to imagine Rick Perry trying PerryCare in Texas.
All of which is a good thing. What the Republican party needs right now is a good, robust primary season. WIth Rick Perry in the race, it will be even robust-er.
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Dec '10
Re: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
I welcome any credible primary challengers, even Texans. (Blazing Saddles quotes just got paraphrased in my head...)
Apr '11
Re: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
Having Perry in the race would be great.
Oct '10
Re: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
Perry has been a great governor for us Texans over the past decade and I know he'd be a fine president. However...what if Perry and Palin both enter the race? Reckon it'd be quite a quandary for this "Leninist cultist"...
Edited on Jun 9, 2011 at 2:43pmRe: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
These days, smart people are moving to Texas, not California .This was not the case when Bush was Gov. This is a recent phenomenon. He's got to take some credit for that.
Oct '10
Re: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
The smartest people moved here back in the 1700s, getting in on the ground floor of this venture.
Re: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
Newt's guys are jumping from the frying pan into the fire (where perhaps they belong). A Texas governor who even suggests the possibility of secession is not ready for the national stage and never will be.
Dec '10
Re: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
Mike LaRoche: Perry has been a great governor for us Texans over the past decade and I know he'd be a fine president. However...what if Perry and Palin both enter the race? Reckon it'd be quite a quandary for this "Leninist cultist"... · Jun 9 at 2:43pm
Edited on Jun 09 at 02:43 pm
It would be good to have such choices in life.
I only worry that if they split the same blocs of support in the GOP, they could let other folks squeak by.
Oct '10
Re: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
Here in Texas, saying that is about as controversial as rooting for the Dallas Cowboys. Besides, I agree with him.
Oct '10
Re: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
Stuart Creque
Mike LaRoche: Perry has been a great governor for us Texans over the past decade and I know he'd be a fine president. However...what if Perry and Palin both enter the race? Reckon it'd be quite a quandary for this "Leninist cultist"... · Jun 9 at 2:43pm
Edited on Jun 09 at 02:43 pm
It would be good to have such choices in life.
I only worry that if they split the same blocs of support in the GOP, they could let other folks squeak by. · Jun 9 at 3:09pm
That's a valid concern, and I share it. I hope that by the beginning of the primary season next year, there will be one strong and principled conservative candidate to unite behind. The Republican Party cannot afford John McCain: the Sequel.
Oct '10
Re: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
Texans do have somewhat different take on things, primarily, idividuality and not being told what to do.... So secession is basically a Nose Thumbing display. Perhaps that display might help if more joined in and said Enough Already... Unclear as to Perry passing muste here. Must return to consulting tea leave and reading entrails now, have to get up to speed with all the learned conjurers here....
Edited on Jun 9, 2011 at 5:12pmNov '10
Re: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
I like Rick Perry because I like pro-business pols. Under his gubernatorial leadership, Texas has attracted an impressive number of new "makers of the donuts."
Edited on Jun 10, 2011 at 1:40amMar '11
Re: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
I agree it’s a serious misstep, but the linked article is considerably less inflammatory than much of the reporting of the incident at the time. He seemed to walk back the suggestion immediately. I don’t think it should disqualify Perry from throwing his hat in the ring. I trust the voters to decide if this was a serious suggestion or just the kind of loose talk one is apt to hear when politicians are called upon to keep talking extemporaneously.
May '10
Re: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
Mike LaRoche
Here in Texas, saying that is about as controversial as rooting for the Dallas Cowboys. Besides, I agree with him.
wilber forge
Texans do have somewhat different take on things, primarily, idividuality and not being told what to do.... So secession is basically a Nose Thumbing display.
I was going to point this out myself, but you guys beat me to the punch. As a Texan myself, I find Perry's comments on the matter completely unexceptional. Secession is kind of a running joke for Texans, one that even largely apolitical people regularly make. I don't think I know anyone who's legitimately serious about it. Although I can understand why you'd be so concerned to see us go! ;)
Besides, if you're really concerned about Perry leading Texas out of the Union, there's one way to ensure it won't happen: elect him President of the United States.
Edited on Jun 10, 2011 at 5:42amOct '10
Re: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
can't wait when his campaign starts comparing texas' rise to california's decline. california will be rick perry's prop in 2012.
Feb '11
Re: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
The problem with Perry is purely electoral. What does he add to Republican chances in 2012? He's from Texas, and the cultural differences with other parts of the country are real. The secession thing shows that. Perry is going to have a huge and probably insurmountable problem in the northeast. He is going to have a huge though surmountable problem in the midwest. The parts of the country where he will not have cultural difference problems are Republican base anyway. This is an election that should center on the economy and Obama's disastrous handling of the economy. Bringing culture warfare into this works to Obama's advantage.
Re: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
Yes, indeed. Is there anyone who seriously thinks that a Governor of Texas who has hinted at the possibility of secession can defeat this country's first sitting African-American President? Perry may be a fine Governor of Texas, but he has blotted his copybook. He is not ready for the national stage and he never will be.
Re: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
Paul A. Rahe
Yes, indeed. Is there anyone who seriously thinks that a Governor of Texas who has hinted at the possibility of secession can defeat this country's first sitting African-American President? Perry may be a fine Governor of Texas, but he has blotted his copybook. He is not ready for the national stage and he never will be. · Jun 10 at 7:41am
I don't think I've met a Texan who hasn't talked about secession. I don't know much about Perry, but I'm pretty sure voters care more about something Jennifer Rubin pointed out this morning:
Jun '11
Re: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
I have no clear opinion yet on Governor Perry but I would humbly submit that Americans traditionally like a cowboy who talks tough.
I seem to remember a certain President from California back in the 80's, before the fall of the Soviet Union, who pretended he did not know that his microphone was hot and quipped during a sound check,
"My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in 5 minutes."
May '10
Re: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
Paul A. Rahe
Every Republican is going to have an insurmountable problem in the Northeast: the R next to his or her name. Having a Texan is helpful regionally because Texas bridges the South and the West and helps solidify the swing states in those regions.
To the degree that the secession thing is an issue, it would be the mainstream media morphing it from a Texan thing (rooted in its historical and cultural sense of independence) into scare tactic, neo-confederate thing. Maybe I'm overestimating the average American voter, but I'm disinclined to believe that they'd rank something so nominally inconsequential over an excellent record on the most importance issue to most voters: jobs. If voters in the jobs desperate Midwest were to do so, well that would be straight dumb-founding.
Granted, I'm not entirely sold on Perry. However, I'm also not disqualifying him from the queue of likely candidates that I'm still seriously considering.
Edited on Jun 10, 2011 at 10:28amSep '10
Re: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Running for President
"My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in 5 minutes."
I still roar every time I hear those lines. I miss him.