Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Bad News for Team Perry
Who wouldn’t want to see this guy sitting across from the Iranians?
Former Texas Governor Rick Perry has perhaps the best résumé in the presidential field. His state created 1.5 million jobs in the past eight years, he balanced his state’s budget every year, and he lowered taxes 75 times. He’s a veteran, tough on the border, and so pro-second amendment he shoots coyotes on his morning jog. Despite his bad experience with debating on back pain meds in 2012, his compelling history should make him a shoo-in for the top tier of the 2016 race.
But in a 17-person field where media oxygen is dominated by a reality-show blowhard and big donations are hoovered up by a presidential scion, it’s tough for even an alpha candidate like Perry to make headway. Poor polling forced him to last week’s kiddie-table debate which had only a third of the viewers as the main event later that night. Despite Perry’s strong performance, Carly Fiorina turned in an even better performance which attracted most of the post-broadcast attention.
After his campaign raised just over $1 million in the second quarter, times are getting tight around Perry HQ:
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s campaign team in South Carolina is no longer being paid by his presidential campaign, National Journal has learned.
“Pay is only one reason people do this,” Katon Dawson, Perry’s South Carolina state director said in an interview. “We’ll be able to live off the land for a while.”
It is not clear if or when paychecks will start backing up for Perry’s team in South Carolina. Dawson said that Perry staffers in the state “have been paid up to two weeks ago.”
Dawson said core members of Team Perry, including himself, will continue to work, even if unpaid. He said Walter Whetsell and Le Frye, two top Perry operatives in the state, are among those still working.
“We’ll do it whether there’s pay or no pay,” Dawson said. In addition to the pay freeze, at least one Perry staffer was let go last week. Dawson said that move was unrelated to any “financial discomfort.”
On the plus side, Perry’s super PAC has raised about $17 million; certainly not Jeb! numbers, but impressive given the sprawling GOP field. Unless they can use that money to boost Perry’s profile fast, the swaggering Texan might be running out of time.
Published in General
After 2012 did anybody really think he had a chance?
There is something seriously wrong when a man with Rick Perry’s record cannot get traction in a presidential race while Donald Trump can. Somethings make me weep for my nation.
I thought it was quite humiliating for Perry to be at the JV debate last week. Carly is an up-and-comer and the rest of the JV squad were no chancers so you can understand them being there. But Perry was really the one candidate who should’ve gotten in the top 10. I realize that Kasich and Christy barely nudged him out but miss by an inch miss by a mile in this case.
Oh well, he’s too old and ineloquent to win against Hillary anyway. I agree that he’s got a great track record and would probably make a good president but it’s all about electability in 2016 and Rick just ain’t got it.
Riiick!
From my boss’ Facebook feed:
The moment his career as a national figure died.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/perry-i-dont-think-you-have-heart-if-you-oppose-state-tuition-children-illegal-immigrants_594080.html
He never had a chance. He is just stealing people’s money at this point.
Perry proves the most important skill for winning a presidential election is the ability to give speeches and to respond to questions extemporaneously. This is unfortunate, but true.
Perry simply can’t sell his record.
Shoots coyotes? I thought that was Trump’s thing.
What does it mean to say he lowered taxes 75 times? I hear that kind of number tossed around all the time, and I never believe it. What, did he lower them a penny at a time? If he had been a Senator and claimed that he voted to lower taxes 75 times I would assume that he was counting the motion to close debate on the amendment to return the bill to committee for reconsideration, or something. But a Governor?
Governor Perry hasn’t been able to crack my personal “candidate line-up card” for a number of reasons:
He was a good governor for the times and in the parlance of my home state he knows the importance of a good bidniss climate. But there’s that bleeding-heart element messing up what is otherwise a man’s man. It simply undermines the impressive front.
See’ya!
My guess is he signed 75 bills that lowered one tax or another.
The 17 candidates include at least seven or eight whom I honestly would have respected more if they had sat out.
Perry is not one of them. I do not think he could have won — but a serious party would consider him seriously.
Perry shoots the K9s and Trump shoots the women
Sometimes someone’s window of opportunity has closed but unfortunately for a lot of these candidates someone else is standing there telling them that they have a viable shot. Usually these same someones are political consultants getting paid to tell them that and/or family and friends.
This presidential cycle someone needs to tell the following people the window is closed, your 15 minutes of fame/political capitol has expired. Thanks for playing:
Rick Santorum
George Pataki
Jim Gilmore
Lindsay Graham (he needs to leave the senate)
Mike Huckabee
Rand Paul (he needs to stay in the Senate)
Jeb Bush (you can thank your Dad and brother)
Rick Perry (he’s on the border…yup, pun intended)
Everyone else still, at the early stage, has a decent shot at President or VP. Ask me again in November. The herd will start to be culled by then.
