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On the Nature of the Perry Attacks
http://www.redstate.com ^ | Saturday, August 20th | Erick Erickson

Posted on 08/20/2011 4:50:00 PM PDT by Para-Ord.45

Rick Perry once tried to get out of a speeding ticket.

Rick Perry once owned stock in a chain of video stores competing against Blockbuster, some of which also rented adult movies.

Rick Perry once was a Democrat.

The attacks have come fast and furious against him. But most of the attacks take on a peculiar and very telling strain.

A reporter on television or in print will utter a sentence like this, “Privately many Republican consultants suggest Rick Perry may be too Texas or shoot from the hip too much and might turn off necessary independent voters and women.”

It sounds so serious. As Alex Castellanos said on CNN the other night on John King USA, some fear Rick Perry might have “Mad Cowboy Disease.”

Let me sum this all up for you into what Rick Perry’s biggest problem is.

Whether you are talking about Alex (Team Carole Strayhorn 2006) or Karl Rove (Team Kay Bailey Hutchison 2010) or a host of other national Republican consultants, Rick Perry and his Texas team have beaten a significant portion of them.

But they did not just beat them. In many cases, Team Perry then shut the consultants who opposed him out of future business with him.

So there are scores and scores of Republican consultants who have scores to settle with Rick Perry and his team. And for guys like Karl Rove, if Perry were to win the White House, Karl and a few others would see themselves shut out of White House business for at least four years.

Rick Perry may be the only guy in America to have beaten both Karl Rove and also Obama’s own consultant, David Axelrod.

So there’s a lot of score settling in a lot of the attacks. Next time you hear some Republican consultant say Rick Perry can’t win because he is too much of a cowboy, understand that it is probably a national Republican consultant fearful they will be shut out of work if Perry wins and, more importantly, understand that the same dynamics were in place in 1980 with Reagan’s “boys from California” team of consultants and the national consultants back them said the same about Reagan — he’s too much of a cowboy conservative who will alienate key voting blocks.

That’s not to say Perry is Reagan. It is to say the GOP national consultants have been pulling the same stuff since 1980.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: axelrod; castellanos; laraza; madcowboydisease; maldef; openborders; perry; perry2012; perrytards; ricardo; rickperry; rove
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To: Lakeshark

Perry needs to make his case, no question about that. At least he is not hiding his ideas about this very controversial issue, and can now be questioned on the campaign trail. I trust the tea party will do just that.


141 posted on 08/20/2011 8:20:15 PM PDT by HerrBlucher ("It is terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged." G.K. Chesterton)
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To: Tempest

Gotta look at the whole record, plus the plans for their Presidency, plus, the chance of actually winning the election.

Perry:

Record - not perfect, but overall, 85/100
Plans - none specific, but if similar to his book, let’s say 90/100
Electability vs. Obama - 90/100

Palin:

Record - 90/100
Plans - based on her general statements - 90/100
Electability vs. Obama - 50/100

Perry wins this 3-part exam.


142 posted on 08/20/2011 8:21:30 PM PDT by RockinRight (The ObamAA+ Downgrade)
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To: Para-Ord.45
I don't believe Karl Rove has any personal grudges against Perry or any other Republican. He only cares about a Republican winning first, last and always. He's a stone cold strategy guy and pettiness is nowhere in his personality.

He was right about Christine O'Donnell and Sharron Angle and it was nothing personal. He just knew they could be beaten in races that should have been automatic GOP pick-ups.

He's not desperate to go back to the White House and be further demonized. The constant Democrat attacks destroyed his marriage, cost him a personal fortune in legal costs and make him subject to assaults and harassment every time he appears in public.

143 posted on 08/20/2011 8:21:45 PM PDT by Deb (Beat him, strip him and bring him to my tent!)
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To: berdie

And as much as I respect Reagan...he granted amnesty.


144 posted on 08/20/2011 8:22:35 PM PDT by berdie
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To: muawiyah

Having been a Democrat in Texas does not equal being a RINO.

Just because Reagan did not run for office when he was a young man, like Perry did when he was a young man and a Texas Democrat, does not mean anything against Rick Perry.

