Posted on 08/31/2011 10:59:15 AM PDT by smoothsailing
Older, upper middle class Jews are scared of everyone to the right of Joe Lieberman. That's what keeps the gravy train running for the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Fair enough. That’s what primary season is all about. Let’s vet him and examine his positions closely. I’ve done a fair amount of that already, and that’s why (so far) Perry is my guy.
Reagan had written and spoken extensively on his positions, but Perry has written a fair amount too. Perry has taken heat from the right for previously being a Democrat that supported Al Gore (the 1988 version), but people forget that Reagan was a Democrat who voted for FDR each time.
We need a solid conservative Republican, who is right on most of the conservative positions, who can win the election. I’ve done the math, and there is no way that Bachmann can win. (I don’t think Sarah can win either.) I don’t want to “pull a Sharron Angle” in the 2012 general election. In my opinion, Perry can definitely win.
I agree with all of your points.
I should point out that there are slight differences between Reagan’s and Perry’s Democrat years.
Reagan was a Democrat during the FDR/Truman years. They had huge majorities. Reagan wasn’t overly political at that time. While it was clear to many people even then that the New Deal policies were disastrous, non-political types may not have recognized it. Reagan quickly became an Eisenhower supporter, a Nixon supporter in 1960, and a Goldwater supporter in ‘64, when he finally made his party switch official.
Perry was a Democrat during the Reagan years. Granted, a Texas Democrat is a very conservative Democrat, but it’s hard to believe that anyone serious continued to be a Democrat after Carter and during Reagan. Then again, my wife was a Democrat until Clinton, at which time she switched, so you never know when someone will “get it”.
That being said, I’m more interested in how Perry has governed, and his record is pretty solid. Not perfect, but very solid.
Another bald-faced (and bold font) lie from Red South - but what else can we expect?
According to USGovernmentSpending.com, state debt in Texas in the year 2000 was $19.2 billion. At the end of 2010, it was $27.3 billion. Even if you don't account for inflation, that is only a 42% increase. If you account for inflation, it is a 16% increase, or 1.6% per year.
“SCOTUS appointments are not worth holding out for my perfect candidate.”
SCOTUS appointments affect or prohibit policy changes for decades, without losing their office; a President for eight years at most, a Senator for six years and a representative in the House for two. Whose actions have the potential for the most far reaching and longest term? SCOTUS.
SCOTUS appointments are the most consequential actions that a President has the power to affect.
If there is some reason to NOT vote for a GOP POTUS contender on that issue, it would be reason enough for me to NOT vote for them - all other issues aside.
I think you are right on that score.
My unscientific observation is that there are as many populist Conservatives as their are populist Liberals when it comes to "protecting MY Social Security".
It's funding formula is a PONZI scheme and it is already broke - expenditures exceed income (a fact that is scheduled to keep getting worse) and all it's "assets" are no more than IOUs requiring more debt or higher taxes to make any of those IOUs into cash for paying benefits.
It is not a matter of whether or not its funding plan or its scheduled benefits, or both, have to modified. It's only a question of when (and any time less than immediately will only deepen any needed changes).
Yet the populist attitude - from the Left or the Right - has everyone sticking their heads in the sand saying "you can't touch MY Social Security", in spite of the fact that someone's Social Security, on the payroll tax side or the benefit side, or both WILL BE "touched", or the national debt issue of today will look like a gentle breeze compared to the hurricane it will become tomorrow.
“He should stress that he came to the realization that he could no longer support the Dem Party in the direction it was headed and is both dismayed and appalled at the blatant anti-American, Marxist, socialist perversion that its leaders now represent.”
That may the reality, or it may be what you want to believe about Perry.
For all I know Perry chose to run as a Republican and chose some Conservative positions because he thought he might be successful in Texas elections if he did, and not because of any abiding principled convictions.
Maybe Perry will be the GOP equivalent to Obama - a mere and convenient vessel that other persons place into what are their own beliefs.
“Everyone’s terrified of Rick Perry:”
Is that the case, the truth or just a Liberal media meme?
I am not so much against Perry, nor for Perry as I am against Conservatives taking candidate positions - pro or con - in reaction to anything that comes out of the Liberal media.
I think we agree. My point is I would vote for Perry because he is close enough to my ideal that I believe his SCOTUS picks will be acceptable. Other candidates are closer to my ideal but not so much better I am willing to risk letting Obama make the picks.
Bottom line...Perry can win it all. If he wins his pick for SCOTUS should be ok. That’s enough for me especially if conservatives continue their gains in the congress.
Yes, I am for for ABBHO.
(A_nyone B_ut B_H_O - anyone but he who must not be named).
That said, I am totally open at this time as far as a GOP pick is concerned, I will go along with any GOPer who is not Romney.
AND I think it is not good to jump on anyone’s bandwagon at THIS time.
AND I am always hesitant of anyone who is getting an early lead.
AND I will be left without a GOP to vote for if I am strongly skeptical of how the final GOP pick will act on SCOTUS appoitments.
And, I really don’t know or have really clear sense of how Perry will be on THAT issue.
He still needs to convince me.
Good points all. I will keep on open mind.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.