I’m Finally Throwing In The Towel On Rick Perry’s Campaign
The truth is, when he came in fifth in Iowa despite blowing most of his stack the game was over. Perry’s campaign died when Iowa’s ethanol welfare queens and pray-for-pay evangelical leaders – who operate in exactly the same way that black preachers do for Democrats – opted to back Rick Santorum’s campaign instead of the Texas Governor’s.
Of course, since Perry was unapologetically hostile to ethanol he was going to have trouble winning Iowa. There is a constituency against ethanol in that state, and probably enough of one to finish in the top tier there, but his principled stand against a policy which is economically, technically, morally and even environmentally unjustifiable kept him from achieving the resurgence he could have.
There is a path available for a real conservative alternative to Mitt Romney. That alternative should have been Perry, whose record in Texas is replete with both success and solid conservatism. Perry got hit on that record with a pair of complaints which should have been brushed off with little effort. At the very minimum the Gardasil issue was a judgement call on which conservatives of good will could agree to disagree, since the concept of public vaccination has long been accepted as a valid use of government power in promotion of public health. And the more serious complaint, the in-state tuition allowance for illegal alien kids in Texas opened up under Perry’s watch, was eminently explainable as a consensus-approved effort at making the best of a bad situation foisted on the Lone Star State by a broken federal immigration policy.
But Perry failed to explain Gardasil and lost altitude from Michele Bachmann’s demagogic firing from the lunatic fringe – “government injections” which “cause retardation” in 11 year olds should have validated Perry as a responsible executive running against gadfly bomb-throwers, but instead he somehow became a closet socialist in servitude of the evil Merck Pharmaceutical Corporation. What should have been laughable actually gained traction due to poor messaging.
And then he broke down and ruined himself by calling the critics of the in-state tuition program heartless – an error he almost immediately recognized and apologized for, but a grievous self-inflicted wound nonetheless. The correct formulation of the policy would be that the vast majority of illegals taking advantage of in-state college tuition were not at a UT-Austin or Texas A&M but rather Texas-Pan American, the University of Houston-Downtown Campus or San Jacinto Junior College, where the difference between in-state tuition and out-of-state tuition is almost negligible; and by the way since those kids are American by all outward appearances, didn’t make a choice to come here when their parents opted to crash the border and can’t be shooed away from Texas the question is whether to invest in developing what talent they have or consign them to a hardscrabble existence. Perry wasn’t alone in choosing the former; there was a strong consensus in Texas to subsidize those kids both in the legislature and among the public. When Bachmann and Romney hammered on the issue, Perry missed the mark with his “heartless” comment – rather than aim at his opponents he ended up hitting conservative voters who would be his constituents in this election. It was a disaster.
What was worse was the 50-odd second brain freeze in which Perry couldn’t remember that the Department of Energy was the third federal agency he’d close as president. That was a real shame, as Perry is correct in noting America functioned just fine without a Department of Education or Energy prior to their construction in the Carter years and the Department of Commerce, though of longer lineage, doesn’t particularly perform functions of vital necessity in times of government austerity. By the time of that mental shutdown a creeping public perception of Perry as a dim bulb had already set in; Perry’s unimpressive college transcript from Texas A&M had already made its way into the public record and a number of goofy, if understandable, statements had hit the wires as well. When he couldn’t remember a key piece of his platform that perception was reinforced; Perry, the most successful conservative governor in America over the past decade, was a dunce.
Much of this was the typical treatment given to all of Mitt Romney’s opponents in this cycle – some from Romney’s team, and some from the media which decreed Romney to be the acceptable GOP candidate. Perry wasn’t given a fair hearing, but he also didn’t earn one. Come off as shaky while running for president and you’re going to suffer for it.
Perry’s campaign team failed to craft the kind of simple, articulable and popular message one would think would be quite easy for a movement conservative in this cycle. He proposed a Steve Forbes-inspired flat tax, then failed to show why it would work. He didn’t articulate his views for a restructuring of the federal government around less agencies and more power devolved to the states. He stoked, properly, a controversy by calling Social Security the Ponzi scheme that it is without selling a real solution. And then he began proposing a muddled idea for a part-time Congress which had been the calling card of Lamar Alexander’s ill-fated 1988 presidential bid; Alexander didn’t explain any better than Perry has how one would convince Congress to limit its own power and money, and Alexander has now been in the Senate for well over a decade – as evidence of the sincerity behind his concept of a citizen legislator.
