Guest Column: Why Perry Should Run for President

by Allen Blakemore
June 9, 2011
40 Comments

GOP primary voters across America are still looking for their presidential candidate — but if Gov. Rick Perry jumps into the race, he would immediately be a leading contender for the party's nomination. He would appeal to all segments of the Republican electorate and would come armed with a record of economic success and a commitment to liberty that no other contender can match.

What Perry has to offer is still missing from the current field. He speaks not only to fiscal conservatives but also to Republicans more concerned with social and defense issues. For example, he successfully advocated legislation ...

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Comments (40)

June 9, 2011 @ 5:15 a.m.

Samdavis

Any comment by Tom Delay's old campaign manager should be viewed with broad scepticism. Blakemore has served as campaign shill for numerous bad politicians including DeLay and more recently Randy Weber (R-Pearland). He knows no boundries when it comes to ethics or fair play. His endorsement of Perry for president pretty well shows how little he cares for Texas and the United States.

"What Perry has to offer is still missing from the current field". Sorry Mr. Blakemore, the field is already full of sanctimonious idiots.
June 9, 2011 @ 8:35 a.m.

Deborah Sisco

The only reason for Perry to run for President is to get out of Texas! The jobs he has created do not provide a living wage for Texans. Our schools are doing outstanding work with little help from the legislature but still we are near the bottom in education. Healthcare for the poor is terrible and hard to get. I am a Texan by birth but I am ashamed of the way our state fails to take care of the poor and downtrodden! It is a great state for Perry's cronies and the rich but not so much for the rest of us!
June 9, 2011 @ 8:52 a.m.

Clayton Waters

All this story says is why Rick Perry makes a good Republican candidate. Highlighting his abilities to grandmaster the political stage is hardly covering the requirements of a president. While I'd rather have Rick Perry in the Whitehouse than a more liberal leaning president, what about his leadership in Texas makes him a fit candidate? While Texas' economy has boomed while Perry has been governor, is that because of his leadership in office, or the economic stage set by the decades leading up to his terms? Pointing out that he's never won an election is less than helpful -- read: he could lose a presidential race. While I am a Rick Perry supporter, I'd like to see someone write about how his leadership and navigation of issues in Texas translates into prime training for a presidential run. Texas' success isn't all thanks to Rick Perry, let's not forget that this state has been the Lone Star long before Rick Perry was governor.
June 9, 2011 @ 9:48 a.m.

Melissa Williams Perner via Texas Tribune on Facebook

We don't need President Good-Hair
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June 9, 2011 @ 9:48 a.m.

Marc Lippincott via Texas Tribune on Facebook

The best reason for Perry to run? He'll be out of my state more often and will probably get his butt kicked by Obama.
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June 9, 2011 @ 9:48 a.m.

Ann Labuda via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Yeah, and Perry has a LOT of experience killing people, too... and not caring about education, not doing any work at all, etc. NOT AT ALL what we need in a President, no matter HOW much I want him out of the Governor's Mansion.
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June 9, 2011 @ 9:52 a.m.

Lee B. Weaver via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Well, geez...that's just dumb. Sure, Perry may appeal to certain people - the same could be said about anyone - but no sane person thinks there are ENOUGH of those people to get him elected. For pete's sake, the rest of the country HATES Texas. Period.
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June 9, 2011 @ 9:53 a.m.

Ed Hino via Texas Tribune on Facebook

RICKPERRY ISAMERICAS WORST NIGHT MARE WE ARE TRYING TO RECOVER FROMDUBYAS NIGHT MARE NOT ADD TO IT WHATS RICKPERRYS CLAIM TO FAME ANY WAY YELL ELADER AT TEXAS A AND M THE TEXAS EVANGELICAL POPE RICK PERRY HE CARES SO MUCH FOR TEXANS HE HAS GUTTED EVERY THING FOR POOR FOLKS ITEXAS EVEN HAS VOTER SUPPRESSION GOING ON WHY
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June 9, 2011 @ 9:53 a.m.

J Patrick Miculka via Texas Tribune on Facebook

During his re-election campaign, he sang the wonders of the Texas fiscal miracle. Practically within weeks of being re-elected, though, it was revealed that Texas is actually a fiscal disaster. He is a fiscal liar as far as I'm concerned, and a Christianist who knows how to make Christian sounds while walking the other way.
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June 9, 2011 @ 9:53 a.m.

