Some of You Tea Party Folk Think Perry’s the Answer?

http://markamerica.com ^ | 27 August, 2011 at 00:23 | MarkAmerica

[el_texicano]

Looks Tough Firing Blanks

If you're a Tea Party member, or you have significant sympathies with them, I'd caution you against climbing aboard Rick Perry's TransTexasCatastrophe. The Media is doing everything possible to paint this guy as a bronc-busting, cattle-roping, Texan, but in truth, there are more than a few things you ought to know about him. He's no friend to individual rights, except in an election season, and he's not really the trend-setter he'd have you believe. His record on jobs isn't actually so swift as he'd have you believe, and he's got less in common with the average Texan than he does with the Wall Street types with whom he prefers to consort. He's no friend of Main Street, and he's certainly no friend to real entrepreneurs, and for all his posturing as one of us, he isn't, and it's been quite plain. Those of you from outside Texas can be forgiven for mistaking Perry for a conservative. It's assumed because he's a Republican, and he's from Texas, he must be. Let me now explain a bit of why this isn't the case.

Friday I heard the increasingly estimable Mark Davis claim that you shouldn't mind that Perry converted from the Democrat Party to the Republican Party because, as he points out, Ronald Reagan was once a Democrat too. Of course, this is a lie by omission, because what Davis doesn't mention is that it was a long stretch of years between Reagan's conversion and his arrival in California electoral politics. This isn't the case with Rick Perry. He was Al Gore's Texas Campaign Manager in 1988, and following the loss, immediately reversed course and ran as a Republican. I don't know about you, but despite Davis' rather disingenuous interpretation of Reagan's conversion, painting it as just alike, I'm inclined to believe he left some details out intentionally.

Rick Perry has been a regular guest on Davis' show on WBAP in the D/FW area for years, and to consider Davis anything like an objective or unbiased voice in this stretches all credulity. Frankly, I hope Limbaugh finds somebody else to be a regular fill in, because Davis is clearly in the tank for Perry, and it runs against Limbaugh's general premise that he will take no position in a Republican primary, except in general terms on behalf of conservatism.

You may have heard some of Perry's more recent statements about conditions along the Texas border with Mexico, and you might be inclined to believe Mr. Perry thinks more should be done. He even tried to repair his credibility on the issue by being broadcast on a live feed from a base of operations near the border for an interview on Greta Van Susteren's show. If you believe that stage-managed bit of theater, I'm inclined to let you know right now that he's relatively no more conservative in real terms than George Bush, which is to say on the matter of his statist, globalist reflexes, he's no conservative at all. I'd hate it if anybody else broke the news to you, because I believe bad news is best delivered by a friend. Check out the following video for where Rick Perry really stands on issues of the border:

watch?v=UwD84nKA5y0

I realize there's a tendency to overstate things in the name of supporting one's position, but it's really no exaggeration to suggest that Perry isn't really very close in his thinking to Tea Party Members, not when measured against what he's been saying since October 2010, but in what he has said all along throughout his career. He's taken money and support from La Raza, ACORN, and other groups that advocate spending tax-payer dollars for dubious programs and projects.

He's also a crony-capitalist. If you're like me, that's simply something you can't abide. I love the free market, but Governor Perry's revolving door between his staff and corporate boardrooms is a well-established phenomenon, and frankly, if you buy into his nonsense, he's going to wind up exploiting your good intentions too. Companies like Merck and Cintra are more his style, and his staff has reflected this over the years of his gubernatorial reign.

You've undoubtedly heard about the Gardasil flap, and likely been willing to dismiss it as a fluke. That would be a serious and potentially tragic mistake. The most ridiculously egregious thing he may have done in his tenure as Governor of Texas was the proposed TransTexas Corridor. You may have heard of it, but may not have any details, so let me expound on that for a moment or two. This was the project that first enlightened me to Perry's big government answers to all things. The upshot is this: It was to be a vast network of toll roads, but more, it would have included some form of light and heavy rail, pipelines, and all manner of things. On the surface, this might sound attractive, but as with any such project, the devil lies in the details.

