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The legend of Al Gore and Rick Perry
politifact.com ^ | 9.07.2011 | W. Gardner Selby

Posted on 09/07/2011 12:43:45 PM PDT by wolfcreek

It’s a legend of Texas politics and a hatchet for foes of Gov. Rick Perry, front-running candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. The story goes that as a Democratic legislator, Perry chaired Democrat Al Gore’s presidential campaign in Texas.

The legend has been aired routinely for more than 13 years, originally by a Democratic opponent of Perry’s, and in news reports—all but unchallenged by Perry. Even we at PolitiFact Texas repeated the story as fact.

Of late, there’s a July 16, 2011, reference to Perry chairing the Gore effort in Time magazine, and an Aug. 29, 2011, item in The New Yorker magazine saying Perry "became a Republican after shouldering the thankless task of running Al Gore's 1988 Presidential campaign in Texas."

This week, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, likewise bidding for president, premiered an advertisement calling Perry "Al Gore’s Texas cheerleader."

Cheerleader, maybe.

But interviews with political players in Texas and Tennessee and news articles from 1988 have convinced us that, although Perry endorsed Gore, he was not his Texas chairman.

(Excerpt) Read more at politifact.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: algore; perry; perry2012; perry4gore; rickperry; rinorick
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To: org.whodat; wolfcreek
Yes, you are busy trying to scrub them all and old news papers stories also.

What's the frequency, Kenneth?

61 posted on 09/07/2011 2:20:53 PM PDT by Constitutionalist Conservative (Palin or Perry, whoever is ahead in the delegate count on primary day)
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To: wolfcreek

"Rick was not here. "

62 posted on 09/07/2011 2:24:27 PM PDT by Diogenesis ("Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction." Pres. Ronald Reagan)
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To: jessduntno
Geez, I’ve seen people give eye-witness testimony to it on this board 1,000 times. Odd.

You should know how unreliable eye witness testimony is. :-)

Actually, it is! I am presently reading a book about the Dallas cowboys and the early days when Jones and Johnson replaced Landry and Schram. One part is about the different reports about how Jimmy handled a player who had asthma. Of the many player and reporters who were on the scene and saw what happened there are five different versions as to the player, his position and his size, and the same number of versions about what was said. I saw a tape of it on the evening news and my recollection is different from the other five.

63 posted on 09/07/2011 2:25:02 PM PDT by Mind-numbed Robot
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To: Ingtar
Perry endorsed a Global Warming Alarmist (as of 1987), pro-abortion (Senate voting record, 1984 on), and gun grabbing Gore in 1988(1987 viewed as one of Brady Bill’s staunchest supporters by Sarah Brady).

...who was considered by Perry and most other conservative Democrats to be the most conservative major candidate in the Dem primaries. Don't forget that part.

And also don't forget that by the end of the primary season, Perry was so disgusted with the reality of the Dem Party (i.e. that any attempt to pull it back to the right was futile) that he left.

64 posted on 09/07/2011 2:26:59 PM PDT by Constitutionalist Conservative (Palin or Perry, whoever is ahead in the delegate count on primary day)
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To: BarnacleCenturion
Perry worked to destroy Reagan’s legacy by trying to elect Al Gore to succeed him. He was a Jimmy Carter democrat.

Exactly how do you figure that, since Perry voted for Bush41 in the general election? Yes, Perry voted for Carter in 1976, and he admits he was fooled by Carter - he thought Carter, as a Christian Southern Democrat and a farmer, was more conservative than he turned out to be. (Perry was only 26 at the time as well, so maybe youth was a factor.) So while he voted for Carter, he was not a "Jimmy Carter Democrat" - he was a "Reagan Democrat", voting for Reagan in 1980 and 1984.

I remind you that Perry only switched parties in 1989. He supported Carter, Mondale and Dukakis.

