Would 'Texas fatigue' hurt a Rick Perry presidential bid?

The Republic ^ | June 16, 2011 | Todd J. Gillman The Dallas Morning News

[Cincinatus' Wife]

NEW YORK — When George W. Bush left office, countless pundits proclaimed — if not in so many words — that it would be a chilly July in Dallas before Americans sent another Texan to the White House.

And sure enough, that argument is prominent in discussion of Gov. Rick Perry's potential presidential bid.

But with Republicans still searching for a front-runner, and Perry flirting with a run, Texas fatigue may prove less enduring than predicted.

"Why not? Listen, anything's better than Obama," said Philip Ragusa, the Republican chairman in Queens, just across the river from Manhattan, where Perry headlined a GOP dinner Tuesday.

After chatting with the governor, Ragusa — his New York accent as thick as Perry's West Texas drawl — came away impressed.

"It doesn't matter where a person comes from, and this person seems to have a stellar record," he said.

A NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey released Wednesday showed Perry in fourth place among registered Republican voters nationwide — ahead of several candidates who have actually joined the race.

Mitt Romney, making his second run for president, led the pack at 30 percent, with Sarah Palin — the party's last vice presidential nominee—at 14 percent. Pizza executive Herman Cain nudged past Perry with 12 percent, though he has already been in two televised presidential debates.

Perry drew 8 percent, a tick ahead of Rep. Ron Paul, a fellow Texan who entered this race, his third, with a nationwide following.

That suggests Texas fatigue may not be a huge issue in the GOP nominating contest. Even though some Republicans remain sour on Bush, for them, Texas remains a place where the economy has done well because conservatism is triumphant.

[iowamark]

LBJ, Bush41, Bush43 are not the most stellar group but I don’t blame Texas for their decisions.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

LBJ -- Well, that wasn't planned.

Bush-I -- GHWB road Reagan's coattails into office.

Bush-II -- GWB - GOP establishment were the deciders (fool me once....)

Rick Perry (has some history and opinions with the Bush clan).

Rick Perry's Tenth Commandment [excerpt] Speaking of presidents: Rick Perry has a complicated relationship with the Bushes, which is to say that he’s hesitant to criticize them and they hate his guts. W. stayed well away from Perry’s gubernatorial-primary melee against Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, whose oatmeal-mushy Republicanism has a distinctly Bushian savor to it. But the mark of W. was all over the campaign against Perry. Former president George H. W. Bush endorsed Senator Hutchison, an unusual step for the habitually reserved retiree, who usually stays well removed from the dirty business of vote-grubbing, surveying the groundlings from the heights of his eminence. Bush père was joined in his support by former vice president Dick Cheney, who offered an endorsement and called Hutchison “the real deal.” Hutchison was further fortified by the Bush clan’s in-house Machiavelli, former secretary of state James Baker, who led the Florida recount fight in 2000 and remains their go-to fixer. W. mouthpiece Karen Hughes came out of the political woodwork to support the insurgency, along with W.’s secretary of education Margaret Spellings. Karl Rove advised Team Hutchison. The gang was all there: All this in a primary challenge to unseat an incumbent Republican governor with one of the most conservative — and most successful — records to be found: Que paso, Bushes?

Part of that was payback. Perry, generally circumlocutious on the subject of W., gave himself a little time off the leash during the 2008 Republican presidential primaries. Often caricatured as yet another snake-handling southern social conservative, Governor Perry backed thrice-married dress-wearing pro-choice lapsed Catholic Rudy Giuliani, on the theory that Rudy would be a badass commander-in-chief abroad and a reliable constitutionalist at home. Politics being politics, the Texan and the New Yorker met up in Iowa, where more than a few Hawkeye conservatives were already getting restive about out-of-control federal spending on the Republicans’ watch. Governor Perry let loose the observation that “George” — and the Bushies hate it when Perry calls him “George” in public — “has never been a fiscal conservative.” Never? “Wasn’t when he was in Texas . . . ’95, ’97, ’99, George Bush was spending money.” He also criticized Bush as being limp on immigration.

The truth hurts, but there’s more to the Bush-Perry friction than that. One longtime observer of Lone Star politics described the Bushes’ disdain of Perry as “visceral,” and it is not too terribly hard to see why. The guy that NPR executives and the New York Times and your average Subaru-driving Whole Foods shopper were afraid George W. Bush was? Rick Perry is that guy. George W. Bush was Midland by way of Kennebunkport. Rick Perry’s people are cotton farmers from Paint Creek, a West Texas town so tiny and remote that my Texan traveling-salesman father looked at me skeptically and suggested I had the name wrong when I asked him whether he knew where it was. (Governor Perry confesses that one of the politiciany things he’s done in office is insisting that the Texas highway atlas include Paint Creek, making him the hometown boy who literally put the town on the map.) Bush is a Yalie, Perry is an Aggie. Bush served in the Texas Air National Guard, and Perry was a captain in the U.S. Air Force, flying C-130s in the Middle East. Bush has a gentleman’s ranch, Perry has the red meat. The irony is that Perry, a tea-party favorite, personifies the hawkish new fiscal conservatism that has allowed the GOP to find its way out from under George W. Bush’s shadow, but he himself remains in the shade of that politically poisonous penumbra. [end excerpt]

[Cincinatus' Wife]

[Rick] Perry, take a dim view of this bill (LIBS don't want Gov to keep incandescent bulbs)

Could Perry's brand of conservatism stand national scrutiny?

