[Gargantua]

I'm inherently distrustful of any former Democrat who changed parties. 1986, when the author mentions seeing Perry applying for a Democrat position, was the middle of Reagan's eight year presidency.

Anyone who watched 5 years of President Reagan's remarkable American revival based upon purely and successfully conservative precepts, and still wanted to run as a Democrat... seems to have possibly been severely principles-challenged... just sayin.

What caused him to change party? Was it a political calculation, or a heart change? Like I said, absent any additional data, just the fact that he was ever a Democrat makes me leery of him. Factor in that he's not even close to being the most successful conservative Governor as a current potential GOP candidate in 2012, and I really don't see the point.

We can do alot better. IMHO.

[Flintlock]

Pro-illegals?
Pro-Muzzies?

FAAGEDDABAATIT!!

[Rider on the Rain]

I'm inherently distrustful of any former Democrat who changed parties.

I'm not. Reagan, himself was a former democrat. So was big John Connally.

[MestaMachine]

karl rove flipped him.

http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2010/mar/19/karl-rove/karl-rove-says-he-and-consultant-david-weeks-persu/

According to a 2003 Rove profile published in Texas Monthly magazine, Rove and Weeks “persuaded Perry, an obscure Democratic legislator from Haskell who had co-chaired Al Gore’s 1988 Democratic presidential primary campaign in Texas, to switch parties for the election. West Texas was swinging Republican anyway, and Perry, who was discouraged by his failure to advance in the House leadership and thinking of becoming a lobbyist, had nothing to lose.”

The rest is dramatic Republican history: Perry, whose advisers included Rove, upset Hightower and has now held statewide office for nearly 20 years. Rove went on to help Bush to the White House.

[submarinerswife]

I'm inherently distrustful of any former Democrat who changed parties.

Reagan was a Dem who switched parties. ((gasp)) He was also the head of a union. (Screen Actors Guild).

Plus there are many FReepers who were Dems when they were younger and dumber about life in their 20's. I voted Dem in '88. Do you "inherently distrust" us all?

[Ditter]

EVERBODY in Texas used to be a democrat or grew up in a democrat home. EVERYBODY!! Most were not liberal democrats that came later. Many older people today still consider themselves democrats even though they are conservative in every way. We lived in a rural county in the 60s and 70s, there was never any Republicans on the ballot in the local and state elections.