When I was young it was almost unheard of to run in TX as anything but a Democrat. What precious few Republicans there were did not come from Perry’s area. They came from North Central Texas or around Houston and were from suburbia. The hinterlands were solid, solid Democrat because that was their tradition. Republicans were associated with Reconstruction after the Civil War and with Herbert Hoover.

That is just the truth. You want to rewrite history. The history Rick Perry lived and the geography of his upbringing makes his unfolding political story make perfect sense.

There is Phil Gramm who helped Reagan pass his bills while still a Democrat, then he became a Republican. He represented rural TX.

There is Ralph Hall who for many, many years served as a Democrat Congressman from TX, who had the single most conservative voting record in Congress of 100 percent, year after year after year. When the Dems became so radicalized in DC, Ralph Hall finally switched to Republican when an elderly man with snow white hair. He still serves today way into his 80s. He voted against the debt ceiling bill.

You are pretty sharp most of the time, but on this you are not into reality on the topic. Your head is above the clouds and not down on ground level where these people actually lived and still do.


145 posted on 08/20/2011 8:24:05 PM PDT by txrangerette ("...HOLD TO THE TRUTH; SPEAK WITHOUT FEAR." - Glenn Beck)
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To: HerrBlucher
I hope they do, so far I find him untrustworthy on this issue, which is why I hope we find someone else. I'll be listening, we'll hear what he has to say and how he defends his past (and present) pandering.

Gots to go hit the hay, thanks for the back and forth.

146 posted on 08/20/2011 8:27:29 PM PDT by Lakeshark (Thank a member of the US armed forces for their sacrifice)
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To: don-o; PMAS
maybe Rove and the others want Palin to get in the race so Perry and Palin split the conservatives and Romney wins the nomination.

That's what I am thinking. And Sarah can understand this as well.


Actually, it's Rick Perry that needs to understand this an let the better conservative and better candidate move ahead. Once Sarah jumps in the race, he needs to drop out.
147 posted on 08/20/2011 8:30:12 PM PDT by SoConPubbie
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To: Arec Barrwin; muawiyah
It’s forgivable. And he’s going to win. Romney is too liberal. Bachmann isn’t a credible candidate. And Palin isn’t running.

So face it - you’ll be voting for Perry in 15 months, so get on the Perry express now.


Nope, he's not even going to make to the finish line of the Primaries.

His lousy unconservative positions on Illegal Immigration, his signing a Hate Crimes bill, his Big-Government Nanny-State Guardisil problem, his Eminent Domain issues with TTC, etc does not and will not play well with the base.

Once Sarah announces, Rick Perry will start fading away fast.

If I were you, I'd get with a real winner, and a real conservative's Train, the Sarah Palin Train!
148 posted on 08/20/2011 8:33:51 PM PDT by SoConPubbie
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To: berdie
And as much as I respect Reagan...he granted amnesty.

Yes, he did, and regretted, as told by Michael Reagan, as his worst political mistake.

You see his Amnesty included tough provisions against employers and future Illegal Immigrants that were never enforced.

That amnesty didn't do a thing to move hispanics to the GOP, absolutely nothing.

And yet Perry, with his strong support for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, his positions against E-Verify, AZ1070, a Border Fence, etc. seems determined to repeat the same mistakes that he should have learned from Reagans mistake.

Why?
149 posted on 08/20/2011 8:37:25 PM PDT by SoConPubbie
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To: onyx

Thx much!


150 posted on 08/20/2011 8:37:40 PM PDT by RoosterRedux
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To: PMAS; Para-Ord.45
I doubt Karl Rove and the other establishment Repubs are in Palin’s camp either, maybe Rove and the others want Palin to get in the race so Perry and Palin split the conservatives and Romney wins the nomination.

And we have a winner!!! Photobucket

151 posted on 08/20/2011 8:38:15 PM PDT by Doofer ("If debt is the problem, how is more debt the solution"?)
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To: Logical me
Especially these left-wing posters

Governor Rick Perry speaks to La Raza


152 posted on 08/20/2011 8:39:56 PM PDT by Fred ('Just cus I said it, don't mean I meant it'....Obamaism)
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To: Lakeshark

Actually, at the end of any 8 year presidency,,every one is singing...

