Hot Air is reporting that Texas Governor Rick Perry is considering a run for President.
For some reason I have him in a “liberal Republican” file in my head. I could be absolutely wrong. Any of you guys know anything about him as far as social issues and spending go?
I’m not exactly jumping up and down yet over anybody so I’m going to look closely at all of these guys (and girls).
Perry is reportedly about to sign a law requiring women considering abortion to receive a sonogram at least 24 hours before the procedure but like I said I’m pretty sure I’ve got him in a squishy file in my brain. Anyone got anything he did or said that is good or bad?
May 18, 2011 at 5:02 pm
He's the real deal. I'm in NY where I have to live amongst real liberal repubicans who are really demoncrat-lite.
He is the only good candidate except for Pawlenty, and beats him easily. Perry has stood up for State's rights, told obama to go scratch and actually manages the finances pretty well in Texas. And he's pro-life, in a real way, not a pandering wink-and-a-nod kind of way like daniels and the RINOs here.
May 18, 2011 at 5:03 pm
He's your run-of-the-mill Republican as far as I know. (i.e. fair-weather conservative.) I think he has been spoiled by having few serious conservative opponents.
Biggest issue I have with the man is he pushed for mandatory HPV vaccine for Middle School girls, IIRC. There was some insinuations about him and Merck being in cohoots about that, but I don't remember exactly. That should give you something to go off of.
May 18, 2011 at 5:15 pm
Yes, forcing girls here in Texas by EXECUTIVE ORDER to get the dangerous HPV was an unforgivable act. Our Senate was in an uproar to reverse this stupid and self-serving decision. Korf is spot on.
Vote Pawlenty!
May 18, 2011 at 5:22 pm
Perry, like his predecessor in the Texas Governor's Mansion, is fairly conservative by nature, but is not "a conservative". Unlike his predecessor, Perry has no overriding principles except for whatever makes Perry look good. In Texas, that means governing as a conservative.
Perry is a former Democrat who decided to become a Republican when the political winds began to blow in that direction. But then, that applies to A LOT of Texas Republicans, many of whom are solidly conservative (like Ralph Hall, my former Congressman when I lived in East Texas). I'm not so sure whether Perry is in the "solidly conservative" camp or not, because you don't know what's being done by him because of political expediency.
All I know is that left to his own devices, Perry does things like mandating the HPV vaccine. That may be why you have him in the "squish" category in your mind.
That said, were Perry to enter the GOP primary field, he would be a vast improvement over those who have announced so far, including Pawlenty. That's not so much a comment on Perry as it is the current GOP prospects.
May 18, 2011 at 6:06 pm
He's hard to pin down as far as core beliefs he'll go to the mat for, that statement comes from many natives here in northeast Texas. I've watched him since G.W. left and haven't been overly impressed.
May 18, 2011 at 7:16 pm
I know he tried to get a 10th Amendment clause passed similar to what Alaska did, but the legislature voted no. He also tried to refuse all federal stimulus money but again the legislature voted no. He faces a lot of pushback on many issues. However, I've lived in Texas my whole life and in Perry's tenure I've witnessed nearly every highway become a toll road, and property taxes seem to be skyrocketing. I'm extremely disappointed in that. Also the HPV vaccination thing (although I don't have a child in school yet). But as a commenter on another site pointed out yesterday, if he sees the general public doesn't like something then he backs off. He doesn't shove bad legislation down our throats.
May 18, 2011 at 9:35 pm
Unlike the rest of the GOP field, he's pro-life (and not in a wishy-washy way ala Romney, Santorum, etc.). His only problems for me are the HPV E.O. and a misguided reason for supporting Israel.
May 18, 2011 at 10:24 pm
Santorum is wishy-washy on pro-life–not in a milion years!
May 18, 2011 at 11:00 pm
He speaks at the Texas march for life. He isn't afraid of being pro-life, and obviously knows his politics, as he's been governor of the state longer than any body else. I'd vote for him any day of the week.
May 19, 2011 at 12:10 am
I was in Austin for the Texas Rally for Life in January. I saw Gov. Perry announce that he was making the Sonogram Bill an emergency item for Texas' 2011 legislative session and urged us to contact our state representatives and senators to make it happen. His views on the HPV vaccine are misguided, but I would call him pretty darn close to the real deal, pro-life wise.
May 19, 2011 at 1:59 am
What about Representative Poe from Texas? I really liked his speech on foreign aid that he gave recently to the House. I'd love to hear more on him…Is he pro-life…Because he'd sure get my vote if that were the case…
May 19, 2011 at 4:59 am
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17276840/
Gov. Rick Perry's chief of staff met with key aides about a new vaccine to prevent cervical cancer on the same day its manufacturer donated money to his campaign, documents obtained by The Associated Press show.
Texas became the first state to require the vaccine against human papillomavirus earlier this month when Perry issued an executive order requiring it for girls entering sixth grade.
Uh, I guess you could support him for indirectly encouraging homeschooling. Campaign donation aside, I was disgusted and remain disgusted about the governor's executive order. Is there something going on in Texas public schools that necessitates such drastic action?
May 19, 2011 at 5:02 pm
Question: Is he better than Obama and could he get elected?
May 20, 2011 at 10:35 pm
Answer: Yes (but then who isn't?), and I don't know.
I get the same nondescript feeling of uncertainty about him. He seems pretty establishment, and just too darn eager for the job to be trusted. He is very politically calculating in a vaguely Bill Clintonesque kind of way (which may not be all that bad, I suppose, since it means he would back off on things if the political cost is high). Like another said, it is difficult to figure out for what issues, if any, he would go to the mat.
May 23, 2011 at 7:23 pm
I remember hearing on Alex Jones (last year I think) that Perry was the heir apparent because of his attendance at the Bilderberg meeting, but when the Gov seemed set on staying in Texas, I thought the country might be split. Perhaps not yet, but we'll see how it plays out.