Perry is offically in.

[wmenorr67]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/08/13/perry/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Can he actually win?

[Balog]

Do we want him to? My impression is he's like Bill Clinton, but on the other side of the "moderate" aisle on some social issues. Not what we need. :/

[zahc]

From what I could tell, he was pitching a 'de-regulation' message and saying that DC is not america. He was also openly insulting Obama, which was refreshing.

[Brad Johnson]

He's done a decent enough job here in Texas, trying to get us back on track financially (and not winning many friends doing it).  Definitely opinionated as hell and not afraid of speaking his mind.  He ain't perfect but we could definitely do a lot worse.

Brad

[roo_ster]

He's done a decent enough job here in Texas, trying to get us back on track financially (and not winning many friends doing it).  Definitely opinionated as hell and not afraid of speaking his mind.  He ain't perfect but we could definitely do a lot worse.

Brad

This.  We have done worse.  And we never will elect "perfect" as POTUS (Rand Paul would be close enough. IMO).

I voted for Debra Medina in the Texas Republican primary, last election, but voted for Governor Goodhair in the general without too many qualms.

Where Perry will get squirrelly, will be illegal immigration, despite being born again hard on the issue.  Gotta keep up the pressure, there.

I have my reservations WRT Perry, but his record is really strong, results-wise.

[seeker_two]

He's done a decent enough job here in Texas, trying to get us back on track financially (and not winning many friends doing it).  Definitely opinionated as hell and not afraid of speaking his mind.  He ain't perfect but we could definitely do a lot worse.

Hmmm....
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/08/12/120509/texas-perry-to-enter-presidential.html


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304760604576428262897285614.html


....and as for speaking his mind....I can see that....esp. considering all the speaking he's done lately has been in short, scripted sound-bites....

[makattak]

He's not my most preferred candidate. He is, however, acceptable and the best in the race officially so far.

As stated, we could do much worse.

[zxcvbob]

This.  We have done worse.  And we never will elect "perfect" as POTUS (Rand Paul would be close enough. IMO).

I voted for Debra Medina in the Texas Republican primary, last election, but voted for Governor Goodhair in the general without too many qualms.

Where Perry will get squirrelly, will be illegal immigration, despite being born again hard on the issue.  Gotta keep up the pressure, there.

I have my reservations WRT Perry, but his record is really strong, results-wise.

And he shot a coyote with his CCW mousegun (don't remember if it was a LCP or a P3AT) while out walking his dog.  How could ya not vote for him after that?

[makattak]

And he shot a coyote with his CCW mousegun (don't remember if it was a LCP or a P3AT) while out walking his dog.  How could ya not vote for him after that?

LCP

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-05-25/news/27065381_1_coyote-great-gun-pistol

[Jamisjockey]

We could do better but we could also do much worse.  Texas right now is leading the nation in job creation (even if you don't count local/state/fed jobs).  I'd imagine if we can flush the house and senate, Perry would go along with a conservative congress.

[Perd Hapley]

I'd imagine if we can flush the house and senate, Perry would go along with a conservative congress.

A lot more Dem. Senate seats up for re-election next year, than last time around.

[MechAg94]

We could do better but we could also do much worse.  Texas right now is leading the nation in job creation (even if you don't count local/state/fed jobs).  I'd imagine if we can flush the house and senate, Perry would go along with a conservative congress.

That is how I see it.  If he ends up in the hot seat with a Dem Congress or a bunch of country club republicans, I fear he would not stand for principle real well and be influenced by lobbyists too much.  However, I fear that because I have seen him for 10 or 11 years.  I haven't see those other candidates that much.  They may be the same or worse. 

He is a big step up from President Ego in D.C. right now.

[Waitone]

Yeah, we could no doubt do a whole lot worse, from either party.  And that may be why he will skate on a whole series of unacceptable positions.  We'll hear during the republican primary "Thank goodness he ain't <insert unacceptable candidate name>.  So we'll take him as he is."  Then during the general election it shifts to "Well, at least he ain't <insert unacceptable democrat candidate of choice>." 

Meanwhile he has no reason to explain why he went from "US/Mexico, what's the diff?" to his hard border stance.  Or his edict to require HPV vaccination of teenagers as a governmental edict (something the UN has pushed).  Or has active work for the trans Texas corridor.  All three mentioned issues strike at the heart of the concept of the nation state. 

