[jobim]

Might I suggest specifics? We begin to assemble pro/con charts, and emotional generalities serve no general good.

The first time I ever heard anything about Perry was his decision to mandate shots for teens to prevent HPV. As a pro-life leader, I was shocked to know a conservative Texas guv would think that way. I now put that bit of info on the con side of the Perry chart.

And we all appreciate specific details of his voting record by Texans, or others who have kept score, or know personal anecdotes. But to make the bald statement that he is not a Conservative is not accurate. He is not WHOLLY Conservative on a number of issues, notably immigration.

His support of Gore is bad bad bad, but it was 1988 and how old was he then? I became a Conservative just prior my 30th birthday, and cast a first Conservative vote for Reagan in 1980. Most important is: What has he been the past decade?

[DRey]

He just fought for six years and finally won on photo i.d. for voting in order to prevent illegals from voting. He is on record repeatedly for saying that border SECURITY is the first priority -- Constitutionally a FEDERAL issue -- and that until our borders are secure, rational discussion on legal and illegal immigration is moot. His detractors say he's for amnesty. He is not, and has never said such a thing. They will show you articles from the early '90s that they want to say he's for amnesty, but if you read them you will see they say no such thing.

He absolutely did try to include the Gardisil (anti-cervical cancer) vaccine among the other required vaccines for Texas school children. He included an opt-out provision, but when we all screamed bloody murder, he backed off, listening to us. He then apologized saying he should have included an "opt-in" provision instead of opt-out, and that it was a mistake on his part.

You may have heard about the textbook stink in Texas? We have had liberals writing our textbooks for the past decade. Perry finally got them out and replaced them with enough conservatives to outvote them on content. Now the textbooks for our public school are turning back from left-leaning brainwashing and back to the facts. This was a national incident because as Texas is such a huge state, our choices here dictate the textbook options for many other states in what is published. So basically, he brought conservatism back to the classrooms in Texas and for many other states.

He has a balanced budget and under his command Texas created 40% of the jobs in this country over the last two years. His detractors (and there are MANY Palinistas on this site) will say they are minimum-wage jobs. They would be wrong. They run the gammut, but one must consider that Texas has no state income tax, and we are among the lowest cost-of-livings in the country. A four/three mack-daddy house dripping with granite and a pool in Dallas is $250,000 easy. His critics also hate him because he allowed ALL residents in Texas to pay resident tuition rates. This allows resident illegals of three years or more who attended public schools to be able to pay for their college at the slightly lower in-state rate. Perry believes educated Mexicans in this state are better than uneducated, and frankly, I agree. Their tuition is NOT free, as many on this site will pretend. Texas has 64% of the Mexican border and only receives 20% of the border security funding, yet the growth in illegals in Texas per square mile of border is far less than other states. Perry campaigned on putting up border cameras to allow local law enforcement to pick up border runners and drug trafficers. The legislature shot him down on it, so he pursued it independently, obtaining millions of dollars in grants to pay for these cameras. He fulfilled his promise. He is on record as saying that Arizona's law will not work for Texas. He is crucified for that remark. Constitutionally, the border and immigration and deportation is a federal responsibility. That is why the feds sued Arizona for overstepping. Perry wants to hold the feds accountable. That is why he hand-delivered that letter to Obama, which Obama refused to accept. It was a letter begging for help with the Texas border. He is pro-life. He is a devout Christian, and he is fearless. He flew for the Air Force. He was a farmer/rancher before entering politics, once serving as the Texas Agricultural Commissioner. He's a smart man, and will be a wonderful president. If you need more, let me know!

[newzjunkey]

The first time I ever heard anything about Perry was his decision to mandate shots for teens to prevent HPV. As a pro-life leader, I was shocked to know a conservative Texas guv would think that way. I now put that bit of info on the con side of the Perry chart.

What? The "mandate," as you put it, included an opt out clause for parents.

Second, how is it not pro-life to press for vaccines against viruses like the forms of HPV that cause cervical cancer? Vaccines have to be given before infection. If you're going to vaccinate against an STD, you want to do it before risk of exposure or infection.

The legislature did take Perry to the woodshed for using an executive order in this way but he did his mea culpa, it was repealed and he made amends.

People blow this thing out of proportion and act like he's trying to interfere with parental rights. That couldn't be further from reality.

Compare to what CA is passing right now (AB499) which allows 12yo kids to consent without parental involvement to Perry who let parents make decisions for their kids and opt out.

It's night and day.