Sheri Alexander via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Allen Blakemore: really? come on...
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June 9, 2011 @ 9:53 a.m.

Chris Thornton via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Texans aren't gonna forget how Gov. Perry tried to steal private property just to give it to a foreign company to bill toll roads, or how Gov. Perry tried to force an untested vaccination on little girls without their parent's consent. Rick Perry is part of the establishment GOP. The American people made their voices loud and clear when they voted against Democrats AND establishment Republicans in 2010. We are tired of politics as usual. We are tired of career politicians. Obama winning in 2008 is proof that the American people don't care how much, or how little, political experience the Presidential candidate has.
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June 9, 2011 @ 9:54 a.m.

Shaun Swegman via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Perry isn't even that popular among Texas Republicans, so I don't agree with this article's assessment of his appeal. The best thing about nominating Perry is that he'd probably lose in the election.
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June 9, 2011 @ 9:55 a.m.

David Huang via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Ugh, I can't read this nonsense.
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June 9, 2011 @ 10:02 a.m.

David Huang via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Way to go ignoring every single negative impact of Perry and the Republicans in Texas over the last decade, near last in education, healthcare, constant assault on women/minority rights, what else is there? Ugh.
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June 9, 2011 @ 10:04 a.m.

David Huang via Texas Tribune on Facebook

oh yeah, the constant state of denial about the state's fiscal situation to get re-elected, his hypocisy in living in a $10k/mo mansion while saying he's fiscally conservative. I'm sure the list goes on..
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June 9, 2011 @ 10:09 a.m.

Stephen Lloyd via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Perry's all talk. No evidence backs up anything he says.
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June 9, 2011 @ 10:18 a.m.

Maricela Gonzalez Rios via Texas Tribune on Facebook

This should have "paid advertisement". The article is filled with LIES, and little to NO facts.
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June 9, 2011 @ 10:19 a.m.

Bambi Clark via Texas Tribune on Facebook

I do not see one person above who agrees with this article. Nor do I!
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June 9, 2011 @ 10:26 a.m.

Darrel Mulloy via Texas Tribune on Facebook

http://www.texastribune.org/texas-politics/2012-presidential-election/guest-column-why-perry-shouldnt-run-president/?utm_source=texastribune.org&utm_medium=alerts&utm_campaign=News%20Alert:%20Subscriptions
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June 9, 2011 @ 10:43 a.m.

Aldo Merino via Texas Tribune on Facebook

There's no shortage of candidates in the field who stress social and defense issues, let alone peddle the same canard of fiscal conservatism.

While he's making stuff up, the author may as well suggest there aren't any Texans in the race either.
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June 9, 2011 @ 10:50 a.m.

Ed Hino via Texas Tribune on Facebook

like some one said rick perry is all hair and no cattle or balls
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June 9, 2011 @ 11:26 a.m.

Don Clinchy via Texas Tribune on Facebook

I often wonder why publications like the Texas Tribune publish ridiculously distorted editorials from Republican hacks. Is it in the interest of nonpartisan fairness? Or are they just giving Republicans enough rope to hang themselves? Either way, this piece is probably the dumbest thing the Tribune has ever published. Please don't waste your readers' time with this stupid partisan crap in the future.
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June 9, 2011 @ 11:32 a.m.

Aldo Merino via Texas Tribune on Facebook

What Don said, a thousand times over.
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June 9, 2011 @ 11:42 a.m.

Jonathan Gal via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Maybe Perry-Bachmann, with Romney at Treasury?
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June 9, 2011 @ 11:42 a.m.

Storm Britten Ilouno via Texas Tribune on Facebook

TEXAS IS LIVING PROOF THAT AN IDIOT IS BORN EVERY SECOND. We are a case study for idiots in Politics. Maybe these articles will prompt a few stagnant Republicans with their heads in their asses to expand their minds and get out of the 1950s. Texas leads the nation in Povert and Prisons and you want to bash an article..............shame.
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June 9, 2011 @ noon

Evelyn White via Texas Tribune on Facebook

@Jonathan.... how about Perry/Palin. With a bumper sticker that says: "I quit.... can't handle this anymore."
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June 9, 2011 @ 12:48 p.m.

