Last night's big winnner? Easy -- Rick Perry

Renew America ^ | 8-12-2011 | Bryan Fischer - Commentary

[smoothsailing]

Last night's big winnner? Easy -- Rick Perry

Bryan Fischer

August 12, 2011

The big winner in last night's GOP debate was Rick Perry. This is for the simple reason that no one else won. The race from this point forward is Rick Perry and the Eight Dwarves.

The exchange between Pawlenty and Bachmann was spirited, and there was nothing inappropriate about it. Politics ain't beanbag, as Lincoln famously observed. It's a contact sport, and part of what you must do in the primary season is distinguish yourself from your competitors. You have to throw some elbows to do that.

Pawlenty was hurt by the exchange, because he took a swing at a girl. No matter how much progress we think we've made on gender equality, there is still something deep inside us that says men should use their strength to protect women, not attack them, and Pawlenty put on the full-court press last night.

But Ms. Bachmann chose to get into the ring, and can't complain if punches are thrown, nor should anyone complain on her behalf. That's one of the reasons to question whether it's a good idea for women to get involved in the rough and tumble of politics. I hate to see a woman attacked like Bachmann was last night, but she made herself vulnerable to it by throwing her hat into the ring.

What has been done to Sarah Palin and what is being done to Michele Bachmann — the grotesque beating they have taken from the hostiles on the left (I'm not talking about Pawlenty here) — is a travesty and a shameful embarrassment to any culture which claims to have an enlightened view of the treatment of women.

But this is what conservative women who enter politics are choosing to accept. It is not right, but it is inevitable, since too many on the left are consumed with bitterness and hatred toward conservatives in general and conservative women in particular. They are enslaved to a driving, brooding passion to destroy, and the more attractive the conservative woman is, the more it feeds their blood lust. As captives to this dark, driving vitriol, they can't help themselves. It will take the power of God to set them free from their own bondage to this mindless anger and rage. This means that a woman must count the cost, as Jesus taught, before jumping into the fray.

Part of the problem here is that when a women mixes it up in the political arena, and gets punched, she must punch back. The danger to the woman here is that every time she punches back, which she must do, she hardens a little bit of her soul and sacrifices a little bit of her femininity. I'm not sure that's a good trade. But each woman needs to make that choice for herself. No one else can or should make that decision for her.

Quick hits on the rest of the debate:

Romney came across as plastic. He completed his abject flip-flop on marriage, going from being the man who imposed same-sex marriage on America by executive fiat in 2004 to a man who now supports a federal marriage amendment to undo what he himself did in Massachusetts. He has a real credibility problem on social issues.

He defended RomneyCare despite the fact that it served as the blueprint for ObamaCare. He said the first thing he would do as president would be to give a waiver from ObamaCare to all 50 states, which obviously then includes Massachusetts. So once again, he'd use the power of his office as president to undo what he did as a governor. All in all, not a sterling record of consistency and believability.

Ron Paul's policies would be a positive menace to our national security. He is clueless about the danger Islam poses to the West, and doesn't even mind if Iran nukes up. And he is one with Obama in blaming us for Iran's hatred.

In Paul's confused thinking, whatever the CIA did to Iran in 1953–1953! — explains and justifies their lasting and eternal hatred of our country. That's no different than urging us to maintain an abiding hatred of Japan because of what they did to us in 1941. It's ridiculous.This is absurd and dangerous to an alarming degree. It's hard to see how a man this out of touch with reality regarding Islam can be trusted with the power of the Oval Office.

Plus he wants to Mirandize foreign Muslims who kill us, even though they have no constitutional or Geneva Convention rights whatsoever.

Newt and Herman both gave disappointing responses when pressed on their views on Islam. Both had taken strong and correct positions in the past, and both got squishy and squirrelly last night. Grassroots Americans are aware of the threat Islam poses to the West (when Herman said sharia law does not belong in American courts, he got spontaneous applause), and are looking for a leader who understands that. It increasingly looks like neither Newt nor Herman will fill the bill.

Newt got testy when Chris Wallace exposed his flip-flop on Libya, and tried to justify his contradictory positions with an answer nobody could follow. Romney was exposed as a flip-flopper on Afghanistan. Romney continues to appear to be disconcertingly inconsistent and unpredictable, not good qualities in a chief executive.

Paul did remind us that liberty comes from the Creator. But his understanding of liberty includes the liberty to snort cocaine, shoot up heroin, and indulge in prostitution and sodomy. That's not liberty, that's bondage. His views promote license, not liberty.