Perry stresses record during N.Y. speech

Pro-Perry web ads hit N.H.

Old-time religion, today's politics [cultivating "sinister right-wing culture warriors"]

Other states leaving Secure Communities (TX expands ICE program]

Paging Rick Perry: How a Southerner Could Sweep to the G.O.P. Nomination (getting into the weeds)

CNN Poll: Obama approval rating drops as fears of depression rise (Rick Perry anyone?)

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

No.

Critics rip Perry's vaccine mandate

Perry's Trans-Texas Corridor plan is a hard sell

[mylife]

Has anyone considered Chicago fatigue?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Has anyone considered Chicago fatigue?

BIG time fatigue.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

“Critics rip Perry’s vaccine mandate”: It was always an option. It wasn’t approved.

“Perry’s Trans-Texas Corridor plan is a hard sell:” It wasn’t done. The people were heard. As always.

[Eva]

What did I read about the percentage of all the jobs that have been created in the past two years being created in TEXAS? I don’t remember the percentage, but it was big.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Perry backed them hard though and completely ignored or dismissed the complaints of his constituents. The people were only heard through the State Legislature which pulled the rug out from under him.

Sorry, no, Perry is just another big government Republican in the Bush mold, and a slippery one at that.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Hi Eva.

I think that number was around 40%.

When you drive through Houston, Dallas, San Antonio or Austin (big metroplex areas) you can see all the activity and feel a great energy.

[Haiku Guy]

After four long years
Of President Oboomba...
Texas Nostalgia.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

He did not ignore or dismiss complaints.

If you don’t like Perry fine.

I get it.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I swoon when I hear Palin or Perry speak.

Down home common sense and love of country.

Can’t wait.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

He did not ignore or dismiss complaints.

You should go back and read all the Perry threads from 2007-2008 concerning the vaccine and the TTC when these issues were going down. I followed them closely and he behaved abominably.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Yes. The lamestream media hates Rick Perry and conservatism. Just like they hate Sarah Palin.

I’ll be watching to see if the MSM slobbers over Rick Perry’s 2 books like they slobbered over Barack Obama’s 2 books.

Probably not. They'll pan them like they did Sarah's books (which I have read and liked).

[no dems]

Would 'Texas fatigue' hurt a Rick Perry presidential bid? ______________________________________________________________ I'm afraid it would. That was my concern from the git-go. But, you have to ask, "what about Obama fatigue?". Remember the articulate, Black lady who, at a Town Hall meeting, told President Clueless: "Frankly I'm tired....tired of defending your policies."

[Recon Dad]

48%

[bmwcyle]

Perry is a very slick phony. Do not vote for him. He is a world elite.

[nonliberal]

The last Texas governor was a disaster.

[MrEdd]

Texas conservatives will absolutely cripple a Perry campain.
Maybe if he tries governing conservatively till 2016 he could convincingly turn from his socialist record.

[MrEdd]

The people were not “heard”. Texans prevailed over Goodhair’s dead (politically speaking) body in an expensive battle that dragged through the courts and finally manifested in enough ire for even democrats to give the legislature to Perry's conservative republican rivals.

Goodhair was bought, and he stayed bought throughout the fiasco.

Neither you nor anyone else are selling anyone the ludicrous assertion that he simply gave up on it - it was put down with him kicking and screaming to the end.

[wolfcreek]

41 and 43 aren’t even REAL Texans, just wanna-bees.

LBJ would of never been president had not JFK been assassinated.

Perry born, raised, schooled and elected in Texas.

[TexasCajun]

I long for the good ole days with a Texas Republican in the White House!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Texas conservatives will absolutely cripple a Perry campain.

Like they did in the last gubernatorial race?

Debra Medina was not a good campaigner.

Get over it.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Gov. Rick Perry calls Texas 'a beacon of opportunity' in inaugural speech

[Cincinatus' Wife]

........Perry born, raised, schooled and elected in Texas.

Hang around. You make good sense!

[LibLieSlayer]

No sale.

LLS

[BigCinBigD]

“LBJ — Well, that wasn’t planned.”
Are we sure about that?

[9YearLurker]

Yes.

[catfish1957]

As a Texan, I don't dislike Perry, but he is not as conservative as some are letting on (Open borders, Gardasil, etc..

FR needs to rally around true conservatives like DeMint and Palin.