The plan included 4400 linear miles of a toll road network, running parallel in many cases to existing Highways and Interstates already in existence. The corridor's right of way was to be a full 1/4 mile wide. Simple math tells you that even ignoring junctions and interchanges, this would have consumed 1100 square miles of Texas' territory. You might argue that while it's a lot of land, Texas is a big state. That's all well and good if the state already owns the land, but since it doesn't, it was going to acquire it by use of eminent domain. Again, you might argue that building roads is one function for which eminent domain out to apply, but once you look at the rules to be applied to this project, you might well conclude otherwise. Rather than basing their offers to property owners on free market value, they instead intended to limit it to "fair market value" as determined by a panel of cronies they would gin up for the chore.

This project actually proposed bisecting county and farm roads, and even property, dead-ending what are fairly important thoroughfares for the communities they serve. More, it would have bisected school districts and even towns along its path. Again, you might think that impossible until you understand that this was to be a closed system with few exits or on-ramps, only permitting access at major Highway and Interstate junctions. This threatened to destroy many rural communities, and they rose up against it. Once the details became clear to the public, it was quickly sent back for re-work, and eventually dumped.

Here were the things they didn't advertise, but you need to know. It was supposed to be operate by a concessionaire, Cintra, for a period of 50 years. It was going to employ tolls of roughly $0.26 per mile. A geographical understanding of the scale of Texas immediately prompts the question: "Who on Earth would voluntarily pay to enter a closed-system roadway at that cost over the huge distances in Texas, when a free parallel alternative is just a few miles away in the form of an Interstate, or Highway?" Good question, and the answer is: Almost nobody. So how did they intend to make this work? In 2004,TxDOT applied to the USDOT for a waiver so that they could charge a toll on the existing I-35. The first leg of the proposed TTC system was called TTC-35, the leg that would run from Laredo to an undetermined point on the Oklahoma border. In other words, it was a corridor to nowhere, but in order to get you to use it, they were going to toll the free Interstate and let it fall into disrepair.

Opponents at the time argued that the existing I-35 corridor could be widened, and this was met with a dismissive rejection by Perry's Transportation Commission. They said it couldn't be done in a cost-efficient way. Your confusion at this statement matches that of the average Texan who realizes that this couldn't possibly be true. How hard is it to add a few lanes here and there? Yes, you'll have some eminent domain issues, but nothing on the scale of what the TTC proposed.

They also promised it would promote economic development, but what they kept concealed for a while, until they no longer could do so under the law, was that because it was a closed system, Cintra, the corporation from Spain that would build and operate it, would also have exclusive rights to all concessions along its length. More, due to the limitations on exits and on-ramps, it could never be shown how this colossal highway system would provide any sort of economic boon to anybody, because you wouldn't be able to access most smaller towns from along its length. I'm sure you'll agree with me that the fact that one of Perry's top staffers was a former Cintra VP, and the fact that one of his own staffers had gone on to work for Cintra had absolutely nothing to do with Perry's TTC plans. Right?

Ladies and gentlemen, if you've fallen prey to the hype about Perry, you may be forgiven, particularly if you're not from Texas. You're not aware, as so many here, that Perry isn't the fellow he's now being portrayed to be. He's not a friend to the Tea Party, despite his seeming 2010 conversion, because much like his conversion in 1989, this conversion also seems to be one of convenience. I will assure you, this is most definitely the case.

Perry likes to put on an act about his conservative credentials, and his sympathies with the Tea Party, but if the truth is told, he's no more one of us than the man in the Moon. You might want to let your fellow conservatives and Tea Party patriots know it too: We're being hustled again.

[MarkAmerica]

Bert, I’m as free-market as it gets. Problem is, Perry isn’t. Don’t confuse friendships with big corporations with capitalism. Lots and lots of corporatists out there. Perry’s one of them. Sorry, but saying he’s a capitalist is roughly on par with saying he’s a communist. Neither holds up to serious scrutiny.

[Gena Bukin]

At this point, Perry is far more electable than Palin--that is not an anti-Palin statement. It's a reflection of poll after poll.

It seems that simply expressing doubt in Sarah Palin's ability to sweep the Republican primary and defeat Obama in a landslide of historic proportions is equated with "bashing" her.

Have you read the posts on here from Palin supporters? They're vitriolic. I don't like any of this. We all must come together after our nominee is chosen.

I don't either.

I see it like this: There's a certain element of posters here who believe Sarah Palin is entitled to the Republican nomination by virtue of being Sarah Palin. She can sit on the fence as long as she likes, it doesn't matter because as soon as she throws her hat into the ring the nomination is hers for the taking and nobody better stand in her way.

