Back in Texas, Rick Perry Has Relationships to Repair
When Gov. Rick Perry suspended his presidential bid, he said it was because there was no “viable path forward.” But is there a viable path back?
In his five-month run for the White House, he called Turkey’s leaders “Islamic terrorists,” blasted Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s fiscal strategy as “treasonous,” and slammed gays serving openly in the military, moves that made some moderate Republicans choke on their lunch.
He offended Tea Partiers and some of his social conservative fans by saying opponents of in-state tuition for the children of illegal immigrants were heartless.
And he alienated big business ...
Comments (35)
Ross Garcia
Mending fences maybe, but please don't make my governor apologize for standing up and vocalizing his convictions. One of the most important characteristics in a leader is vocalizing what he or she believes in. Political correctness is an acid that is eroding our nations leadership ability to return us to prosperity. Now that the Governor is out of the presidential race, I only see two of the four presidential candidates left that say in front of media cameras what they believe in with ability to prioritize the issues to return America to prosperity. I may not agree with all the candidates convictions, but I gain a sense of assurance that a candidate will meet tough issues head on and not skate around the issues when they say what's on their mind.
Irene Solnik via Texas Tribune on Facebook
try with teachers
Reba Latimer
I think we need to call Terrell state hospital and see if they have one missing ?
Yvonne Massey Davis via Texas Tribune on Facebook
He needs to focus on the numerous problems facing Texans. Education would be a good start!
Ronnie Odom via Texas Tribune on Facebook
He is running for V.P. now with who ever will have him.
MaryLou VandeRiet via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Perry is good at putting his big foot, in his big mouth !!!...
Ronnie Van Humphries via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Yea, for sure like the entire state of Texas. Worst governor I have ever seen.
Leon Drozd
Let's all be nice here.
Most successful people are those who have experienced failure and who have learned from their failures. As stated in another post, some time to step back might be in order.
This might be a good time to give a little thought to the motives of those who exploited him. This might also be a good time to surround himself with some reality-based, knowledgeable people who are not driven by extreme ideologies. It might be a good time to go live in a community and get to know people from all walks of life --- not just zealots and "money changers."
Kim Stephenson Gilson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Somehow, I don't think public school employees are on the list of people he plans to mend fences with. He threw us to the wolves to look like the biggest conservative on the block for the GOP campaign. Now, we're left holding the bag.
Terri Bassett Pooley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
They "quietly" called it "a blatant grasp at Christian conservatives." Like it wasn't obvious?
Anthony Maddaloni via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Newt/Rick ticket.. And I just threw up in my mouth a little thing about that
Austin Graham via Texas Tribune on Facebook
He'll be just fine.
Jalapeno Schwartz via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Fences? What fences left? Place is a total disaster!! Go away Rick!
Casey McKinney via Texas Tribune on Facebook
the only values that gov good hair possesses are ones that start with $.
Bambi Clark via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Pay the $$$ back you fleeced Texas' taxpayers of!
Randy Thompson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Maybe he can start by inviting all his moneyed friends out to this hunting lodge to clean the paint off that big rock.
patricia bird
I hope the voting public is not as naive to think that this man has the capacity to run this state. he has handled things so badly here...calling for secession and then taking the stimulus money so he can pretend that he balanced the budget; threw women under the bus with the new abortion policy; the largest number of employed people making $7.25 and hour; the largest state with so many children in poverty, the sick can't get or afford medical insurance; the schools in total shambles due to the lack of focus and funding...it just goes on and on....if people in this state use the same logic as they did in South Carolina – “vote for the candidate who is a good Christian”, this state deserves what it gets. Perry goes against the separation of church and state, he goes against the constitution when it comes to the issue of gay right, he tosses women, teachers, the elderly, the poor under the bus, and he is the most intellectually challenged candidate i have ever seen.
Robert Adams via Texas Tribune on Facebook
He showed his ass to the world. They now wonder what kind of freaky people Texans are to vote for this douche. I am proud to say I, as a proud Texan, have never voted for him.
S.j. Thompson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Gov. Goodhair will never get my vote, even if he ran for dogcatcher.
Randall Spradley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The Rick Perry 'mystique', to the extent that there was ever any mystery to the guy is completed dissipated. He's in a tough spot after blowing millions. Irrespective of his actual intellect, he presented himself as an unreflective pandering doofus -- and since the role of the Texas Governor is largely a PR, ecodev and lobbying position (given the constitutional constraints on the Texas governor's powers), the question now is this: Is Perry the correct person to sell Texas to a fast growing, increasingly more technical world? Has Perry run his course? Speaking of course, is his time better spent on the golf course?
Sierra Treanor via Texas Tribune on Facebook
30 day return policy?! After 30 days we can no longer be held responsible for any damages incurred
Sierra Treanor via Texas Tribune on Facebook
for every week he was on the campaign trail we could have employed 25 teachers annually just from his security costs alone
Kim Burkett via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Mending fences? That ship has sailed. If Perry were wise (which he isn't) he'd retire and collect his pension legitimately.
