New 2012 GOP Face: Texan Rick Perry

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If there is any indication on what kind of president Gov. Perry would be, take a look at the $27 billion budget shortfall in Texas. Budget cuts are poised to leave close to 100,000 unemployed and school districts scrambling to find ways to cut millions. All this is while taxpayers are stuck renting a $10,000 month home for Perry while the Governor’s mansion is restored.....

M R L of TX 8:54PM April 12, 2011

If one looks at the Republican field, it is littered with wounded ducks - candidates with one or more glaring vulnerabilities. Palin may draw crowds and generate excitement but is too divisive. Romney seems more competent than most but drags around the boat anchor of what is now becoming "RomneyCare." Huckabee is the rational and reasonable conservative but has a looming Dukakis Heel. Pawlenty is competent but unknown and draws yawns. Bachmann, like Palin, is a raging populist and fundraising machine but suffers from the same lack of experience as Obama did/does. Donald Trump only wants to win - not make tough day-to-day choices out of the limelight. Christie serves up beef in his unique brash but honest way but is also saddled with inexperience and is already losing luster in his uphill battles in NJ. Daniels is sharp and savvy but is unknown, hesitant, and is not a favorite of social conservatives.
So who?
Perry.
He is the most experienced administrative executive available. And while he is no Palin or Bachmann, he still draws crowds wherever he goes as he serves up his own brand of populism. He is a great extemporaneous speaker (i.e. not dependent upon teleprompters) and is both photogenic and confident. Having not jumped on the Arizona immigration bandwagon, he still garners significant support from Hispanics. And though some thought he would not appeal to moderate GOPs and independents, he crushed both moderate Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison and popular Democrat Bill White in the last election cycle. He has unquestioned credibility with conservatives - both economic and social - while able to appeal to a much broader coalition. He also has no significant skeletons in his closet.
With Rubio as his VP candidate, Perry would dominate the crucial south and west, and would likely regain the electoral midwest. In addition, with Rubio, the entire Hispanic vote would be in play, taking away a key constituency Obama needs to hold serve in 2012.
If Perry could find a couple of early cabinet positions for both Palin & Bachmann, his candidacy could not be stopped.
Perry/Rubio... it's the only logical choice.
JMHOAU

O.B. Ron Quixote of AZ 2:10AM April 12, 2011

You couldn't get much crazier a ticket! Wack jobs who want to be the GOP Prez candidate are spouting up like maggots on a dead dog.
Its that flair for wacko appeal that's the only thing most these clowns have to run on - let's not rain on their parade. Let them blow off their steam so we can get past the comic relief and start reasonable debates about the issues. We need a little humor in the mix and these kind of silly candidates just bring out the fact that Republicans are not serious.
Hey Repugs, when ya going to start talking about jobs and drop all the crazy babble. After the last election Republicans have been silent about creating jobs. If anything they have been trying to get more people laid off.
All the showboating and hog hollering from the GOP doesn't hide the fact these guys are only working for the billionaires' safety net, as Cantor recently admitted.

JBuck of KY 10:33PM April 11, 2011

In any order: Perry, Rubio, Cantor, Ryan

Cara of TX 1:45PM April 10, 2011

The liberals will downplay, denigrate, smear, and outcast "ANY" 2012 presidential candidate who goes against the infamous Obama .
Yet, there is little, if any, "praise" for their own candidate!
That, which is so obvious, just stinks!

Terrible Terry the Pirate of MD 8:09AM April 10, 2011

The liberals will downplay, denigrate, smear, and outcast "ANY" 2012 presidential candidate who goes against the infamous Obama .
Yet, there is little, if any, "praise" for their own candidate!
That, which is so obvious, just stinks!

Terrible Terry the Pirate of MD 8:08AM April 10, 2011

The Conservative Party is not in such a hurry to decide who is going to clean up this unorganized, unearthly landfill that this man-child, Obama, has created!
Obama's mess is beyond mountainous, beyond colossal, beyond paramount, a catastrophe beyond any earthy measure!
Who in H.E. double hockey sticks would be in their right mind to follow this totally inept fool???

Sean Deleon of GA 8:05AM April 10, 2011

Seriously?
The Republican field of 2012 prez candidates is sorely hurting if anyone would stoop to think of Rick Perry.
Rick Perry, here's a cat more interested in secession from the Union than , even while the rest of us are still paying off the blasted Texicans' Saving & Loan Crisis debt, that other bank bail-out Republicans were responsible for.
If the only qualification to be the GOP candidate for President is to hate our government, then you might toss out Perry's name as a potential national candidate. Mike Pence - he sure hates this country, yep he'd do for the wackos. Quaddafi and bin Laden both hate this government just as much, so you got to consider them in the same breath as these degenerates like Parry and Pence.
These flakes have already demonstrated, Pence in his readiness to shutdown the government over religious whims and Perry promoting secession of his state from the Union, that either will to the best of their Ability, "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
I know elections get to be silly season, but seriously. We know Republicans sure go off the deep end in search of the best fibber and pretty boy - so Perry might fit that bill. Beyond of few severely conservative primaries, Perry is a joke.

June of KS 10:11PM April 08, 2011