To these people, Rick Perry is a threat because he's picking up support from those who would've traditionally been in Palin's camp except not only have they gotten tired of waiting, they've started to question if Palin can actually beat Obama. They've demonstrated both a lack of patience and faith that has angered and unnerved this element of Palin supporters. Hence the childish backlash and the ridiculous hyperbole that's increasingly being posted here against Perry. Governor Perry was a solid conservative prior to entering the race. Now all of the sudden, he's as much as lefty as they come, as bad as Obama. Really?

As of now, I'm in the Perry camp. Is he the most conservative candidate? No, but I believe he is the most conservative candidate who can beat Obama. The second part of this statement is very important to me. But make no mistake, if Sarah Palin earns her party's nomination, I will support her enthusiastically.

My primary concern is watching a defeated Obama board Marine One on January 20th, 2013 and fly away forever. I will support whichever candidate I believe will make this a reality. Right now, I believe this candidate is Governor Rick Perry.

[trickamsterdam]

“It’s pretty much the RINOs, the establishment Republicans who want politics as usual and business as usual in D.C., who are supporting Perry.

Don’t let Perry fool you, people. He and his supporters are anti-Tea-Party and have been going around smearing Sarah Palin and everybody else associated with the Tea Party.”

God you people are boring. You're not even trying to make sense anymore. Everyone knows the Beltway types like e.g. Brooks, Noonan, Rove are not fans.

As to Palin, you're not really doing her a service, because I'm starting to hate all of you so much, I'm starting to hate her!

She endorsed Perry (when she didn't have to, there was someone else in the race besides Hutchinson who was to the right of Perry), so I guess that was just another mistake. Like McCain. Like Hatch.

I don't know if it's changed, but did you know w/in the year her approval rating IN ALASKA was lower than Obama’s? If it's better now, I bet it's because his went down, rather than hers up.

Again, I know you fanatics aren't going to listen to this, but this is a terrible way to win support for her. Ask, someone, anyone you know whose job it is to sell.

Encourage her to enter the race, then when she does, write threads about why she's better than Perry. If you care about her, YOU ARE MAKING PEOPLE HATE HER doing it this way.

[RowdyFFC]

What Gardasil mandate? There was NEVER ONE! Mainly because in 2003 during the autism scare, four years before the USDA approved Gardasil, Rick Perry supported, got passed and signed into law legislation that allows parents to opt out of ANY IMMUNIZATIONS THEY DEEM DANGEROUS TO THEIR CHILDREN. All they had to do was a pick up a form at school, fill it out...deal done! They get to choose what immunizations their children get. My daughter opted out in 2003 and didn’t even have to pick up the Gardasil form. Your Gardasil krap is horse hockey!

The TTC was ordered by the US Congress in the 1990’s, NOT Rick Perry. It’s being built TODAY because the US Congress ordered it! We just hit some problems with the design of it and it’s been corrected and re-routed. By the way that SUPER HIGHWAY has been running from Laredo to Canada since 1950’s when Eisenhower built it!

I tout every bit of his actions as conservative.

I have worked with Governor Perry’s office on the many issues as a member of my county’s ad hoc commission on state issues, INCLUDING the TTC. And there’s not a blasted truth in any of your democratic propaganda.

[Inspectorette]

They caught him saying under his breath as he walked off from one...”see ya, mother @#$#er.” It was a big deal that hurt him with conservatives, saying the “F” word. So that’s some of the ammo they use to say he’s really not a Christian.

Was this a different occasion than when he said, "Adios, MoFo"? Or was it just translated into English?

[DeusExMachina05]

I agree. My questions for all the Palinista’s is..since she is not running, who you going to support Myth Romney? Doubt it.

[wolfcreek]

Nobody but PALIN. right?

You do realize you’re simply posting a single blogger’s opinion. Who cares?

Perry vs Barry

2012

[tiki]

I am pretty sure that my loyalty will lie with Palin if she runs but Perry strikes me as much better than Romney.

One thing about Perry is that he couldn’t have gotten done what he did without a like minded House and Senate and we need to concentrate on sending a majority of Republicans to the US Congress this next election.

[patriot08]

Marco Rubio:

‘On the honesty part, for example, he admitted, obliquely, that George W. Bush had raided the nation’s piggy bank and subsequently beaten the piggy to death. “I know that it’s popular in my party to blame the president, the current president,” Rubio said. “But the truth is that the only thing this president has done is accelerate policies that were already in place, and were doomed to fail.”

http://www.npr.org/2011/08/25/139935366/new-republic-rubio-the-reasonable-republican

Rubio doesn’t want to blame Obama????

