Posted on 11/13/2011 11:35:41 AM PST by Patton@Bastogne
.
Rick Perry -- A Sadly Failed POTUS Job Interview ...
Politics is a brutal profession. Just ask George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman, and George Bush (41 and 43).
However, it's merely just another profession, in many ways no different from Accounting, Engineering, and Medicine.
With the professional perks likewise come the required "Stand and Deliver" moments, such as Annual Reports, Board Meetings, Project Proposals, and Engineering Design Reviews.
However, the "premier" stand-and-deliver moment is the Job Interview. All other professional moments pale to insignificance.
A successful Job Interview is the gateway to all the other professional accomplishments, perks and responsibilities.
A failed Job Interview (however sad and unfortunate the reasons) is the first sign that the Applicant really doesn't want the position in the first place.
It's all about the Job Applicant's "Fire in the Belly" quotient.
Rick Perry (2012 POTUS candidate) has clearly shown a distinct "Fire in the Belly" desire to actually LOSE a hotly contested election.
A great political example of POTUS Candidates who strangely lacked that "Fire in the Belly" are George Bush (41) who thrashed Michael Dukakis but strangely rolled-over and amazingly lost to Bill Clinton in 1988, some would argue, almost deliberately.
Fred Thompson (Law and Order and Hunt for Red October) likewise exhibited a tragic case of insufficient political "Fire in the Belly" as he teased political conservatives, and then abandoned them, in the 2008 election cycle.
Everyone wondered where Fred Thompson had jettisoned his actor's courage and leadership, in the same way that many political observers (particularly Texans) have questioned Rick Perry's dismal political performance in the 2011 GOP presidential race.
How could Rick Perry, an experienced candidate, strategically positioned with a financial treasure chest, notable career accomplishments, attractive good looks, and commendable military-service credentials, fail so miserablely ?
A parallel U.S. Civil War military example would be General George McClellan, who was wonderfully provided with the very best that the U.S. Army could provide, and yet whose pattern of battlefield mistakes almost allowed the Confederacy to win the war.
So the question emerges. Why has Rick Perry done so horribly bad in the GOP Candidate debates ?
Job interviews for any professional position demand the highest levels of attention, alertness, preparation and concentration. They are a premier Stand-and-Deliver moment, no different than a presidential candidate debate.
An accountant who can't explain Fixed Assets or Capital Gains, or a mechanical engineer who stumbles stress analysis, are both seen as clearly unfit for professional responsibilities.
Preparation, preparation, and preparation are the KEYS to a successful job interview.
Confusion, stumbling, forgetfulness on a job interview is the clearest sign that a potential employee doesn't really want the job in the first place.
Period.
Why has Rick Perry stumbled politically so far ?
I would propose that Rick Perry really doesn't want (in his heart and soul) to be President of the United States, just like George Bush (41) and Fred Thompson before him.
Rick Perry just doesn't have that political "Fire in the Belly" that Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich have clearly shown.
Why ?
Has Rick Perry been encouraged by family members, including his (otherwise well-meaning) spouse ?
Has Rick Perry been convinced by the GOP Beltway Establishment (Barbara Bush, John McCain, Karl Rove, et al) that the election is Rick Perry's for the taking, as the GOP Beltway Establishment's internal polls show that their favorite candidate (Mitt Romney) will go down in flames again, as in 2012 as he did in 2008 ?
An unwritten rule of American politics is that virtually no candidate for elected office is allowed to run, unless they receive the effective papal blessing from either the Democratic or Republican parties.
Neither political party wants elected candidates in office that they can't control.
That's precisely why the GOP Beltway Establishment will be shown (someday) to have been the prime architects behind the infamous attempt to politically lynch Herman Cain in 2011. Herman Cain's (apparent) political independence and freedom are anathema to the GOP Beltway Establishment.
The GOP Beltway Establishment would rather see candidate Herman Cain "politically dead" than be ultimately successful in defeating Barack Obama, since the GOP doesn't own him.
Why bring up this point about candidate Herman Cain ?
Rick Perry's inner reluctance to actually WIN the GOP 2012 presidential nomination (as evidenced by his deliberate mistakes in the several debates) could be explained by Rick Perry's desire to NOT have his family subjected to the savage character assassination guaranteed for him by America's liberal press corps.
What family secrets would disqualify Rick Perry from successfully serving as President of the United States ?
None, probably.
However, Rick Perry (as a protective husband and father) perhaps recoils in fear at the prospect of having his children Griffin and Sydney (and their spouses) "Palinized" by the unholy propaganda machine that most American journalists proudly serve with Nazi devotion to.
Careers, marriages, friendships, and reputations would all be the prime targets as the American news media sought to destroy Rick Perry's extended family, for generations to come.
Perhaps this answers WHY why Rick Perry clearly refuses to effectively run for president, which include decisive victories in all of the GOP presidential candidates.
And like a prospective employee who REALLY doesn't want the job (however rewarding and prestigious), Rick Perry subconsciously torpedoes each and every Job Interview (globally televised campaign debate) that he's invited to.
Now, would you, as an Manager, wish to permantly hire an Applicant who subconsciously cares so litte for the Job Opening, that he or she has horrible preparation, can't articulate their career accomplishments, verbally forgets key goals required for the new job, and even sadly appears to have lingered too long at the bar last night (even if they haven't had a drink in weeks).
