If you actually go out and talk to Texans of latino heritage, you would quickly find out that they do NOT want open borders and millions of illegals depressing wages, filling up hospital wards, taking government handouts and the obligatory crime increase. Perry's positions are classic RINO pandering, hoping to win more of the latino vote - which he still lost to Bill White.
Perry won the GOP nomination with 51%. Had there been a stronger Conservative challenger, he may have lost. But when you are running against RINO Kay Bailey Hutchison and Debra Medina, who turned out to be a nutcase, he should have smoked them both. Conservatives had little choice but to select Perry.
I feel like I have to post this daily. Texas is successful because of its culture of self-reliance, low taxes, no income tax, right-to-work, oil & gas exploration and diversified economy. Business is attracted here for much of the above and other factors like weather, location, less regulation etc.
As Governor, Perry should take some credit for the state doing well and not screwing it up, but he is hardly responsible for its overall success.
Would he be better than Romney, Pawlenty, Newt etc. Absolutely. Is he a committed Conservative? Absolutely not. He is a political opportunist that changed to the GOP - like many politicians, when it became obvious the Democrats were doomed in Texas. In the DC culture, he would slide back towards the left.
I support Palin. If a strong Conservative emerges as the nominee, I will gladly support them. Please, in the name of the Founding Fathers, do not give me yet another, "finger-to-the-wind, milquetoast, don't rock the apple cart" RINO as the GOP nominee. This will be the most important election in my lifetime. If we do not elect someone willing to drastically change direction of the Federal government, we are doomed. Another squishy "let's all get along" RINO will seal our fate.
I know our Hispanic neighbors up the street don't like the illegal problem. The wife still has the bottom half of the McPain / Palin 2008 bumper sticker on her back window of her car. Don't get her started talking politics. They left CA because it was too liberal and there were too many illegals.