Kimberly Burkett via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Does Perry's "compelling story" include taking Texas from a multi billion dollar surplus to a $27 billion deficit by way of the property tax debacle of 2006? As has been said here before, he's all hair, no cattle.
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June 9, 2011 @ 12:58 p.m.

Jonathan Gal via Texas Tribune on Facebook

I think that Bachmann will do better in the northeast. She is better educated. Palin has a stronger brand, right now, than Bachmann; but that can be changed by nominating Michelle for the Vice Presidency. After all, a VP nomination was the fuel of Palin's rise.
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June 9, 2011 @ 12:59 p.m.

Jonathan Gal via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Bachmann also has some Washington experience, which will help.
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June 9, 2011 @ 1 p.m.

Jonathan Gal via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Or, how about Romney-Perry?
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June 9, 2011 @ 1:06 p.m.

Storm Britten Ilouno via Texas Tribune on Facebook

hell why not Palin/Perry or Perry/Palin. JHC what will it take for people to get their heads out of their arses?
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June 9, 2011 @ 1:30 p.m.

Dale H Curry via Texas Tribune on Facebook

As a Blue dog Dem, I eagerly encourage a Palin/Perry nomination. Cannot wait to watch Obama wipe the smiles off their smug arrogant and stupid (Palin) faces.
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June 9, 2011 @ 3:02 p.m.

Cynthia Casper Robertson via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Americans, one would hope, are also smart enough to understand that Texas has more uninsured residents than any other state, ranks 44th in education, the governor is one of the least powerful in America, that he's a shill to corporate America and that he sucks at the teat of big oil and gas. Shall I continue with all of Rick Perry's attributes? America in general doesn't have a very high opinion of Texas and Texans in no small part thanks to George Bush. It's bad enough that Texans have to be subjected to Rick Perry. Gawd help us all if he's turned loose on all of America. :(
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June 9, 2011 @ 7:59 p.m.

Storm Britten Ilouno via Texas Tribune on Facebook

I relocated to Texas three years ago with hopes of enduring the market crash and this economic HELL.....I hate Texas more now than I ever could have before I moved here. I'm betting some people will tell me to go away, but the fact is that I cannot afford to move away now thanks to the facade that is a good economy here.......12.25 an hour is BS. And that is the average pay scale here. Who can live on that in any economy? I am sorry to say that I regret moving here. I have met some nice people and not until recently a few that are actually like-minded politically. I am afraid of Texas. I became more fearful after this last debacle of an election. I hope we can survive this term.
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June 9, 2011 @ 8:20 p.m.

Cynthia Casper Robertson via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Welcome to Hell, Storm. :( I tell people that I live in Texas by default, not by choice.
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June 9, 2011 @ 8:44 p.m.

Ed Hino via Texas Tribune on Facebook

texas wages suck folks,iworked for a co that gave you 26 an hour raise thats it
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June 9, 2011 @ 8:45 p.m.

Ed Hino via Texas Tribune on Facebook

some times nothing yet the same workers inillinois were making 18bucks aNHOUR
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June 9, 2011 @ 11:27 p.m.

gary nelson

I think Gov. Perry would make a great President he cares about Texans and thinks long term not short term.
June 9, 2011 @ 11:29 p.m.

Kathryn Sieverman

"Texas has balanced the books each biennium, as required by its constitution. When necessary, Texas has slashed spending to reconcile the numbers."

Allen, Allen, Allen. If you want to be a talking head, at least don't try to use rhetoric that is so well-known to be wrong / missing critical information.

Not only did Texas slash spending on critical aspects of society like public schools and health services to balance its budget, but Rick Perry also used over $6 billion dollars of Federal stimulus money in the 2009 legislative session to avoid deficit.

http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2011/apr/24/barack-obama/president-obama-says-gov-perry-used-stimulus-fund-/

Do you think it was a coincidence that now that Perry has his foot firmly wedged in his mouth and can't get away with receiving help from Washington, Texas has the largest budget deficit of any state in the nation? Or was that just part of his incredibly wise economic plan from which all other states and the Fed should model theirs?
June 11, 2011 @ 5:35 p.m.

Mary Lynn VanZandt Neill via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Sorry,I disagree the nation is "primed" to listen.Not to this man!
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