Posted on 08/29/2011 6:46:20 AM PDT by DRey
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, like most of the other the GOP presidential hopefuls, says his campaign is about undoing the decisions of President Obama. But Perry also presents a stark alternative to the last Republican to occupy the White House, his fellow Texan George W. Bush.
In his writings and speeches before he entered the race, Perry shared the view, widely held among conservatives, that Bush’s government spending habits in office were a betrayal of the GOP’s core fiscal principles. But Perry went further, dismissing “compassionate conservatism,” the central tenet of Bush’s domestic policy, as just more overreach by the federal government.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
“Exaggerated sensitiveness is an expression of the feeling of inferiority.” Alfred Adler
In the intra-Republican party fight for Texas governor, 41 {G.H.W. Bush} has chosen U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison over Gov. Rick Perry. He joins his close friend, longtime consigliere, and former White House chief-of-staff James Baker, who endorsed Hutchison earlier this week, and a long list of his son George W. Bush's closest associates in lining up behind the challenger to the incumbent. Hutchison has the public backing of former Vice President Dick Cheney, former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, and former Counselor to the President and communications director Karen Hughes, and she's being advised by former Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove.
Amen, bro. Conservatism is by its very definition compassionate.
As much as I love Sarah Palin, I would say the same thing about her Common Sense Conservatism slogan.
Conservatism by its very nature is rooted in common sense.
Thank God he has. “Compassionate Conservatism” was not conservatism, period. It was Christian Socialism. It lead to the mess we have today and there is nothing compassionate about running up a huge debt because “when people hurt, government has to move” or whatever other nonsense Bush was spewing.
Bush was a conservative?
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a minute here, Washington Post. You're rocking my world.
I thought we Conservatives were all a bunch of brainwashed Bushbots who applauded anything and everything Bush said and did.
“Conservatism by its very nature is rooted in common sense.”
Not when conservatism is distorted into a mere slogan for “We in the ruling class can run your life better than you can.”
The chips are starting to fall into place to repeat 1980, but it’s Perry, not Palin, playing Reagan. Obama is playing Jimmah, of course. The only question is, will Trump (or perhaps Hillary or Kucinich) jump in and play John Anderson?
I like most of what Perry says and what he has done...but I cannot condone or let pass his stance on the immigraion issues...nor will I forget his pandering to La Raza in his speech to that organization in San Antonio in 2010 while campagning for governor.
IMHO, he should never have set foot there. He should have called them what they are...that organization is a racist organization dedicated to the dismembering of the United States and not worthy of recognition in any form IMHO.
Having said that, if it comes down to Obama or Perry, Perry will get my vote. But through the primaries, I must support somone who not only gets the economy and other critical issues right, but also get it right on immigration.
No kidding. I couldn’t quite believe my eyes seeing this in the WaPo.
Which is exactly what qualifiers like "Compassionate Conservatism" and "Common Sense Conservatism" connote.
...for now.
So what does it mean when the Washington Post starts trying to portray a candidate as a conservative, during a time when the political demand is for conservatism?
It doesn’t mean the Washington Post has suddenly become honest. It means the Washington Post has picked the guy they want for the Republican nominee, and that guy is Rick Perry.
They'll revert to form after the primary is over. Then we will all be Perrybots or Palinbots or Bachmannbots.
For the WaPo, right now it's all about raking muck within the Republican Party.
Liberals claim their programs are compassionate, too. Is there really anything fundamentally different between giving $30 billion to Africans for AIDS and handing out welfare checks to the poor? I could argue welfare checks at least go to fellow Americans. Compassionate conservatism is essentially big government liberalism. It’s all about spending other people’s money on what should be one’s own private causes.
If Governor Perry is truly against compassionate conservatism, then that is a major plus in his favor.
Jeff, you are way too reasonable for FR these days.
Not if it comes from outside the ruling class, as it does with Palin.
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IF you'd like to be added FReepmail me. Thanks.
george w bush was not a conservative.
nor was george h w.
nor was prescott bush.
they were all spend big progressives.
Would you prefer President Obama?
And yet, Rick Perry supported TARP, and, more recently, raising the debt ceiling by $2.4 TRILLION dollars.
If there's a disconnect between campaign rhetoric and reality, I'll believe the reality every time.
My theory is that WaPo is merely raking muck within The Republican Party. Whoever the Republican nominee is, they will focus on the pertinent disagreeability that nominee has with a certain faction within The Republican Party.
WaPo is trying to foment discord between Perrybots and Bushbots.
Some people will fall for it. Hopefully not enough.
I’d like to be on your ping list, but can’t freep-mail you from work. Could you add me, please?
Thanks!
Susan
I think she meant that in a good way.
LOL. You've got it completely wrong. The WAPO is writing this article to its independent and squishy moderate readership that generally votes GOP. They DON'T want Rick Perry and they are trying to scare this group into voting for THEIR GUY ... Milt Romney.
My theory is they’re writing to liberals, freaking them out even more — Perry is MORE CONSERVATIVE than BUSH?!! You know, trying to get them fired up to fight the evil right winger.
The media really wants us to go with Rick Perry.
Are we going to give the media what they want? :(
Again, I love Sarah Palin, but, to me, any attempt to modify, qualify or make Conservatism SOUND more appealing only results in watering down Conservatism.
Where the person stands on The Ruling Class spectrum is immaterial.
Watch for Hilary to be “asked” by the Dems to run if Obama’s numbers keep going down. If he comes out with the same tax the rich, shovel ready, we need more stimulus money, QE infinity crap, I don’t think even the Democratic base is going to buy it. Yea I know the hard core left and the “Obama is the Savior” crowd will follow him into the abyss but those few Dems who have at least one eye open are going to continue to become restless. They won’t want to vote Republican so the call for someone, most likely Hilary, will go out.
Could be you guys are right, at least partly.
But I have no doubt the establishment class would prefer Rick Perry over Sarah Palin, because they know they could keep him in line.
With Palin, all bets would be off and those dirty little buggers know it.
Or it could be both.
Is your post supposed to make sense? If so, please expound.
Those buying the fantasy of a vast divide between Bush and Mitt Perry need to take a look at Perry’s campaign team.
Oh, thank goodness. I was starting to feel naked (and bored) without our resident Perry haters on the thread.
Perhaps. Don't take this wrong, but if we're pinning our hopes on who or what The Establishment Class controls, we've alreadly lost the fight.
It's up to us to keep our elected officials in line.
lol
What’s the matter boy, afraid people will look to closely at people like Dave Carney?
How can you “water down” something merely by reminding people what it is?
If your claim is correct, you should never refer to the United States as the greatest nation in history. You should never refer to football as a rough sport. Or to deer meat as having a gamey flavor. Or FreeRepublic as one of the the foremost conservative websites.
To avoid “watering down.”
Where is the article at the Washington Post? All I got was a title and one sentence.
I can go that path with you. For me there must be someone down the path that doesn’t have the social linen to clean that Perry must do.Perhaps some Cain, some Bachmann, some Palin and even some Trump can be used to make a platform for even Perry. I do like much of what Perry is showing.
You said “We might as well just get used to it: President Perry” as if it was a bad thing. He isn’t my perfect candidate by a long shot, but if he can beat Obama, I’m in.
“It’s up to us to keep our elected officials in line.”
That’s exactly the point. Palin is the only one who would keep herself in line.
And yes, to gauge a candidate by the reaction of an opposition group is not only appropriate, it’s necessary.
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