Posted on 10/27/2011 11:05:28 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Numerous preemptive obituaries are being written for Governor Rick Perry’s campaign. These efforts are premature because they fail to understand and appreciate the fickle winds of political fortune.
Governor Perry has substantial political assets that make him a potent candidate and that will give him another chance to prove himself to Republican voters.
Each candidate brings their own set of positives and negatives to the game:
Mitt Romney has money to burn, establishment support, business experience, and passable debating skills. He also has a record far to the left of the majority of Republicans, a history of changing his position on major issues, and gives the impression that he will let you down when your back is turned.
Herman Cain has business experience, a high likability factor, and a fresh approach to conventional problems. He also has a propensity for confusing statements, no history of political success, and seems less vested in his own campaign than are his supporters.
Newt Gingrich has laser-like intelligence, a thorough understanding of policy choices, and excellent debating skills. He also has two ex-wives, a tendency to talk too much, and a manner that strikes many independents and women as smug or arrogant.
Rick Perry is not an able debater. In fact he seems to be bored with the entire exercise and I don’t blame him for that. The process that currently passes for “debate” is a valueless mixture of antagonistic press conference and TV quiz show. Rick Perry is not a policy wonk. Neither was Ronald Reagan. Neither was Dwight Eisenhower. Neither was George Washington.
What Governor Perry does have is:
A demonstrated ability to win elections.
A demonstrated understanding of how to lead and govern.
A Reaganesque capacity to touch the “mystic chords of memory” that bind us together.
A large stockpile of cash.
A set of opponents who all have significant electoral problems of their own.
While being ahead is intuitively always better than being behind, the clear political fact is that polls in October-November-December, don’t win elections in January and February. An Iowa State University poll published on November 18, 2003 showed Howard Dean at 29%, Dick Gephardt at 21%, John Kerry at 15%, and John Edwards at 8%. A Pew Research poll published on December 2, 2003 showed Dean at 26%, Gephardt at 22%, Kerry at 9%, and Edwards at 5%. (H/T nationalpolls.com)
The Democrat’s experience in 2004 is I think highly relevant as it was largely the mirror image of 2012. Eight years ago Democrats loathed George W. Bush just as conservatives today can’t stomach Barack Obama. Like Obama now, Bush was widely seen as vulnerable and thus there was a wide open scrum for the Democrat nomination.
For all his money Mitt Romney has been unable to close the deal with Republican voters. For all his current polling success, Herman Cain still appears to be a long shot to stay the distance. For all of his smarts and ability Newt Gingrich retains major downside risks.
The flaws of his opponents, together with his own considerable skill and potential, leaves an opening the size of Texas for Governor Rick Perry.
Not bad : )
Apparently, open borders Rick Perry doesn't recognize the fact that there is a border and that Mexico is on the other side.
The doofus thinks he's running for president of Mexico.
No wonder one poll showed Americans think he's a total a/hole.
AS YOU INSIGHTFULLY POSTED: Conservatives believe in US sovereignty, strong borders, and a strong national security. We don’t believe in using the power of government and the use of executive orders to force vaccines on children----in exchange for hefty donations from drug companies.
Perry is the errand boy for special interests. He's got this trick where he publicly tells Texans he is supporting their concerns----then Perry sics his cronies on the legislature to kill the bill (who all get govt rewards for their trouble).
Texans never knew what him them---and there's much praise for Perry who got "betrayed" by the so-snd-so legislature.
I think the exact wording was, "major a-hole".
Perry left this group cold. If he is the person many GOP strategists believed was destined to challenge Romney for the nomination, no one had given that memo to these Ohioans.
None of the descriptions are positive in any way. If you had to describe them in one word, it would be: a**hole. And not just you regular, every day, run-of-the-mill a**hole, but major a**hole.
http://www.redstate.com/brookhaven/2011/10/26/perrys-problem-voters-think-hes-a-major-a-hole/
Yeah-—I gotta write that down. Perry is a MAJOR a/hole.
‘” the pledge of allegiance to Mexico, and the singing of the Mexican ntl anthem is now in Texas Schools. “’
Every pubic school in TX?
Oops, made a nasty typo, not intentional.
If it were Mark Levin, though, it would probably be intentional for him. LOL
Again, you lie! The Texas Second Court of Appeals upheld Texas law and required adults who signed a contract to go to arbitration with a group of muslims to follow through with that contract. The woman didn’t get her way, so she said that the contract’s use of “all the disputes” didn’t mean “all the disputes.” The Court said that in Texas law, “all” means “all.”
http://www.2ndcoa.courts.state.tx.us/opinions/htmlopinion.asp?OpinionId=14601
Good Post.
And now Special-Needs Ricky wants to bring his rewards-for-illegals practices to the rest of our homeland.
Hope that his chickening out of the debates collapses his candidacy even quicker.
I’m reading this now.
I love Vince Flynn and Brad Thor novels, but this is a real story. The description of going door to door, neighborhood to neighborhood is painful, rather than thrilling to read.
God bless our military, our soldiers and sailors, and keep them safe.
” Every pubic school in TX? “
Probably not, but even ONE is outrageous.
Hooray for your road sign. It’s great.
“Probably not, but even ONE is outrageous.”
True!
But yet there are public schools around the country that won’t even allow red and green napkins for the “Winter” party.
” But yet there are public schools around the country that won’t even allow red and green napkins for the “Winter” party.”
Also sick....
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