The battle for social conservatives’ vote (Or Rick Perry's extravagant tax-paid lifestyle)

The Washington Posts' Right Turn ^ | July 19, 2011 | Jennifer Rubin

[2ndDivisionVet]

Lurking behind the anticipation over Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s entrance into the Republican primary is a critical question: Can he take social conservatives away from their current favorite, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.)?

Perry, to the surprise of many GOP operatives, seems to be aiming to be the darling of the social conservatives rather than to emphasize his impressive fiscal record. In other words, he’s aiming for Bachmann’s base. But it remains to be seen if that is wise.

I met with a prominent social conservative leader with a vast grass-roots network. The leader acknowledged that there is a real danger from social conservatives’ perspective that Bachmann and Perry will carve up the vote and allow Mitt Romney to slide through. Could they get behind one or the other to prevent such a split? The leader laughed, “We’re not very good at that. If we try, we winding up making everyone mad.”

The issues on which Bachmann is skewered in the mainstream media (gay marriage, most clearly) are the very things that endear her to the base. And while she has eschewed playing the media victim, as Sarah Palin often has, it certainly is true that being attacked by liberal pundits and groups does nothing but raise her stock among grass,roots social conservatives.

There is an issue, however, that may be decisive, that on its face has nothing to do with social issues. It is no secret that many social conservatives are part of or share the same principles as the Tea Party, most especially the notion that professional politicians are out of control, feel entitled and don’t live under the same economic constraints as the rest of us....

[BuckeyeTexan]

Right on. That’s greatness.

[esoxmagnum]

That’s how I feel. I can’t put my finger on it, and I hadn’t really taken a look at him before a couple of weeks ago (being far from Texas).

I’ve watched him on youtube, I’ve read about him.

At first I thought it was the hair that bothered me, but I can’t really put my finger on it.

He’s “smarmy”.

My grandfather always said “trust your gut”.

I mean, he says all the right things in public, and maybe that’s it, he’s too polished. Like Mitt. He just oozes “politician”, and maybe that’s it. I’m sick of professional politicians, and this guy has the professional political aura about him.

I could be wrong, I probably am, and I’ll pull the lever for anyone but Obama, but my gut tells me, I don’t want this guy to be our candidate, and I can’t back that up with any thing substantial, and I wish I could, because maybe he is the greatest conservative known to mankind. I’m just not buying it at this time.

[Leroy S. Mort]

The Clinton Library in Little Rock is the ultimate triple wide.

[Smokin' Joe]

We already have a de facto president and first lady who think they won a 5 star all-expenses paid four-to-eight year luxury vacation with unlimited lobster and Wagyu steaks.There's a phrase for that phenomenon, associated with the lavish spending of sudden money, but it is politically incorrect.

[basil]

Thanks! I knew most of this, but there are a couple of things I had missed.

I don’t understand why Guvner Goodhair gets so much support here on FR. About the only thing I can say in his favor is that he’s probably a bit better than obammy.........

Surely we can do better than Perry.

[Ro_Thunder]

Only God the Father knows the heart of a man.

For any man to say Mr. Perry isn’t a true Christian is folly at best, hubris at worst.

I won’t defend Mr. Perry from your charge of RINO, but I will defend him or her (yes, even Obama) who says he’s a Christian. I do not know his heart. I know Obama’s actions, and while they are not those of what I would call Christian, neither were David’s (adultery, murder, fornication ring a bell?) Neither are mine (lusts of the flesh, etc), for that matter. But God knows my heart.

[The Bronze Titan]

-"Gov. Palin is no *victim*.

I won't argue the point with you because I believe that you 'misinterpreted' what I was saying. But, I will clarify, as you well put it, Sarah "has been attacked relentlessly for almost 3 years now", my point is to confirm that, that is exactly what has occurred (i.e. she has been 'victimized'), and that she does not have to 'act out' or 'play' the victim, because she has actually been the 'victim' in fact, not fiction.

[smoothsailing]

All it needs is one of those “Wide Load” banners! LOL.

[CowboyJay]

"We already have a de facto president and first lady who think they won a 5 star all-expenses paid four-to-eight year luxury vacation with unlimited lobster and Wagyu steaks."

