It’s funny that Romney’s line of attack on Perry seems to be that Perry is a “career politician” because he’s been in elective office since 1984. Well, Mitt Romney would have been a career politician too, if only voters would have let him. He’s been running since 1994. His real gripe about Perry is actually, “Hey, that guy wins all the time! No fair!”
perry
Perry “not the best debater”
Link“Perry is not the best debater that we’ve seen,” Burka added. “That’s one reason why he wouldn’t debate Bill White. He clearly would have been chewed up on state issues.“
Four reasons why Perry beats Romney
LinkFour reasons why Perry beats Romney
Romney’s problem is four-fold: he’s politically “fungible” (to put it politely), he’s from the wrong region of the country (New England), he’s of the wrong religion (Mormonism) and he’s too closely identified with Wall Street (Bain Capital). The Republican base would prefer to nominate a strong conservative, evangelical Christian from the Sunbelt who, at the least, shares their disdain for Wall Street’s reckless stewardship of the nation’s financial system.
Perry reaches double digits over Romney
LinkPerry reaches double digits over Romney
Obviously, candidates get post-announcement bumps, and Perry hasn’t really been vetted yet. But it’s good news for the Texas governor.
Texas Governor Rick Perry, the new face in the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, has jumped to a double-digit lead over Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann with the other announced candidates trailing even further behind.
Did Mitt win the Ames Straw Poll?
LinkDid Mitt win the Ames Straw Poll?
I think Mitt might like Bachmann to suck up a bit of Perry’s oxygen.
~Ben Smith, commenting that Mitt Romney might be pleased with today’s results.
Who loses with a Perry candidacy
LinkWho loses with a Perry candidacy
With each passing week, Texas Governor Rick Perry seems to be inching closer to a run for the presidency. His supporters have been calling around to social conservatives urging them to keep their powder dry. Conservative kingmakers have begun to discuss Perry as the only one who checks both the “conservative” and “electability” boxes. And new national polls—however suspect they are at this point in the race—suggest that Perry is poised to remove Mitt Romney’s frontrunner mantle should he enter the race. What’s good for Perry is not good for everyone else.
(via Mark J. Perry)
Bob Barr supporting Rick Perry?
LinkBob Barr supporting Rick Perry?
Even though I’m not a libertarian, I always contested that libertarians voting for Bob Barr were voting for the party label, not the candidate. In this editorial, Barr practically endorses Perry. Surprising for a former Libertarian Party candidate, especially with Ron Paul AND Gary Johnson in the mix.
Rick Perry just may be the GOP’s right man in the right place – and for the right reasons. His actual record offers hope that were he to run and be successful in challenging Obama in November 2012, he would be a far better president than the last one hailing from Texas. Rick Perry clearly is not a CINO.
Report: Rick Perry is in
LinkJames Freeman reports that the Texas governor is in.
A Republican campaign veteran tells us that Texas Governor Rick Perry has decided to run for President, though the official word from Team Perry is still a definite maybe.
(via Taegan Goddard)
Laura Ingraham: My sources say Perry is running
LinkLaura Ingraham: My sources say Perry is running
It’s an unverified rumor, but if it’s true, it could be a boon for the Republicans. On the other hand, Perry could be a complete bust – his secessionist talk, for example, probably won’t fly well with moderate voters.
Conservative radio talk show host and best-selling author Laura Ingraham got tongues wagging in Texas today when she declared that Rick Perry is running for president in 2012.