Nope. Pure falsehood. Perry has stated publicly, long before he decided to run for president, that the last Democrat he voted for in a Presidential general election was Carter in 1976. So that means he voted for Reagan in 1980 and 1984 and Bush41 in 1988. That was not unusual for Southern Democrats - many voted GOP for President and Democrat in local elections. They made up a large part of the "Reagan Democrats" that helped Reagan win 2 elections.

Perry is unfit to be president.

Perry is EXTREMELY well qualified and fit to be President.

65 posted on 09/07/2011 2:29:15 PM PDT by CA Conservative (Texan by birth, Californian by circumstance)
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To: Mind-numbed Robot

“I am presently reading a book about the Dallas cowboys...”

Uhhhhhhh...this is not opinion. Either he was the Boss or he wasn’t. Looks like he wasn’t. Or was he? A better analogy would be; who was the head coach of New England in the 2004-2005 season? There is only one correct answer.


66 posted on 09/07/2011 2:32:57 PM PDT by jessduntno (Obama shanks. America tanks.)
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To: Just mythoughts

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1988_Democratic_National_Convention

well you might want to check this wikijunk blurb.
1988 convention piece only mentions Hightower and Richards. Hightower is the Dummie that Perry beat like a drum as a REPUBLICAN. There is a Doc somewhere that proves WHO was algores CP in Texas. Ofcourse I wouldn’t want to claim it either. I will keep looking. Perry doesn’t want to say anything until he has the actual docs in hand. Perry is not stupid.


67 posted on 09/07/2011 2:37:21 PM PDT by Marty62 (Marty60)
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To: CA Conservative

“he was a “Reagan Democrat”, voting for Reagan in 1980 and 1984.”

Pure speculation and wishful thinking on your part.

Reagan endorsed Bush. Perry endorsed Gore.

These are the facts.


68 posted on 09/07/2011 2:43:25 PM PDT by BarnacleCenturion
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To: wolfcreek

Found this in an Autin-american article.
Seems Gore was so pathetic he DIDN’T even have a Chair/Co-Chair/teamleader/playground monitor

“Austin consultant George Shipley, who advised Gore’s 1988 campaign, told us in an interview that Perry “made, to my knowledge, one, possibly two press tours, but he was not what I would call that active in the campaign.”

Sherman lawyer Bob Slagle, who supported Gore while chairing the state’s Democratic Party, told us in an interview that Perry “may have been chairman for some area around Haskell County,” Perry’s home county, but he was no more than that.

Similarly, two staff members in Gore’s 1988 effort said Perry was not its Texas chief.

Tennessee lawyer Tom Jurkovich, Gore’s Texas director, told us by email that “we may have named (Perry) to a ‘steering committee’ or as one of several campaign ‘co-chairs,’ typically honorific titles with no real role ... (Perry) wasn’t highly involved in the campaign, however, and had zero operational responsibility.”

Mike Kopp of Nashville, who did press outreach for Gore, was more emphatic, saying in an interview: “We didn’t have a chairman in Texas; we didn’t have co-chairs,” either. “We weren’t that organized; we didn’t have that strong a ground game.”


69 posted on 09/07/2011 2:45:35 PM PDT by Marty62 (Marty60)
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To: CA Conservative

True. I wasn’t trying to convince anyone of the truth of the claim with my first post though. I just wanted to add a little more context and offer another source. I posted the whole section of his early political career to give a little more context to the claim.

Also, I just noticed that the source in Wikipedia for the claim that Perry was Al Gore’s chairman is the same site that you linked to (albeit the Wikipedia link is dead now).


70 posted on 09/07/2011 2:46:43 PM PDT by Veritas_et_libertas
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To: Marty62
well you might want to check this wikijunk blurb. 1988 convention piece only mentions Hightower and Richards. Hightower is the Dummie that Perry beat like a drum as a REPUBLICAN. There is a Doc somewhere that proves WHO was algores CP in Texas. Ofcourse I wouldn’t want to claim it either. I will keep looking. Perry doesn’t want to say anything until he has the actual docs in hand. Perry is not stupid.

Somebody has the paperwork. Now I believe in 'conversions' and even 'miracles', but October surprises are something that seems to happen like clockwork every presidential election year.