Patton-at-Bastogne (Free Republic member since 1996)
.
Perry entered the race with a record to overcome.
Instead, he confirmed it.
“Job interviews for any professional position demand the highest levels of attention, alertness, preparation and concentration.”
Mostly correct, but I’ll disagree slightly. It is impossible to be totally “prepared” for everything you might get thrown at you in a job interview. In fact, when I interviewed engineers, I had a whole series of questions that virtually no one knew the answer to, but which were intended to explore their problem-solving abilities, and give me some insight into how they’d respond when faced with the unknown.
That is the true “stand and deliver” moment, and it’s separates the exceptional from the rest of the pack. Everyone can study and prepare, most of us have some natural ability to memorize and spew back, but not everyone can listen, analyze, synthesize, and construct a consistent and credible response on our feet.
I think Rick Perry is a hell of a nice guy, a good conservative, and a competent leader. But Mr. Cain and Speaker Gingrich are far more adept at integrative thinking under pressure, and that’s why they perform better in these events.
Which by the way, bear little resemblance to a “debate”, but still are useful for showing us how the candidates think and respond, especially to issues that are outside their preparation.
What a load of BS. Perry was called upon to run. He’s running. He’s not trying to lose. Rick Perry is a typical son of the soil real honest to goodness (not like Dubya who was pure Connecticut) Texan. You take him just like he is. He is a not a smoothe-talking glib politician. He is a man who digs in and gets the job done. That’s why he was called by so many to run. Because he is the ONLY candidate on that slate that has dealt successfully in his state, with all the problems facing the nation today. Every one of them.
Patton-at-Bastogne (Free Republic member since 1996)
Patton@Bastogne Since Jul 5, 1998
- - - - - - - -
:)
Good question and essay!!
I think Governor Perry jumped into the race unprepared and as part of the GOP-E call for him as part of the stop Sarah Palin effort that had been underway all winter, spring and summer. Sarah Palin had not yet made her decision. His immediate shot to the top of the polls left him totally unprepared to handle the top spot and I think he might have thought he was going to have clear sailing. He was most certainly wrong about that.
His drop from a favored candidate came right after he uttered his poor choice of words “you don’t have a heart,” because those very words are the same invective liberals have been beating us conservatives over our heads with for decades.
I’m not going to question his fire-in-the-belly now that he’s in. Nobody wants to lose once they’re in.
Bush was getting old. He was having trouble managing things, and that caught up with him.
Bush lost Lee Atwater and never found a good enough replacement for him. Clinton thrived on "town hall" debates. Bush didn't.
You might have a better case with Bob Dole or with John McCain, who were also pretty old when they ran, but went out of their way to avoid attacking their opponents.
Dole rejected references to Clinton's moral character because he had skeletons of his own in his closet. I don't know what McCain's problem was.
THe reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Should we start calling Rick "Neutrino" Perry by the nickname
"The Battered Bastard of Bastrop" ? [near Austin, the state capital]
Cheers!
Blah, blah and blah. You sound like you’re reading off a script. Talking points nothing more.
As bad as The Usurping Marxist Onada is when public speaking he wouldn’t even have to destroy Perrywinkle on debate points or facts. Perry will do that himself. What makes you think he will perform any better under as the actual Pubbie candidate?
Most people who might vote for him are only gonna see him in the faux debate, town hall and press conference settings. He will fail there just as he has so far. There are reasons he dropped like a lead balloon. You all do get that don’t you?
Not to mention the fact that, despite all this hard work you say allege he’s done, he will not carry his own state.
Well stated...but I’m more of the camp that we REALLY are seeing the REAL Rick Perry.
...which is a person that is nowhere near ready to be president, either in his communication skills, his intelligence, or even his interest in national/international issues (not to mention being a flakey conservative, at best).
Perry only ran because he thought that he would get coronated...and evidence of that is right on this site, with his staffers posting puff-piece after puff-piece to the point of almost bringing down JR’s server a couple of times, in an attempt to make his nomination appear to be a done-deal.
While Perry did not even think of running until Mitch Daniels dropped out last summer (which is obvious by his level of preparation), there was a bunch of others who had spent years, or even decades, getting ready for their runs. They were not about to step aside to give the self-annointed ‘king’ a clear run.
“Dole rejected references to Clinton’s moral character because he had skeletons of his own in his closet. I don’t know what McCain’s problem was. “
McCain simply wanted to be remembered as the “classy” guy that didn’t resort to negative attacks to stop the ascension of our second ‘black president’.
lol, Talking points and scripts...you mean like the ones the democrats are feeding to you with lies. How many times have I seen those repeated here.
Yes, I realize when he dropped in the polls, because the dumb and dumber let themselves be influenced by lies. That’s exactly how we got Obama, tyvm.
Perrywinkles campaign from the start has been manufactured by special interests. He has a formidable propaganda machine that can generate an appropriate poll or set of talking points on demand. Real conservative candidates don’t seem to have the knack for that. Only lefy demrats—some disguising themselves here on FR—do that well.
Who’s disguising themselves here? I’ve been right up front supporting my governor since day one. And will continue to do so. Because I recognize the democrats lies. Unfortunately the many don’t. Sad.
BTTT
Bush 41 thrashed Dukakis in 1988 and lost to Clinton in 1992.
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.