What About Rick Perry?

I’ve talked about Haley Barbour, Tim Pawlenty, and others that seem to be in the mix for 2012.  But today I got to thinking about the prospects of Texas Gov. Rick Perry while reading a nice hit piece done by the DCPost.  It laments the fact that Perry is leading Sen. Kay Baily Hutchison so widely, wondering how a fifth generation Texan like Kay has to prove she’s Texan.  Of course, once again the fourth estate misses the point of what is going here, the fact that this is not about who is more Texan but who is more in tune with the Republican electorate concerning spending and Washington overreach.  While establishments cringe at Perry talking about Texas secession, they miss the real meaning behind the remark – it was meant as a spark to the independent nature of Texans that they don’t need the federal government overrunning them.  Sadly, it seems Sen. Hutchison – a good and honorable Republican by all accounts – just can’t understand what is happening either.  Any primary challenge of an incumbent must be predicated on convincing voters to firing him.  Hutchison’s whole campaign really has been based on “its my turn” just the kind of insider dealing that Republicans right now are so put off by.

Perry is like Sarah Palin but the exact opposite.  Conservative, opinionated, a fighter but with nearly ten years experience as an executive of one of the biggest and most important states in the Union both in size and population.  Another reason for Hutchison’s problems is that Perry has done a good job.  Texas is in nowhere near the shape other big states like California, Ohio, and New York.  He had a lackluster reelect in 2006, but it was a four-way election that was never really in doubt.  What is interesting this year is that in the primary a challenger has arisen to the right of Perry that has inoculated him from being considered a far-right wing nut.  But he has to win, and then beat the well-funded Houston mayor, Bill White.  It won’t be easy.  But if he can beat a sitting US senator and a millionaire big-city mayor in one year, combined with his long executive record, could make Rick Perry a real force to deal with in 2012.

Comments

[local gop]

Texas will secede from the union.....thats why, you cant be president of a union you want to leave.

[Steven Osborne]

localgop,

Perhaps if the Feds would have followed Perry's example, we would not be in this mess. Texas along with Alaska and a select few other states has survived well during the economic meltdown. That is due to the leadership of people like Rick Perry and Sarah Palin.

I am not sure that he wants to be President though, if people are running for President they basically should be getting started now.

[local gop]

both texas and alaska have over 8% unemployment, thats more than twice the lowest state's unemployment rate. Additionally, there are many states that have 6-7% unemployment, lower than both texas and alaska. every state was hit hard by the economy. no governor insulated their state from it. especially sarah palin who was in office less than 2 years before the bottom fell out of th economy. no thank you, give me haley barbour, tim pawlenty, anyone except rick perry or sarah palin.....yuk.

[RCB]

Ah yes, that awful, wasteful federal spending. Here's an idea: let's end the space program, thereby shutting down NASA and with it the Johnson Space Center in Houston. How do you suppose Gov. Perry and his supporters would react to that?

[Dan]

RCB makes a very valid point. Texas and Alaska are huge beneficiaries of federal largess. Way ahead of most states. Perhaps those federal dollars should be withdrawn from Texas and Alaska for a number of years and redirected to other states. Then the folks in Texas who think Perry is such a great leader can more fairly assess both Perry and his political philosophy.

I give credit to Perry for having served for a decade, including the current hard economic times. Any currently serving governor has had to make difficult decisions that are bound to be unpopular with some segment of the population. And those running for re-election have to defend those decisions. He has done that.

To compare Perry to Palin is an insult to Perry. She ran for the exits rather than tackle a tough job. She has made it pretty clear to all but her most adoring fans what her priorities are.

Neither of them can hold a candle to Barbour in terms of either his record governing or his political acumen. Under the right circumstances one could see Barbour winning a national election. The same can't be said of Perry and Palin.

[Chris]

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/100222-rick-perry-profile

For local gop: Texas's economy: in the black, tops in job creation, new business, and exports. You don't like him cause he's a conservative, I get that, but don't lie and say he's run his state poorly.

As for federal money in Texas, perhaps RCB should research a little. I understand the space station and Fort Hood are in Texas (I would like to see the Dems explain why closing an important military base would be good for the country) but if do a quick google search you will find the following: Texas's rank in per capita pork spending since 2000 by Citizens Against Government Waste covering all 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

2000: 40
2001: 45 (Perry's first full year in office)
2002: 44
2003: 40
2004: 45
2005: 51
2006: 47
2007: can't find
2008: 40
2009: 40
http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reports_pigbook2009_porkpercap

-So despite the insinuation based on bringing up the Johnson Space Center and Fort Hood, Texas - especially for a state its size and importance, has been able to sustain itself without large amounts of government pork spent per person. That is a testament to Perry's job these last ten years. They don't take much pork, the budget is balanced, and there is money in the bank.

-As to Texas's unemployment, there are 32 states with higher unemployment than Texas and its tied with Maine and New Mexico (which I did not count). So its bad but nowhere near as bad as many other states and way under the national average 10%. So Perry has been able to grow his state from within without relying on state tax increases, federal largesse, while keeping it in the black and keeping unemployment under control in the context of a deep recession.
http://www.bls.gov/lau/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_unemployment_rate

[200 Grande]

Perry has also been great for property rights and property taxes; not so much for business taxes, but 2 out of 3, ain't bad.

In 2012, he will make a great master,...uh,...I mean: President

[jordans for sale]

Very interesting issue that after a very successful. Nicely written article good work ! Thanks for the great piece of sharing.

[JoAnn Jensen]

Does Gov Perry belong to the Masonic Lodge?

[JoAnn Jensen]

Does Gov Perry belong to the Masonic Lodge?