71 posted on 09/07/2011 2:47:26 PM PDT by Just mythoughts (Luke 17:32 Remember Lot's wife.)
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To: BarnacleCenturion
“he was a “Reagan Democrat”, voting for Reagan in 1980 and 1984.”

Pure speculation and wishful thinking on your part.

Reagan endorsed Bush. Perry endorsed Gore.

These are the facts.

Nope. I posted the facts - you keep trying to twist the facts. Perry endorsed Gore in the Texas primary - but he voted for Bush in the general election.

What's the matter is Perry beating your preferred candidate? Well, I guess he must be, since at the moment, he is beating ALL OF THEM. Sounds like sour grapes to me.

72 posted on 09/07/2011 2:48:59 PM PDT by CA Conservative (Texan by birth, Californian by circumstance)
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To: CA Conservative

I imagine that it will come up in the debate, so it will be interesting to see how Perry responds.


73 posted on 09/07/2011 2:57:37 PM PDT by Veritas_et_libertas
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To: CA Conservative

“They made up a large part of the “Reagan Democrats” that helped Reagan win 2 elections.”

Reagan Democrats? You’re making that up! Whoever heard of a Reagan Democrat! ... hmmmmmphh.

Methinks you are talking to a wall of ignorance. And I agree, Perry is probably the best prepared on the roster as of today. I WOULD vote for Palin, if/when she declares (and support her, too) even though, sadly, I am not sure how electable she is, but if for no other reason than we have to end the RINO circus and flush as many of the old turds as possible from the Grand Old Potty. Well, that and it might be huge fun to watch the heads explode on both sides.


74 posted on 09/07/2011 2:59:30 PM PDT by jessduntno (Obama shanks. America tanks.)
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To: Just mythoughts

THE DUMMIES will not ADMIT that algore didn’t even have a Texas Chairman. ROFLMAO. Hope Perry NAILS RonNut tonight.


75 posted on 09/07/2011 2:59:34 PM PDT by Marty62 (Marty60)
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To: Marty62
THE DUMMIES will not ADMIT that algore didn’t even have a Texas Chairman. ROFLMAO. Hope Perry NAILS RonNut tonight.

Ok

76 posted on 09/07/2011 3:03:14 PM PDT by Just mythoughts (Luke 17:32 Remember Lot's wife.)
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To: CA Conservative

See Post #23.

Thank you for your input.


77 posted on 09/08/2011 5:18:49 AM PDT by WayneS (Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm. -- James Madison)
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To: KingKongCobra

He supported a democrat, did he not?

Did he not then support Dukakis once he got the democrat nomination?


78 posted on 09/08/2011 5:21:12 AM PDT by WayneS (Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm. -- James Madison)
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To: dusttoyou
Ron Paul is one of the last natural born Citizens of the United States who I would support for president. As far as I am concerned, he is only a slightly more desirable choice than 99% of all democrats.

Furthermore, I fail to see how asking for an explanation from Mr. Perry regarding why he would EVER have thought Al Gore would make a good president makes me a 'ronpaulnut'.

RE: "the usual herd of PDS coyotes" -- Please provide one shred of evidence from my posting history that indicates that I am dislike, or am opposed to, Mr. Perry as a presidential candidate. Since you accuse me of being part of this "usual herd", you must have such evidence, right?

In my opinion, people who unwaveringly support a particular candidate, never questioning that person's past decisions or actions, never challenging that person to provide reasonable explanations for his past behavior, and then blindly attacking anyone who DOES ask questions of said candidate, are every bit as 'nutty' as the wackiest Ron Paul supporter, regardless of the candidate to which they have pledged their allegiance.

79 posted on 09/08/2011 5:43:44 AM PDT by WayneS (Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm. -- James Madison)
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To: CA Conservative
...but he voted for Bush in the general election

Interesting. Most people do not let complete strangers stand with them in the voting booth.

80 posted on 09/08/2011 5:45:39 AM PDT by WayneS (Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm. -- James Madison)
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