Two new polls on Wednesday put Texas Gov. Rick Perry comfortably in the lead for the GOP presidential nomination among Republican voters. His margin over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the former front runner, was a cushy 12 or 13 percentage points.
This has got to worry Gov. Romney’s advisers, who were counting on the “inevitability” strategy, much like Sen. Hillary Clinton pursued in her unsuccessful 2008 Democratic presidential campaign.
Gov. Perry gets overwhelmingly favorable ratings from Republican voters, and he has a natural message of “jobs, jobs, jobs,” based on Texas’s record of growing employment while he served as governor. That’s particularly appealing when unemployment is over 9% and President Obama has only a 26% approval rating for his handling of the economy.
But the GOP establishment is clearly worried. Karl Rove, The Wall Street Journal editorial page, and others are wringing their hands about whether Gov. Perry has broader appeal. GOP strategist Mike Murphy said on Meet the Press recently that Perry would be a “weak” general election candidate.
Gov. Rick Perry. Photo: Gage Skidmore
Why? Partly because the governor has taken some extreme stands on issues that could scare off independents:
- He said Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke would be “almost treasonous” if he tried another round of quantitative easing before the election.
- He wouldn’t say whether President Obama loves America and implied the military didn’t respect him as commander in chief.
- He said that scientists were “questioning the original idea that man-made global warming is what is causing the climate to change” and that some scientists “have manipulated data” to get research grants.
- He said, incorrectly, that Texas public schools “teach creationism and evolution” and told a voter’s child that evolution was just “a theory.”
- He called Social Security a “failure” and a “Ponzi scheme” and said both it and Medicare may be unconstitutional.
- He mused, maybe half in jest, about Texas seceding from the union “if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people.”
- He wants to repeal the 17th amendment to the Constitution, which calls for the direct election of US senators.
- He wants to abolish lifetime tenure for federal judges and allow Congress to overrule Supreme Court decisions with a two-thirds majority.
- He believes the constitution should define marriage as being between a man and a woman in all 50 states and says abortion should be illegal everywhere.
This is quite a record—and note that every fact has been linked and verified. It reflects the most extreme views of both the Tea Party and the theocratic Christian right, who appear to be his most fervent supporters.
So, even if we accept that he’s the greatest job creator in human history (which is debatable), I doubt independents will be comfortable with such a hard-right candidate—unless the economy really tanks. Even George W. Bush ran as a “compassionate conservative” who worked well with Democrats.
No wonder big Republican donors are begging New Jersey governor Chris Christie to get into the race.
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And Obama is a moderate and wil attract independents. Right.
Yep,
Think about it. Obama rode in on a wave of enthusiasm led by his being the first black president (well half-black, we can’t rush these things). The MSM fawned all over him to an embarrassing
He promised anything and everything. No one checked to see if there was any substance behind those promises.
He had an engaging smile, Joe Biden called him “clean” (??)
John McCain, was a weak, over-the-hill, same-old, same-old establishment candidate. He tried to add fire to his ticket by adding Sarah Palin and she helped, but not enough. Without her he would have lost by a lot more.
The Tea Parties were just getting going, learning how to get things done.
And most of all, he was NOT George Bush.
For all that, Obama won by just 4-5% a 2 1/2% swing could have made him lose.
Now we have had our first almost-black President. Been there, done that. The novelty is gone. The tingles have stopped running up and down even Chris Matthews’ legs.
His engaging smile is so passe.
We have seen how empty his promises are. how thin his experience and abilities have proved to be. How expensive he and Michelle are to keep and feed.
The Tea Parties have gained strength, experience, They started proving this in 2008. They are now an effective counter to the likes of MoveOn.org, Acorn, the unions, etc.
George Bush is gone. Blaming him for all that ails us will no longer work.
McCain is not running.
In short, I see big trouble for Obama unless the Republicans completely fold and run another “safe” establishment clone (the kind that Karl Rove might approve).
As someone else said:
“America elected Obama in 2008 to prove that racism is dead.
In 2010 we need to throw him out to prove that we are not brain-dead”
Calling yourself an Independent does not make you an Independent. Notwithstanding Perry’s religious zealotry, many of his positions are obvious, factual and reflect the position of independents like myself. I am no choosing a candidate based on his position on evolution, abortion or homosexuality. These are simply not important issues.
Global warming proponents did manipulate data. Many climatologists question man’s impact on global warming.
You just published a commentary on the ridiculous credit expansion that took place over the last 30 years..You did think the Federal Reserve was culpable?
Social Security is a by definition a ponzi scheme. Retirees are not receiving their “earmarked funds.” They are receiving contributions of future generations. Any citizen who tried to set a similar system would be in jail.
Federal judges are unaccountable, period. There is no check and balance on their legislative actions and political agenda.
President Obama is clearly anti-American, anti-Judeo-Christian,anti-capitalist and anti-military. Duh!
Firstly, Karl Rove is a complete has-been. Any relevance that he had to current politics is long-gone.
As an independent voter, I can tell you that Gov. Perry is closer to my side of the fence (and that of almost everybody I KNOW) than any of the other “safe” candidates.
The Republican establishment is scared of him because they fear that he will be harder to control than one of their typical RINOs would be.
So he has opinions of his own? So what, at least he HAS opinions, not focus-group vetted, safe campaign planks designed to offend no one (and as such, designed to be meaningless). sure I don’t agree with everything he says, but we are all supposed to be able to have our OWN opinions.