That was a lead balloon of an idea, and it went nowhere. Perry followed that up by suggesting American troops be redeployed in Iraq, against the wishes of some 80 percent of the public (Perry would be correct in noting that our withdrawal from Iraq is a strategic defeat of major proportions, but a renewed occupation there is a non-starter as anyone knows). And now, his me-too assault on Mitt Romney as a vulture capitalist…
I’m hardly the first to say this is indefensible. It’s a huge political mistake for Perry to join in with Newt Gingrich’s self-destructive attack on Romney’s supposed greed – and it’s even worse when you’re less articulate than Gingrich in making the weak case that an equity firm attempting to save failing companies is somehow evil.
Perry should have put himself in an outsider’s role and he wasn’t wrong to position himself as being opposed to K Street and Wall Street at the same time. But his execution has been atrocious, his message isn’t unique and his positioning is not to his advantage in a field where the people who really hate government are in love with Ron Paul and the social conservatives have fallen for Santorum’s I-martyred-myself-in-2006-thanks-to-my-strong-moral-views act.
In short, this is the GOP political version of the Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight. It’s the most disappointing presidential campaign I can remember; even more so than Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani last time around.
I’ve supported Perry. I can’t support his chiming in on Bain Capital, which doesn’t disqualify Romney as the GOP nominee at all (there are ample other flaws in Romney which should perform that function), and I can’t support this level of performance.
What I can support at this point are attempts to hold Romney back from a majority of delegates so as to produce a brokered convention in Tampa, from which a candidate can be drawn who would satisfy at least a working consensus within the party and produce the victory over Barack Obama the country so badly needs. But the campaign Perry is currently running won’t cut it. It’s a loser of a campaign, and we’ve no time for losers this year.
Perry is at five percent in South Carolina. He should get out and endorse either Gingrich or Santorum after exacting promises to implement some of the ideas he ran on. To do so now would spare him the embarrassment he appears doomed to on Election Day in the Palmetto State.
I’m throwing in the towel on caring who the nominee is at this point. They all have too many warts for me to get excited about anyone. While I don’t like this aspect of Perry’s campaign, the man still has the best record, and I’ll vote for him if I get the chance. That said, all the fun is gone from the campaigns this year. It’s pathetic.
Perry may be an effective governor, but he is clearly not good enough to be President. Is he a dim bulb? I don’t know. But the slurs which were unfairly leveled against George W. Bush, who made it through Yale and Harvard Business School, would not be so unfair to the guy who graduated with a 2.5 GPA and a major in animal science at Texas A&M. Being a genius certainly doesn’t make you a good President – Mr. Obama is a great demonstration of that. But being on the mediocre side of average guarantees failure. Mr. Perry has clearly risen to the limit of his abilities, and would do us all a service by ceasing his attempt to move up.
Respectfully, I am a bit amazed that it took you this long to realize Perry is toast.
Given Perry’s excellent record in Texas, I was hopeful for his success, as well.
After repeated mistakes of insulting those that he was trying to sway, the latest, insulting capitalists, was the biggest and clearly showed a consistency that surely makes his strongest supporters cringe. These types of mistakes might be survivable in a state election, but he didn’t stand a snowball’s chance at the Federal level. (Notice the past tense.)
I was urged by Red State “higher ups” to support John McCain in the last election. That reasoning being, of course, that McCain was the only one with any chance of beating Obama (“He’s a S.O.B., but he’s our S.O.B. per E.E.). Honestly, had it not been for Palin. I don’t think I could have done it. I will not sacrifice my dignity again.
This time, I am voting my conscience. I am supporting Ron Paul, the Constitution, our military, and our children’s future. I challenge anyone to show how any of the other candidates are more supportive of the Constitution. The military is donating more campaign contributions to Ron Paul, and as a veteran, I give this strong heed while being offended by narrow-minded idiots who insist on insulting Ron Paul supporters. NATO has long passed its usefulness and sensibility. IMHO, the War Powers Act is unconstitutional and we have no God given right to be the “world police”. I also do not believe Ron Paul will put us in an illegal war as Obama has clearly done with Libya.
As for our children’s future, Paul is, without any doubt, the most consistent in his beliefs and adherence to the Constitution. I believe those beliefs will repeal “Obamacare”, secure our southern border, get us out of Afghanistan (and hopefully Europe, Japan, Korea, et al) and maybe even rid us of the scourge of the I.R.S. At the very least, Ron Paul would likely veto most, if not all, of what might originate in Congress and that can hardly be a bad thing.
If it becomes a “better of two evils” type of choice, Romney or Obama, I may not vote for the first time in my life. Make no mistake; I believe a vote of conscience does not necessarily have to be formally cast. It’s like voting “present”.
I have tried to maintain a sense of humor, claiming I am going to vote for Obama. Since we are so close to falling off the proverbial cliff, we might as well get it over with. I guess this is more sarcasm than humor. Sue me.
Be well.
Wait – Perry is toast but Ron Paul is a viable guy?