“Thank God and Greyhound he’s gone.”

He was great, but appreciation was delayed.


153 posted on 08/20/2011 8:41:11 PM PDT by berdie
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To: onyx
My approach sometimes is to look at the vacuum created by the incumbent (Obama's vacuum is like no other) and then to measure the relative manner in which an opponent fills that void.

Having read some background on the candidates, it seems to me (yes, it's a bit early) that Perry has both the campaign ingenuity and the experience to come out ahead of others in giving Obama a real headache.

And then there is the matter of the country. Whether we like it or not, the fate of the country (that's us) hangs in the balance. We need a champion that can take it back NOW.

I will fight tooth and nail for anyone who can bring down Obama. ANYONE (who loves America).

If we can save the country, we can then move it to the right.

154 posted on 08/20/2011 8:49:37 PM PDT by RoosterRedux
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To: HerrBlucher; onyx
Sorry Onyx, but Sarah has not been tested on illegal immigration, so its an apples and oranges comparison. I guarantee you that if Sarah becomes prez (praise the Lord) she will say and do things that we are not going to like, just like Reagan did, but she will be a great President nonetheless.

Sorry, but you are about only 1/3 correct on that.
Sarah has already clarified her position on a Border wall, and on internal enforcement at the State level, i.e. AZ1070.

Both of which Rick Perry has come out against.

What surprises me is that a so-called strong supporter of the 10th Amendment like Rick Perry is supposed to be came out against something so logically effective as AZ1070. Something that the Supreme Court has already partially said was constitutional.

Rick has also come out against E-Verify, part of AZ1070.

Sarah needs to completely clarifiy her position on what to do with thos already here, i.e. normalizing their immigration status by Comprehensive Immigration Reform, A.K.A. Amnesty. She has started down that road but needs to complete the clarification.

Rick, on the other hand, has already clarified his position, he is for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, he has stated this already.
155 posted on 08/20/2011 9:04:55 PM PDT by SoConPubbie
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To: Arec Barrwin

It’s forgivable. And Fred going to win. Giuliani is too liberal. Romney is too slick. Huckabee isn’t a credible candidate. And McCain isn’t sticking around.

So face it - you’ll be voting for Fred Thompson in 15 months, so get on the Fred express now.


156 posted on 08/20/2011 9:06:19 PM PDT by BillyBoy (Impeach Obama? Yes We Can!)
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To: SoConPubbie

I really can’t answer for Perry, but I can tell you my thoughts on why he might think the way he does.

Perry is a politician. I don’t deem him to be anything else. I live in Texas..we have a very large Hispanic population. If anyone thinks he will do anything to alienate that base, you might want to think twice. Hence the Dream Act nonsense that I totally disagree with. But it was supported by the legislature. And so far the Dems have lost.

E-Verify is a joke. Yep...you can call and find out if a ss number is valid. If not, you can inform the person. You cannot not hire them..or fire them. YET..the employer is at risk for hiring illegals.

The Texas Border really does not lend itself to a fence. Lots of rough terrain. Besides..in reality, that is a function of the federal government.

I fear there will never be any kind of provisions to stop this. If there is a candidate running today that actually has a plan..who is it? (no way they will alienate what small portion of the Hispanic vote they might get).


157 posted on 08/20/2011 9:09:48 PM PDT by berdie
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To: All

Perry has both good and bad qualities, but he’s not the most conservative candidate - we CAN do better!


158 posted on 08/20/2011 9:21:11 PM PDT by Sun (Pray that God sends us good leaders. Please say a prayer now.)
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To: muawiyah

No one’s asking you to. But nice try.


159 posted on 08/20/2011 9:23:46 PM PDT by Arec Barrwin
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To: Diogenesis

Love for Islam? Prove it.


160 posted on 08/20/2011 9:24:29 PM PDT by Arec Barrwin
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