The safe, established, old-boy candidates are what got us into this mess, allowed Obama to gain power and nearly destroyed this country. Time to take it back.
My first impression of Mr. Perry is one of a loose cannon with tunnel vision, nevertheless, I will continue to follow his campaign with an open mind while we all wait for the new-car shine to wear off. Then perhaps we can see where he really stands on his positions and his true substance. Were he to secure the Republican nomination, I suspect he would need to sigificantly broaden his appeal with some more thoughftul ideas than those he has so far verbalized in order to actually get elected.
Those Social Security and Medicare statements will kill him in the general election, especially when mom and dad realize that THEY will have to foot the bill for granny and grandad. OUCH! That will ad up FAST. Better plan on getting a second job to pay for that. Too much sleep is bad for you anyway. Obama might send him a campaign contribution. The Democrats are probably taping the ad already. Can you see your typical American couple in the kitchen discussing if they can find the money to pay for granny’s chemotherapy. “We could cancel my health insurance.” “Honey I made a list. Get rid of one of our cars, don’t take a vacation, cancel the broadband and cable TV, have Chris quit college and go to work full time, and turn Fido over to the animal shelter. But I still come up a little short.”
I like Perry’s fiscal conservatism, but not his religious social agenda. He should have left that alone.
Rick Perry is a dumb gaffe machine. I am dissappointed with Obama, but there’s no way in hell I would ever vote for Perry. I am from Texas, and he’s a liar regarding job creation!. If working at Burger King, and low paying jobs that doesn’t offer health insurance is your cup of tea, than I guess he’s your man. Perry rips the government as if he isn’t a part of government. If he hates government so damn much why does he wants to hold the highest office in government? Rick Perry doesn’t hate government he wants to manipulate the government that serves him, and his right wing nutjobs, and of course rich buddies. .
Texas has always been pro-business & a Red State. Perry didn’t create that, he inherited it. Perry is a Trojan Horse Rhino who is ahead in the polls only because a majority know nothing about his phony Texas record. i.e., Perry is a self professed “fiscal conservative” who petitioned “No Government Bailouts” on the same day he requested 6.4. billion from Obama’s Recovery Act to plug his 6.6 billion budget deficit for 2010-11. This is the same “Stimulus Posterboy” Perry who ranted that Obama’s “pick pocket” Stimulus would bankrupt the Federal Government & would “destroy the economy & our grandkid’s futures”. Under Perry’s stewardship Texas has a 27 Billion deficit for 2012-03 & has doubled the debt load in Texas which is now higher to GDP than Pelosi’s California. Perry’s signature legislative accomplishment was the Business Margin Tax hike in 2006 costing Texas taxpayer’s 8.8 billion, creating a permanent budget deficit. Under Perry, Texas’ unemployment rate is at 8.4% (July), it’s teen drop out rate is at 29%-33%, It has the highest rate of uninsured in the nation, & it’s poverty levels eclipse that of any industrial state. Ditto, Perry signed into law in-state-tuition for illegals (cash grants) & advocated in 2006-07 the “free flow” of immigration between Mexico./U.S. WITH AMNESTY thrown in to reward illegals with legal status. Perry opposed the Mexican/U.S. Barrier to keep illegals out, opposed E-VERIFY to stop illegals from hijacking private & public sector jobs, & opposed the Arizona Law (constitutionally upheld) to apprehend illegals. Ditto, Globalyst Perry supported the Eminent Domain confiscation of private property to build a “Super Highway” erasing U.S. borders with Mexico to create an “American Union” similar to the European Union which is destroying Europe’s former prosperity & civic peace. Meanwhile, “Sanctuary State” Rick Perry has spreed his illegal immigration lawlessness throughout the nation on the taxpayer’s dime–and ONLY talks “safeguarding U.S. Sovereignty” & “ending sanctuary cities” during election cycles.
The ONLY, I repeat ONLY camdidate who can beat Barrack Obama with BAD or EXCELLENT economy, is MARCO RUBIO. Not as a VP though but the next President! Latino vote will go for Rubio 100%. Marco Rubio must get into the race. Not Chris Christi cause he is not attractive enough and too liberal for a lot of Republicans!
I will not vote for this wacko from waco, For Christ sakes is there no middle ground person out there, i am sick of these extremes, I would consider my self a Sam Nunn kind of guy, but me as a independent will not vote for this idgit
Thank you for honing in on our Texas Governor, Rick Perry. We are ordinary Texans, and Texas independents, who know him real well, having done battle with him for a decade. It started when he tried to ram the Trans-Texas Corridor (aka the “Nafta Superhighway”) on rural Texas, necessitating the largest land grab in Texas history.
When he tried to force freeway-to-tollway conversions in and around Austin, rural and urban Texans united in a bonafide independent electoral revolt in 2006. Then Texas Comptroller, Carole Strayhorn, left the Republican Party to run as an independent. And, though Perry squeaked by with just 39% of the vote, the Trans-Texas Corridor came crashing down around Perry’s ears.
This is why we just launched IndyAmericans.com, to tell our story.
Politico, just last week, has brought the Corridor story out, but left out the independent electoral revolt that Perry sparked. We believe, if the Republican Party gives Perry the nomination, you will see a similar indy revolt in next year’s general election. That might be behind Obama or to a variety of third party candidates, and Ron Paul in the 17 open primary states.
We’ll see!
And thank you, Linda, for sharing that information with us and for staying independent and involved! HG