Santorum was the strongest on the platform on the pro-life issue. He rightly would make no exceptions even for rape, since in America we don't punish a child for the sins of his father. He's absolutely correct.

Huntsman made himself a non-factor by admitting he has no economic plan on his website, which should have been his first order of business. He also indicated he'd be for amnesty once the border is secure, a position anathema to most conservatives. Romney repeated the canard that we are a "nation of immigrants." We're not. Eighty-five percent us were born here.

Huntsman also argued that he as governor has the best record in the field on jobs. He loses that argument once Perry gets in the race tomorrow.

Bottom line: the race is Rick Perry's to lose.

[smoothsailing]

"The change we seek will never emanate out of Washington. It will come from the windswept prairies of middle America; the farms and factories across this great land; the hearts and minds of God-fearing Americans -- who will not accept a future that is less than our past, who will not be consigned a fate of LESS freedom in exchange for MORE government. We do not have to accept our current circumstances. We will change them. We're Americans. That's what we do. WE roll up our sleeves, WE get to work, WE make things better."

Excerpt from Perry Presidential announcement speech-Source

"I was quite sure that he wasn't going to run, because he was adamant until about four months ago that he wasn't going to run. I was surprised that he had changed his position on that, but I'm glad that he's going to be in there. I'm thankful that he's going to jump in this arena. It's rough and tumble and tough,...That adds to the debate. It adds another choice for Americans to consider headin' into 2012."

Sarah Palin today at Iowa State Fair - Source

[TexasFreeper2009]

This is exactly what I thought after watching that debate. Perry won, because everyone already in the race looked SO BAD.

[Signalman]

Rick Perry is the Ronald Reagan of 2012.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Rick Perry is the Ronald Reagan of 2012.

Last week some pundit said Ubama was.

The standard gets lower and lower.

[smoothsailing]

I watched that whole thing last night. I came away thinking what a waste of time it had been. Perry did win, so did Palin. Just by not showing up.

[cripplecreek]

Its hard to tell with all the panties flying through the air.

[MNJohnnie]

Would help his case if you bothered to get his facts correct.

Lincoln would have NO idea what a beanbag was. He never said any such thing.

[TexasFreeper2009]

Yep, the worse the current candidates look, the better those that are not in the race start to look.

Even as recent as last night I didn't think Palin was running, but today... I think she just might be... in which case like you said she and Perry were the big winners.

[Winstons Julia]

I’m interesting in Perry. This is what I see the left saying so far:

1) He had bad grades.
2) His job creation is all low-wage jobs.
3) Conservatives in Texas have bad things to say about him.

[MNJohnnie]

Let us try this again.

It would help his case if HE bothered to get his facts correct.

Lincoln would have NO idea what a beanbag was. He never said any such thing.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

I’m not going to get caught up in this ‘Perry Fever’ yet.

If recent history teaches us anything it is two things.

1. Listen and study a candidate a great deal before endorsing it. (OBAMA)

2. Don’t pay heed to this ‘Heir Apparent’ nonsense. (Hillary)

My two cents on the debate...Ron Paul looked like the kook he is; spouted nonsense. He’s toast.

[Tribune7]

I thought Michele looked OK. The rest, not so much.

[cripplecreek]

Ron Paul doesn’t even need to show up at debates. They could just put together a montage of his past debate showings and play them every time a question is directed to him.

[MNJohnnie]

Childish, ignorant and superficial are the nicest things that can be said about this article

[wk4bush2004]

If that truly is part of his speech tomorrow, it’s excellent! This is so exciting! This is the candidate we’ve been waiting for!

“FREEDOM, PROSPERITY, RESPONSIBILITY: RICK PERRY 2012!”

[smoothsailing]

I’m not going to get caught up in this ‘Perry Fever’ yet.

That's the best approach, IMO.

Perry could well fall flat on his face in a week. Personally, I don't expect that to happen, but you never know. Remember Fred Thompson? He's doing reverse mortgage ads on TV these days.

[rlbedfor]

I was not impressed by the Rep’s. If I had to vote for any last night, it would have been Newt. I am looking forward to Palin or Perry to see the contrast.

[varina davis]

“Bad grades” don’t bother me one whit, considering the trashing of America by all the Ivy League types that weasel their way into national politics. Palin/Perry or Perry/Rubio for the GOP national ticket.

[ex-snook]

Change you will get if they became President.

Gingrich, Cain, Santorum - War with Iran

Bachmann - default on debt

Romney & Huntsman - Elect me an find out

Paul - Pull out of wars & audit Federal Reserve

Pawlenty - Just a governor

No Shows - Palin and Perry

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Fox news interviewers were pathetic.