Bubba Tadsworth
What Texans and Perry's supporters found out, is that Perry is an idiot. That two gun, redneck, cowboy, good ole boy nonsense, doesn't work on the national scene. Perry couldn't put two words together, to make a sentence. He was so arrogant, he thought that could become president, without having to work hard. It appears that Perry's supporters and some Texans, are comfortable with the fact, that he's an idiot? He's an embarrassment, to this state.
Rudy Gonzales
Perry made a fool of himself and Texas! He does not deserve another term, and in fact should resign for the dismal job he did running for president while billing Texas for his shenanigans. He needs to pack his junk, pack it in his car and....Uh..mmmm I forget....Oops!
Charles Peckham via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Right now he couldn't win a JP position in Cut-n-Shoot. Yes, he's got some fences to mend, all right. That is what one calls a political understatement.
Alice Taylor
I'm horrified that these movers and shakers are just fine with the Perry Debacle and are willing to forgive and forget. Talk about crony capitalism...this is beyond that and in to enabling political power addicts. Surely they cant be serious. He just blew through a tens of millions of their donated dollars with a performance that wouldn't pass the first round of a high school debate contest.
Perry might think he can mend fences with his buddies, but the rest of us out here are living with his inept policies and the real harm he has caused to public service, public education and the working people of Texas.
He'll never run for public office again. There are too many gaffs that opponents can use and too many really, really mad voters out there who are painfully embarrassed to have this yahoo for governor.
Reba Latimer
I wish we could get a petition and not only recall Rick Perry but fire him as well.he doesn't deserve a
salary .he has got rich with sweetheart deals,the idea that he takes money from us to help the poor
pay AC billsand used it to balance the state budget makes me sick.It is a good thing I am not his judge
because where he would go has no AC.
Bea McGuire via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Thanks Charles! lmao!
ez4 yew
How this nitwit has remained popular in Texas speaks more about the people of Texas than the man himself. The story goes somewhat like this: Two Washington politicians were talking about some elected congressman, "If you think this guy is off target and out in space, you should see his constituents".
Is this the best Texas has to offer? Gee, I sure wish we still lived in a two party state. The GOP has given us the bottom the barrel leaders since Sweet Ann Richards. Junior Bush and Perry? OMG!
Ralph Cooper
He can start by having the campaign and/or his donor base repay the state the millions of dollars his campaign cost the state for his travel and security, repaying the double dipping he is doing, and reducing the cost of his residential palace to the state. Then he needs to address the business tax issue which has resulted in the fund shortage and the devastating cuts to public schools, and correct the imbalances were some school districts get a lot more per pupil than others.
Huina Smith
This guy damage the reputation so much if the people of Taxas take him back it would be an insult on top of an injury. He made people wonder why Taxas elected a Buffoon over and over again and ultimately question the intelligence level of all the people in Taxas. But this is Taxas, if Perry swear to his "crony capitalist" friends that he would guard their interes fiercely, he might get big bucks to keep him in the office, and make Taxas looks like fool again.
patricia bird
Unless people vote - and that would mean liberals, progressives get off the couch and vote, this man and those like him will continue to be in office. He had a great opponent last time, however the Democrats stayed at home: Perry became the first Texas governor to be elected to three four-year terms, polling 54.97% of votes to Bill White's 42.48%.
If only 54% of the voters show up...this is what you get...I hope people go out and vote this man out of office. He is a religious fanatic who appears to only allow laws that are slanted towards his religious views. He is supposed to govern everyone in TX, not just his congregation.
I really hope more women vote; I hope they can see what happens when they stay at home - our rights are taken away very swiftly.
I tend to think this shows more about the people who actually vote. Evangelicals in this state make sure their group shows up; I hope Progressives and Liberals and women show up next time.
Reba Latimer
I have a question concerning Rick Perry.If anyone heard him speak of church,the Bible
I would really like to know,because the only time I ever heard him was after he ran for president.
Donna Thomas Woolf via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Wha Wha Wha! You people are the biggest bunch of crybabies I have ever seen! Awww Texas is so bad! If you people really had it bad you wouldn't know what to do! Just whine and piss and moan! Sick of you teachers blaming everybody else for the problems in education! Straighten your own damn districts out! The school boards! Start raising some hell about all the sports funding frankly I am sick of that! Really great teachers used to do alot more with alot less! Of course today you have more aides teaching than you do teachers! Perry has brought big businesses to Texas and will bring more, business people aren't weak like you people and most of them like Perry and Texas! And your little group here doesn't speak for all of Texas remember that. Seems to me alot of people said he wouldn't get a 3rd term as Gov. they were wrong as well! He doesn't have fences to mend! He owes none of you an apology! The man was just trying to stop Obama! But then again I guess thats your beef, you all want to keep Obama! Sheep!