Jon Gabriel: :…he’s tough on the border…”
I just love that description of Perry. It encapsulates the cognitive dissonance present between political conservatives and the real thing, the folks that Jim Geraghty today correctly called – but inaccurately described – Middle American Radicals.
Everybody is “tough on the border.” Everybody believes that “existing laws should be enforced.” Even John McCain said “Build the dang fence!” way back in 2010.
And yet…and yet…
Our conservative leaders get together and promise not amnesty – no, never amnesty! – but only a bill to help regularize those here illegally who, we are assured, will have to pay back taxes, get in line, learn English and pay a penalty.
Which of course the Democrats will meekly acquiesce to.
Oh, yes, one more thing: for acceding to this Draconian “toughness” the Democrats get to double the amount of legal immigrants allowed in per year, to two million.
Two million mostly Third World new Americans every year.
Forever.
Because what is more conservative than the fundamental transformation of the ethnic and cultural make-up of a society? Look back on world history – hasn’t every great nation done exactly that in order to prosper?
Why, no. None has.
What on earth do white Americans have in their cultural patrimony that should be conserved? Gee, let me think….
“Tough on the border,” my ass.
I continue to wait for the candidate with the heart, soul and brains to say, clearly and forcefully:
“Today, America needs fewer immigrants.”
Freesmith, what if the candidate believes that — but says it far more cautiously and carefully, because that’s his style? What if he’s changed position on this issue recently — but if you look closely at his record you can find a few hints that make the change less surprising, and evidence that he means what he says? Do you need numbers, or — given the choices on the table — would you allow him the space to run the campaign as he felt best rather than pressing for politically challenging specifics?
If he says “I want to do something about legal immigration too,” is he on the right track?
The thing is, we elect people not resumés. Perry is the one I wanted to like in the beginning of all this, but the more I see of him the less impressed I am.
I would not call his performance in the debate strong. It was completely pedestrian.
Leigh
Why be coy? Is coyness this mystery candidate’s style?
Do you think there is something wrong or dangerous in stating the Five Little Words, words that will tell the voters that someone has broken out of the cookie-cutter mold of Washington ruling class group-think?
Well, now that I put it that way, maybe you do – if you’re a political conservative.
But what recently has given you the conviction that glib diffidence pays when all the evidence indicates that in 2015-16 fortune favors the bold?
Agreed. I like Perry. He was a good Governor. He seems like a good man. He may be a good President. His biggest problem is that he is a lousy debater.
It’s too bad he’s struggling. He’s actually my second pick. I go with the two governors with the best resumes, Perry and Bush. But unfortunately people in this day and age want style over substance, character, or record. And to my shock, even conservatives in this election cycle are looking to style over substance. I wish Perry well. Hope he can recover.
Yuk. Well, Trump is out for blood … or whatever. Who knows what he’ll say next.
…
Rick Perry is “tough on the border”.
In what universe?
I don’t think governors really have the ability to be tough on the border anyway. That’s a foreign policy issue.
He had his chance to pretend to be tough on the border back during the 8 years when George W. Bush was president and during the 2012 election.
However, the only two candidates that rank higher than him at numbersusa.com on the issue of immigration are Santorum, who I think is polling even worse that Perry, and Scott Walker.
https://www.numbersusa.com/content/elections/races/presidential/2016-presidential-hopefuls.html
…
Perry did mention the issue of “states rights” in the last campaign. I think that’s about the only thing that can save this country from a giant divorce. Today the country has few, if any, moderate politicians and citizens. States that lose national elections do not wish to be governed by the winners in such a harsh and brutal way.
Heh, I’d say thing about the Dem candidates!
The old anecdote of a conversation between Perry and Jeb!
Perry to Jeb!: If your last name wasn’t Bush, then you’d be president.
Jeb! to Perry: If you weren’t governor of Texas, then you’d be president.
What is it about following politics that makes people say ridiculous things like this?
I still like Rick Perry.
Maybe he could be Secretary of Homeland Security, but I worry about his comment about building a 15 foot fence will just sell 16 foot ladders.
If Perry were great, he would run honestly. He has plenty of achievements. Instead the fence opponent who boosted spending (both for sound reasons!) ran on his history of fence demanding and spending cuts. Against a ton of governors who actually cut spending.
No need to go inventing things.
Sounds familiar, no?