I agree. We've got one of those in the White House already Considering the shape the country's in, it's high time our politicians quit living like European royalty.

I've shopped houses in that part of the country. Perry could have bought himself a pretty nice spread on the $700,000 it's already cost out of the Texas treasury, and the state would have an asset instead of an ongoing liability.

Perry's only real constituency is southern evangelicals. When you hold a light up to his fiscal record, it's full of holes. After 10+ years of this huckster, Texas has a higher state/local debt burden than California. He's not done much but raid the state treasury for big campaign donors, line his pockets, and live like a rockstar.

He's desperate to get out of Austin because the jig's about up. He and his buddies cooked the books on this year's budget by delaying the payout of several billion by one day, thereby rolling it over into the next fiscal year. Texas writes budgets every two years, so the timebomb goes off in 2013.

The beltway bunch, of course, already know Perry's fatally flawed and are planning to use him as a blocking back to clear a hole for Mitt to run through.

[alstewartfan]

Huckabee’s living in a trailer was silly, IMO, but Perry’s digs smack of aristocracy. Done just like a Democrat! One more reason why I don’t care for this guy. Bob

[alstewartfan]

I totally agree with you, except that Sarah casts her victimization right back in their faces. They’re now shooting blanks. I did misinterpret what you said, b/c many here accuse her of playing a victim when she defends herself, and attacks her accusers. Cordially, Bob

[Cincinatus' Wife]

CLICK!

[BuckeyeTexan]

I encourage you to read this three-part series by Alexander LaBrecque about Obama's "faith." When I read it in 2008, I knew without a doubt in my heart that Obama does not have a personal relationship with Jesus.

Obama's Religious Ruse: 'I've Always Been a Christian'
Obama's Religious Ruse: His 'Conversion'
Obama's Religious Ruse: The Cult of the Marxist Messiah

[Cincinatus' Wife]

You learn all that up there in Colorado, Cowboy Jay?

Who is your candidate in this Primary?

[The Bronze Titan]

np
PALIN 2012

[CowboyJay]

"You learn all that up there in Colorado, Cowboy Jay?

Who is your candidate in this Primary?"

Not all of it. Some of it I learned first-hand living in Texas. That was before the place burned down. Really a shame. The TX governor's mansion was beautiful.

As for the rest, I still have friends in TX I talk to on a weekly basis. I can also read, and tend to take the information I glean from reading into account when forming my opinions.

I like Bachmann, Palin, and Cain, in roughly that order. There are a couple others in the race I'd be willing to consider as nose-holders. Perry is not one of them. His record puts him on-par with John McCain or Lindsey Graham IMO.

Do you have a second choice who might actually be a conservative? I feel the need to ask also - did you vote for Kay Bailey Hutchison in her senate primary bids?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I guess you don’t read enough CCJ.

I’ve posted quite a few threads on Palin.

As for K.B. Hutchison......she’s gotten my vote in the (R)general elections.

[af_vet_rr]

Who are you to judge the condition of Rick Perry’s soul? If you have specific evidence, as we do with Obama, that Perry is lying about his faith in Jesus Christ, then please present it.

He campaigned for a pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage candidate for President by the name of Rudy Giuliani just a few years ago. Most pro-lifers would not set aside their pro-life beliefs just because their friend is running for office, but I'll leave it up for you to decide whether a Christian would support a pro-abortion candidate for President.

[Ro_Thunder]

Oh, I understand, I just know that there are people who are Christians, but certainly don’t act like it.

“So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”

All I was trying to say is that while he doesn’t act Christian, I am certainly not going to judge whether he is or isn’t. When I’m in Heaven, I’ll know for sure, because he’ll either be there, or he won’t.

I was also cautioning myself, among others, that Daniel wouldn’t be viewed as a Christian, but many of his actions; so be careful, it’s a very slippery slope for any man to judge another mans salvation.

[BuckeyeTexan]

Campaigning for RG doesn’t make RP a liar about his own faith.

Sarah Palin is friends with Glenn Beck. She supports his efforts to expose progressives and says he is doing great work. She attended and spoke at Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally. Does her public support of Glenn Beck, who is a Mormon, imply that she set aside or betrayed her own religious beliefs for a friend?

No, it doesn’t.