Perry may be the next Reagan; he may also be the next W Bush.  For now I assign him to the later category

<Cue the Lesser-of-Two-Evils Debate>

[Ben]

When I first heard about Perry, I thought his running would be a really good thing, but then some of you Texans posted in the thread I had going on it, saying that maybe he wasn't "all that". From the current bunch of contenders, I see him somewhere near the front re: those I could vote for.

My general voting criteria are:

1) My ideal candidate, but likely not able to win.
2) I could live with the candidate winning, and they have a good chance to win.
3) Voting for them only because they're not candidate "X", and if they're crappy enough, see #1.

For CA state elections, I've completely given up on 2 & 3, and I only vote for #1. For national elections, I'm still kind of wishy-washy on voting on my principles only. Right now I see Perry in category #2. Romney is in category #3.

[Gowen]

The media must not like him, the stock photo they used of him was horrific.  He looked like Sam Kinison screaming.  The local paper kept using a photo of GWB that made him look retarded.  I like how the media is so impartial. 

[Azrael256]

You should've seen the ranting from the DNC strategists on MSNBC this morning.


You see, Texas may be the best state economically, but we're nearly last in education and healthcare spending and the jobs we create are either minimum wage or "stolen from other states."  I take that to mean that we don't tax the hell out of our people and businesses and are thus more attractive, but Governor Goodhair may be going on midnight raids to steal factories and offices from Illinois.  He's sneaky like that.

[Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas]

I think most of the jobs created in TX lately have been in road construction crews.

Perry's a hell of a good campaigner who could presumably beat Obama. He's always willing to change his rhetoric - and not so willing to change his actual policy. Note the TSA bill. He endorsed Giuliani in the '08 primaries, which might be a hint as to his actual beliefs.

Also, could somebody say what the big deal is on the Trans-Texas Corridor? Not familiar with it.

[roo_ster]

You should've seen the ranting from the DNC strategists on MSNBC this morning.


You see, Texas may be the best state economically, but we're nearly last in education and healthcare spending and the jobs we create are either minimum wage or "stolen from other states."  I take that to mean that we don't tax the hell out of our people and businesses and are thus more attractive, but Governor Goodhair may be going on midnight raids to steal factories and offices from Illinois.  He's sneaky like that.

That is a good sign.

[MechAg94]

Or his edict to require HPV vaccination of teenagers as a governmental edict (something the UN has pushed).

On this one, the explanation I heard soon after it happened was that by Texas law, the only way to make the vaccine available for free to people who couldn't afford it was to make it "mandatory".  Also note that "mandatory" under the same law isn't.  But that is just what I heard.  If true, they didn't explain it very well.

I didn't like the Texas Trans corridor thing either, but I figured if that was only one of a few things across 12 years, I can live with it.  That issue was my main concern about him getting influenced by special interests. 

However, if we are going to give Perry the probe, should we line up the negatives on the other candidates also?  Maybe make a big chart like the one for AR manufacturers. 

[seeker_two]

Perry may be the next Reagan; he may also be the next W Bush.  For now I assign him to the later category

Perry's closer to Clinton than any of those two....he panders a lot to special interests and cronies than he does standing on any type of principal. My prior posts on him pretty much show that....

....as for the Trans-Texas Corridor, here's some info....

http://www.examiner.com/transportation-policy-in-san-antonio/trans-texas-corridor-routes-moving-at-freight-train-speed

http://texasturf.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=789&Itemid=2

[Jamisjockey]

Better than Romney.  Worse that most of the other choices.  Better than Obama.

[gunsmith]

LCP

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-05-25/news/27065381_1_coyote-great-gun-pistol

He's got my yote! 

[longeyes]

If the ultimate choice lies between a Marxist con man another Karl Rove love-child give me the Texan.  At least we can all make a few bucks while he's running things and stop the economic hemorrhaging.  The liberty part, in the end, is up to us, not to them.

[Harold Tuttle]

drive me closer so i can hit them with another grenade

[Waitone]

In New Hampshire the third question he fielded was on his EO on vaccination of females for HPV .
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/61323.html

Evidently he made no attempt at a shuck-and-jive.