What happens when it comes out how close he is to all of David Duke’s little neo-Nazi friends? You still gonna vote your conscience then?
So provide us all with a link, a video or whatever SOLID PROOF you have. All the accusations I have heard were either taken out of context, misinterpreted, or just madeup.
How about this FACT: Ron Paul has held the respect and loyalty of the majority of his constituency longer than anyone else running for President. Are all of those Texans just a bunch of Nazi slime or do they actually know him better than you do?
Well, what about this?
http://www.politickerny.com/2011/12/28/stormfront-founder-don-black-says-white-supremacists-thought-ron-paul-was-one-of-us/
Go ahead and say it, though – I know you do:
“Ron Paul is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I’ve ever known in my life.”
You’re kidding, right?
Please, try to understand that this conversation is for mature adults.
If I called into a radio show, and claimed you were an alien from Pluto, would that make it true?
The only thing of importance that I read in YOUR article was the very last sentence:
”
“If they want to endorse me, they’re endorsing what I do or say — it has nothing to do with endorsing what they say,” Mr. Paul told the New York Times on Sunday.
Of course, this ridiculous claim you are trying (and failing) to pass off as fact, which it certainly IS NOT, does qualify you for a job with the Washington Post. Their reporters think Ron Paul is not a viable candidate and base their evidence on the fact that they said he was not a viable candidate.
Uhhh, he ain’t a viable candidate.
You do realize half his vote in Iowa and New Hampshire was from Democrats trying to spike the primary, right?
Since I am tempted to believe that you really don’t know anything about Ron Paul,especially given the misinformation put out by the so-called “mainstream media”, maybe you would be willing to read from a site rumored to be a little “left leaning”.
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul
I didn’t notice anything about Nazis but it does appear that his grandparents immigrated from Germany to the US, maybe to escape them.
Wikipedia?
What?…you don’t know anything about Wiki either?
People who whine about having authoritative sources don’t usually come up with Wikipedia as something along those lines.
Thanks for the entertainment.
Oh, come on, Oscar. Is this really the best you can do?
Are you so slow that you can’t appreciate a left wing site like Wiki actually listing Ron Paul’s long list of accomplishments and political positions?
The only whining we are hearing is coming from you as you fail to come up with ANY legitimate information to justify your unsubstantiated attacks against Ron Paul……….. while exposing a very shallow depth.
Entertainment?…everyone’s a critic. lol
LOL. Anybody can update a Wikipedia entry. So a bunch of Ronulans go in and pimp him and you think that makes it objective because lots of the other stuff on that site is left-wing?
Heh. You’re a funny guy.
Geez, Oscar, all this effort and you still have produced NOTHING of consequence.
Are you now trying to disprove the information on the Wiki? What about your fruitless efforts to actually prove your unsubstantiated accusations?
Maybe you shouldn’t spread yourself too thin here….just friendly advice.
Have a nice evening.
I’m just not all that interested in spending time deprogramming cult members. It’s like falling down a rabbit hole. I like marshes better than rabbit holes, bein’ a nutria and all.
Too bad for you MacAoidh. I kinda liked your previous articles on Perry. I’m glad Perry is not throwing in the towel like you. Are we in for a surprise? The Republican Party is looking for a Republican Messiah. Well, I’m sorry to tell you, but Jesus Christ is not running. Everybody makes mistakes. You list a few gaffs by Perry. How many have you or I made today. We’ll see soon enough how it turns out. Would you rather Obama, Romney or Perry? Better wake up America! This could be our last stand!
He starts off by throwing red meat to hungry conservatives: “social security is a Ponzi scheme,” “Ben Bernanke is treasonous”; then he turns around and insults them by calling them “heartless,” and finally he encamps himself with Occupy Wall Street decrying “vulture capitatlism.”
His campaign is a political circus act. Kay Bailey, how did you lose to this guy?
I have to say that Ron Paul is the only conservative left in the top tier. The other candidates cleaved to government programs that made money for themselves and their kin on taxpayers backs. When it comes down to electibility, it can no longer be about how polished they are on stage. If that were the case you people should be voting for actors.
Conservatives don’t cotton to cults of personality, which would eliminate Ron Paul as a viable contender.
Oscar, just what are your credentials that allows you to
make such a blanket statement?
I would wager that I am more conservative than you and you
certainly don’t speak for me.
I believe individual accountability is the foundation of
conservatism. Since you don’t hold yourself accountable for that bogus
information you previously put out about Ron Paul, you lose.
Your remarks are of the same type that has sunk the Perry
campaign. Notice, I did not say Perry was not a viable candidate, I indicated
that his campaign is “toast”.
I would also contend that if conservatives (like you)
continue to insult those that support Ron Paul, it will be YOUR kind of
conservatism that will put Barrack Obama back in the White House.