Just in case Rick Perry does get in the race, you wanna read this. Here’s a funny excerpt:
And in Texas, what works is to swagger around like a tough guy, propagating a barely literate reading of the United States Constitution, and pretend to hate the federal government. And you rail about the rights that have been taken away, without being able to name one. And you publicly entertain having your state secede from the United States, and issue dire warnings about the galloping socialism in the land, and rage at the federal stimulus package and make a show of refusing to accept any of it, while quietly taking a cool $28 billion.
It is the refuge of a scoundrel to pretend to hate government, and further, to lie about the role that the American government — the richest and most powerful force for good in the long story of humanity — has played in the creation of the most profound economic engine ever, the America middle class. Notions of American greatness are inextricably intertwined with the American government, and anyone who claims that the government has only been an impediment to American progress is a liar, a fool, a rank opportunist, or a combination of the three.
Also, too, I did not realize that Gov. Perry signed a resolution calling on all Texans to pray for rain. That is so awesome.
OK, so what am I missing here? From everything I read about his history and talk, Perry is as nuts and dishonest as Bachmann, Palin, or Santorum. Wants to secede from the Union, hates the government while whining for federal aid, wants to nuke pretty much all parts of the social safety net. And yet he keeps being presented — especially on the liberal side — as the most credible challenger for the Romney vote. How does he fit the Romney/Huntsman/Pawlenty spot when he appears to be Bachmann/Santorum’s clone? And why is he seen as some kind of credible opponent to Obama? It just doesn’t make any sense, and the GOP honchos have to know that.
Well, according to the millionaire pundits I see on the TV, he’s got that swagger and that used-car-salesman-grin that regular folk just can’t say no to. Oh. Also, too… Nice hair.
I get that, but why is he slotted as a Romney replacement rather than somebody who wins over Bachmann/Palin/Trump’s base? I mean, they all have Nice Hair from some tribal perspectives.
They can’t control Bachmann. Or Palin.
And as for Trump, nobody ever considered him for real. His additional 15 minutes is an example of Jon Stewart’s Sensationalist Conflict Lazy Media (The SCLM).
Well, both Romney and Perry are phonies acting like the personality that they think their base voters want. But Romney shies away from the religious routine since he belongs to one of them cult religions. Perry, on the other hand, mixes weird religious dog-whistle words and phrases in to most of his sentences. He’s the new improved model of George W Bush that the religious nuts could never get enough of.
It may work.
Rick Perry was also the subject of Bill Maher’s New Rules this week. They have the video at C&L in case you don’t get HBO. Definitely a must-watch.
Second the must-watch. Maher at his best. Too bad reality only gets noticed by TV comedians, though.
Only the Court Jesters (comedians) and young children are allowed to speak the truth.
that was a hoot
Yee-Haw!! Jesus, Take the wheel!
That’s a good read. I’m watching the education funding. Since Texas ranks worst in many education stats already, I’m curious what kind of impact the drastic education cuts are going to have.
Also, an AL Gore man.
wikipedia has It:
Wonder if Tim Pawlenty will dare call him on it.
Gotta hand it to Esquire, though:
My first impulse is to say that assumptions like this are precisely why I can’t stand the mainstream media. Thinking about it more, I suppose this must be a sign of Obama’s success. I (and many others) read his political project to be to make the Democratic Party the party of the (supposedly) sensible middle, so that the majority coalition is center-left rather than center-right, this last being Reagan’s legacy. Hope it gives us a better Congress next time.
So I’m going to go ahead and assume you didn’t actually read the esquire blog?
Because it has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with Obama, or any other national politician, or any other national trend. It’s a strictly Texas story through and through. And not one that’s showing signs of changing anytime soon…
Read the whole thing, Jack. Esquire is national media, and my comment was about the magazine’s line, not Perry’s.
Understood?
At the end of that Esquire article, they direct you to their Style Blog for more about Perry. There they point out that he doesn’t know how to tie a tie.
And the picture above the blog post proves it. He is a bit like a clown, isn’t he? More so than the other “candidates.”
He seems to have missed his era by a couple decades. Back when Dallas was on the TV there might have been some affection for all things Texas. Now it’s pretty much just a bore and an embarrassment. The Lone Star schtick just ain’t a gonna cut it anymore outside the state.
Soon it may be time to drag out all of Molly Ivin’s “Governor Good Hair” writings.
Perry is one luckty SOB, to get away with 28 billion of taxpayers money while being an investor in blue canvas stocks under the radar – that really is awesome!