[wolfcreek]

I hate misconceptions. <);)

[samtheman]

The “official” number is 37% but the Wall Street Journal (or one of it’s writers) calculates the “actual” number at 48%.

Whatever it is there are two different relationships between economies and toilets in the United States of America:

Texas is out of the toilet.

The rest of the country is in the toilet.

[9YearLurker]

But she was (and undoubtedly is) still a supporter—just a weary one.

[samtheman]

The “official” number is 37% but the Wall Street Journal (or one of it’s writers) calculates the “actual” number at 48%.

Whatever it is there are two different relationships between economies and toilets in the United States of America:

Texas is out of the toilet.

The rest of the country is in the toilet.

[catfish1957]

You are right. Here is SE Texas, I see help wanted signs all over the place.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Well.........

I couldn’t say.

[samtheman]

The last Texas governor was a disaster.

Wow. That's an extremely intelligent and thoughtful way to judge a candidate. Whether or not he comes from the SAME STATE as someone else who you don't like.

Why didn't I think of that???

Brilliant!!!

And I'm being serious here. Not sarcastic a bit. Not even one teeny, tiny bit. Honest!!!!!!

[samtheman]

LBJ was planned, but not by the voters. Not his selection as VP, that’s for sure. That was an inside job with the Kennedy’s succumbing to the pressure of J Edgars secret Kennedy files. At least that’s what I believe.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

If voters believed Mr. Perry could turn the economy around,
I don’t think they’d care about his accent. Heck, look at the
RINOs running. One is in a cult, has supported gay rights,
abortion, government mandates and looks constipated - and is
referred to as the front-runner...

I’d pick Perry over the others in the race today.

[isthisnickcool]

Perry is a RINO douche....

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“Maybe if he tries governing conservatively till 2016 he could convincingly turn from his socialist record.

I’d put Perry’s record up against Willard’s record and vote for Perry twice (well, if I lived in Chicago)...

[Spirochete]

Bush-I -- GHWB road Reagan's coattails into office.

Bush-II -- GWB - GOP establishment were the deciders (fool me once....)

The Bushes aren't Texans, they're carpetbaggers from Maine.

[samtheman]

If the voters REALLY believe that Perry can turn the economy around (and that is a big if for many reasons, not the least of which is that he’ll have to scale the same MSM-pro-Romney mountain as the others have to), then I don’t think they will care about his past support of vaccines or corridors.

They might be wrong not to care about that, but I don’t think it will matter to them (the voters) whether they are wrong or not.

I realize that some could say, “well, you could say the same thing about Romney” but I don’t believe that is true for 5 reasons:

1. Nobody intelligent believes anything Romney says about anything
2. Massachusetts did NOT become a job-creation machine under Romney’s tenure
3. Flip-flops
4. Magic underwear
5. RomneyCare (a bigger blemish than vaccines/corridor by a factor of about 10 billion)

[TomGuy]

Add in Carter (GA) and Clinton (AR) and you can say the ‘South’ hasn’t produced many stellar candidates.

Notice that Cain and Gingrich aren’t getting hit with Carter-itis, whereas Huckabee did get some Clinton-itis in 2008.

Of course, neither Cain nor Gingrich were state governors. Does that make a difference?

[varon]

IMHO, if Perry enters the race, it will be at the behind the scenes urging by the GOP establishment to set up a firewall against Sarah Palin.

[ConservativeDude]

Cheney also endorsed Hutchison.

All in all, I doubt the country has had too many Texas governors. I think the majority perception is going to be that maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

[tillacum]

I agree.

[TomGuy]

if Perry enters the race, it will be at the behind the scenes urging by the GOP establishment to set up a firewall against Sarah Palin.

It will be 'when' rather than 'if'. He wants to run and Romney may be too much to the left even for the establishment GOP elites. If Romney can't get his numbers up, he may be a disaster going into the general election. Are the GOP elites content to just have the House majority and possibly a Senate majority, while conceding a 2nd term to Obama?

Perry could show up as a good compromise -- between Romney/Romneycare on the left and Palin/Bachmann on the right.

My apprehension with Perry is that the GOP elite might force him to add JBush as his VP [shades of Reagan and GHW Bush]. That could sink Perry in the general election. The Bush name still causes a bad taste.

[samtheman]

You bring up a good point. And if Palin enters the race, I’m committed to continue backing her no matter what.

But she hasn’t entered the race. And one could argue that Perry — who also hasn’t officially entered — is actually showing more distinct signs of entering. What do you think the mass-quitting of Gingrich’s staff was all about? Those are all Perry people.

So suppose Palin doesn’t enter the race? In fact, suppose Palin ENDORSES Perry? I do not think that’s beyond the realm of possibility and, in fact, I believe there is some medium level of probability that could be attached to it.

Palin, like me, like many, many others, is scared to death at what Obama and the Communists are doing to our country. Scared to death. I speak for myself here, but I believe it’s also true of Palin.