____________________________________

Rubio clearly said he wanted to phase out Social Security as something unaffordable, something that would bankrupt the nation and harm our children.

http://www.npr.org/2011/08/25/139935366/new-republic-rubio-the-reasonable-republican

Then who is going to take care of our seniors?
Sure lots of places have no Social Security.
They’re known as Third World countries. You may have heard of some of them.. Somalia? Sri Lanka? Bangladesh? We should ask those countries how they take care of their elderly, yes?

.

.
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[bt1911]

I get it now. Texas kids are stupid because of its governor. So, if murder rates are higher in New York, it’s because of Cuomo. And if people are fatter in Mississippi, it’s because of Barbour. Thanks for the enlightenment...

[Liz]

MORE PROBLEMS Perry’s coziness with Chinese and foreign investors exposes a huge weak­ness in his right flank—illegal immigration and open borders. Perry focused on the Chinese companies ability to create jobs in Texas........while national security experts concluded that the global telecom giant poses a potential cyber-security risk to the US military and US businesses. Three times since 2008, a US government security panel has blocked Huawei from acquiring or partnering with US companies because of concerns that secrets could be leaked to China’s government or its military.

“Perry’s ill-conceived “Trans Texas Corridor” (wherein he used eminent domain to take land from Texans for foreigners) has been linked to the global plan to economically integrate North America, with the eventual goal of a common security perimeter modeled after the European Union.

----------------------------------

Dang it, Perry ain't taking this settin' down. The Mexican govt and La Raza are sending hordes of illegals to defend Rick.

Heck, Senor Perrynista might even get another monogrammed serape (/snix).

Senor El Perrynista receives a serape from Mexican Gov Enrique Martinez
of Coahuila, as a token of appreciation for enacting the Texican Dream Act.

============================================

"Captain Gardasil" addresses La Raza.

"Come on down. You get one in the rear and in-state tuition at any Texas college."

[NoGrayZone]

I like that MarkAmerica. He’s an excellent writer. I know nothing of Perry, but much about Sarah.

I know, she’s not in it......yet. The more I learn about Perry, the more he reminds me of the RINOS I promised myself I wouldn’t vote for (my last vote was for Sarah, NOT mclame).

If the country wants to bring itself to ruin (Conservatives/Tea Party not included), so be it. Let the war begin.

If Sarah isn’t on my ballot, I’m writing her in.

[org.whodat]

Not one word, not one word can you prove is not true, thus you start the personal attack crap.

[rockinqsranch]

NOT interested in seeing Perry in the WH this coming election anymore than Mitt Romney. We need a totally fresh start both in Congress, and the WH.

We personally will be disappointed if we cannot have Palin in the WH, and a heavy TEA Party presence in a majority Republican Congress.

IF idiots nominate Perry, we’ll have no choice but to support him over Obama of course. NOT our choice.

[Gena Bukin]

He's a self-serving career politician who's more beholden to big business and his globalist masters than he would be to the American people. And the more I read the more I am convinced both he and his supporters like it that way.

Are you sure you're on the right website.

Statements like this sound much more appropriate for Democratic Underground than they do here.

Maybe I'm crazy but I kinda like big business. That's where the jobs are.

[ballplayer]

Obama sure Isnt

[RowdyFFC]

Did you notice that young reporter he poked in the chest was quoting a piece of Politico garbage and obviously didn’t know what he was talking about? Why would you waste your time on somebody who spews Politico krap pretending it’s the truth?

[DRey]

No. Same thing. Translation. I loved it.

[NoGrayZone]

"At this point, Perry is far more electable than Palin-"

It's pretty sad you have debased yourself to the "most electable" than to the most qualified, who would actually turn this country around.

[hummingbird]

Thanks for your post, el_texicano. I haven't decided who I really like, only a couple I really don't like.

So, your post gives me point of reference to understand where Perry is; I'm reading FED UP! I don't know any candidates’ hagiography (hope that is right wood!) so I'm ready to start digging!

I know Kinky Friedman (sic?) likes him (so that's a plus-heh!). But, I want to see any undersides all of the candidates have.

Thanks for some stuff to chew on! texicana hummingbird