Posted on 07/03/2011 3:26:47 PM PDT by smoothsailing
Jonathan S. Tobin
July 3, 2011
In the past two and a half years, the American people have gotten yet another lesson in the perils of electing a president without executive experience. Barack Obama had no background in running anything, let alone a contraption as complicated as the federal government. His failures dealing with Congress as well as controlling the bureaucracy have been legion. Though Democrats thought a slim resume was only an issue with regards to the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, the president’s lack of familiarity with the business of managing a government has come back to haunt the nation.
The experience factor is one that obviously plays into the hands of the former governors who are seeking to replace Obama. Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty’s status as former governors ought to be a huge leg up for them, especially when compared to the record of Michele Bachmann, who has more legislative experience than Obama had but the same paucity of familiarity with the executive branch. However, the man who seems to be standing on the precipice of joining this trio as mainstream contenders for the GOP nomination has them all trumped.
Rick Perry has been governor of Texas since George W. Bush left that office in December 2000. In the past 11 years, he has not only amassed a vast wealth of governing experience, he has apparently become an expert in the business of dealing with a legislature and a state bureaucracy. While not everyone in the Lone Star State is in love with Perry, there seems to be a consensus he is not only a highly effective executive but one who has increased the power of an office that was once put down as among the least important governorships in the nation.
In today’s New York Times, Perry’s reign in Austin is given the once over and though the piece is not consistently flattering about the governor’s style, there’s no way to read it without being impressed by his skill. Perry has reversed the traditional balance of power ration between the state legislature and the governor’s office, getting his way far more often than not.
But, in the article, there is some confusion about Perry’s ideology. On the one hand, he is lambasted for his ruthless determination in pushing through business friendly measures that some blast as corporate welfare while at the same time he is denounced as the ultimate small government Tea Party activist. But no matter what label you slap on him, he is in position to claim credit for the economic boom that has made his state an outlier at a time when rising unemployment is the keystone of the economy during Barack Obama’s presidency.
We don’t know whether Rick Perry will decide to run for president. Nor do we know how he will fare on the campaign trail in states where governors in cowboy boots may not impress voters, especially only four years after the end of George W. Bush’s presidency. Yet, as this Times’ article demonstrates, there’s no doubt Perry brings more to the table in terms of successful governing experience than anyone else seeking to challenge Obama.
I sure as Hell hope he decides against running for the Presidency.
Experience...at what? Wishywashyworld is all about blurring the lines.
Since it is yet another Perry thread...there is an attempt to overthrow the instate tuition policies enacted by Perry.
Do you have oil and gas royalties in TX.? Do you pay taxes on them?
Are you opposed to instate tuition for illegals? If you are I can guide you to the attorney gathering plaintiffs...very reputable....
I did for Stop the Magnet. If you know any royalties folks against illegals let me know.
Well, he does pass your tagline test! :)
Executive experience is important, but not the most important consideration. In the last election cycle Mike Huckabee was the GOP candidate with the most executive experience and he was my absolute last choice to be the nominee. What good is executive experience if you are going to use that experience to increase the reach of government? In this case, the reach of government is already pushing the point of no return and the number one criteria I have for supporting a candidate is a willingness to take a chainsaw to the federal budget. If a candidate comes along, who is willing to do this and has executive experience, all the better. Rick Perry has the most executive experience of any other potential candidate running, but is he willing to take a chainsaw to the federal budget? I am open to being convinced.
The letter is for calling another special session to address immigration matters left undone, particularly sanctuary cities. The letter can be signed by residents and non-residents of Texas and is endorsed by alot of the Texas TEA Party groups.
Perry’s push for super highway raises conspiracy buzz
Some say it’s part of a plan to create one nation in North America
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5064512.html
Perry enhanced the conspiracy buzz earlier this summer by traveling to Turkey to attend the secretive Bilderberg conference,
which conspiracy theorists believe is a cabal of international monied interests and power brokers pressing for globalization.
The first, and most controversial, leg of the Trans-Texas Corridor plan is a proposed 1,200-foot-wide private toll road
to run from Laredo to the Oklahoma border parallel to Interstate 35. This TTC-35 would be built
by a consortium headed by Spanish owned Cintra S.A. and Zachry Construction Corp. of San Antonio.
Perry fueled his role in the debate in June by attending the Bilderberg annual conference,
a secretive closed-door meeting of about 120 business, government and media leaders from Europe and North America.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/special/07/legislature/4535418.html
Perry’s vaccination order still stoking fires
AUSTIN — Blowback continued at the Capitol on Wednesday over Gov. Rick Perry’s order mandating
that schoolgirls be vaccinated against a sexually transmitted disease linked to cervical cancer.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/special/07/legislature/4528909.html
Critics rip Perry’s vaccine mandate
Governor rejects opponents’ calls to reverse order
AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry stood firm Monday against a political firestorm generated by his
order that sixth-grade girls be inoculated against a sexually transmitted virus linked to cervical cancer.
Social conservatives from Texas to Washington called on Perry to reverse his order making
Texas the first state to require the vaccine, saying the mandate makes sex seem permissible
and that parents should be the ones to decide whether to immunize their daughters.
And several Texas lawmakers expressed outrage at Perry for circumventing the legislative process.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/26/us/26texas.html
The vaccine, Gardasil, is manufactured by Merck, which was represented in Austin by the
lobbyist Mike Toomey, who was chief of staff for Mr. Perry from 2002 to 2004.
He cut education funding in a big way, not many governors have the nerve to take on the bloated education bureaucracy.
He’s called for eliminating the Education Dept. and the EPA at the national level, claims he’d make it a priority if president.
Google should give you plenty of info on it.
I definitely think Perry is worth looking at, and I’m with you on Bachmann, she impresses me. Cain is no slouch either. Those two are the bright lights in an otherwise pretty dim field, IMO.
“He’s called for eliminating the Education Dept. and the EPA at the national level”
That would be worth electing him if he actually could pull it off.
But, being a powerful and effective governor is what they said about Bush. We know how he let us down with many big government projects.
I live in Texas, and yes I like Perry except for 2 BIG BIG things #1 is the TTC, where private ranch lands would be confiscated & sometimes diveded (where a rancher can’t even get to the other side of his property because the gov has confiscated his private land with a (foreign toll road highway). #2 the federal law enforcing us to educate illgals must be abolished. It’s killing our school districts.
Also, my county has not experienced much down turn during this crisis, AGAIN, I live in Texas, maybe we need some Union thugs to run the illegals off?
“Michele Bachmann. Another thing I like about her is her background in tax law. (She has a post doctorate in tax law from William and Marry Law School and worked as a litigant for the IRS) In addition to cutting spending, overhauling the tax code is a major MUST DO.”
Persuasive case for Bachman. If Perry in the nominee, I would hate to see the comparisons between him and Bush.
Bachman would toss the feminists a difficult one and would be fresh face for the GOP, which typically nominates teetering old men.
Perhaps would could pull the same swing voters who last time were enamored by the candidate’s skin color: “Hey, just think — we could have a FEMALE president. Cool!”
This Texan agrees with you.
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