[samtheman]

He would make a great president, I’m convinced of that.

But it doesn’t look like he can surmount the 3 big obstacles:

1. The sudden cottage industry of “conservative” lies about Perry’s actual positions.

2. Perry’s nearly total inability to speak for himself, defend himself, and articulate his positions.

3. The absolute disarray among “conservatives” who have no real concept of what is necessary to stop Romney. (They actually believe that Cain can do it.)

Bottom line: I do not believe Perry has a chance. I think he’s pretty much out of it. And maybe, because of #2, that’s the way it should be. How is Perry going to debate Obama? How’s he going to do that?

[editor-surveyor]

>> “How is Perry going to debate Obama? How’s he going to do that?” <<

.
He can hire Palin to feed the answers to his teleprompter.

Later he can appoint her as chief of staff, and go on a four year vacation in Mazatlan.

[jgge]

You are putting too much importance on the debates. Being a good debater does not qualify someone to be President because a President does not enact polices in 30 seconds sound bites and does not negotiate with Congress in 3 seconds zingers, Presidents do not govern by debates. Eventually people, including political junkies, are going to get bored of the stupid debates a there are 13 more debates left.

At the end elections are not won or lost in stupid debates with 30 seconds responses and 3 second zingers but through hard day to day campaigning, speeches, meeting with voters, political ads, get out the vote, and not to forget raising a lot of money. If debates are what the political junkies made them to be then there is no need for the campaigning and instead just have a series of debates and then we go to the polls but in the real world of politics and elections it is not the case and will never be the case.

[marty60]

With FACTS, not BS.

The one question I want to hear Zero explain is WHY he refused to accept a letter from Perry for help on border security?

[Clairity]

All you say are indeed major obstacles — although I think you are overstating no. 2 — , but don’t count out Perry. He did great in his speech. I just couldn’t find a video.

He can debate fine, when he is asked a question and allowed to answer it, instead of a barrage of attacks with hardly any time to respond and having everyone gang up on him, like the Lilliputians on Gulliver. That’s not a debate, that is a “gotcha barrage”.

And as you said a while ago in one of your posts, that I liked: We want Perry to do for the US what he has done for Texas. And that is the bottom line.

[manc]

I honestly think that Newt can wipe the floor with obama when it comes to substance, history and knowledge.

I was for Perry but he can hardly express himself well, his stance on the border was the final straw for me.

[MNJohnnie]

1. The sudden cottage industry of “conservative” lies about Perry’s actual positions.

I see, anything that doesn't valid your emotion based opinion about Perry is now a "lie"

Nice little bubble world you have created for yourself there

[Ranjit]

Perry had everything on his side. He was supposed to come into the race and not make mistakes. The guy has messed up so much, it is hard for a salvation.

This speech should have been before 1st debate and make others discuss in the debates. Some stupid, high paid consultant could not figure that out.

Romney is going to loose to obama. Let us be very clear. Almost, it looks like we are hurting one another. We might as well as put some real conservative candidate and if he looses, we can live by it. I think, we all have to consider Cain

[Stat-boy]

Your use of quotes around conservatives when referring to those of us who have concerns with Perry is myopic. He is very conservative on several issues, not so much on others, and has changed his political positions over the years. For example, in 2008 he touted a tax reduction, but we Texas conservatives know he was the one who pushed that exact tax just a few years before, and we fought against it as much as we could at the time (I think it was about 2004: I contacted both my state rep and my stat senator--my state rep voted against it, but my state senator voted for the tax). Another example is Perry's attack of the then most conservative judge on the Texas Supreme Court, Judge Smith, a local version of Judge Bork.

For a good article of the long history surrounding Perry and Judge Smith, please see here:

http://news.yahoo.com/conservative-ire-perry-runs-deep-reflects-racial-politics-143009133.html

The point of my response is that your characterization of Texas conservatives who have issues with Perry as being ignorant or not really conservative reeks of a lack of knowledge of our state politics over the past 12 years. At the 2004 and the 2006 State Republican Party Conventions a major theme, which was reflected in our Party resolutions, was trying to keep the party away from a move to the center, and a majority of us were highly critical of many of Perry's actions.

That being said, I pray that when Texas votes in March, we have a viable conservative candidate to oppose Romney, and I would happy if that candidate is Perry (or maybe Cain—still researching, or Bachman or ....).

[Grey Eagle]

You are not a Perry supporter anyway. Don’t pretend otherwise.