Rick Perry 10: The final countdown

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/nov/10/nation/la-na-1111-perry-20111111/2

Rick Perry’s unconventional bid for the GOP nomination is, sadly, all but over. The religious right’s answer and top Republican competitor to Mitt Romney has torpedoed his once promising campaign with weak performances in his last debates. His poor showing in debates has created fear in many of Perry’s supporters. One supporter went as far to say that, “I think the Perry campaign is over…I like him, I admire him … but the reality is he is consistently the weakest performer in these debates and does not, unfortunately, pass the test of presidential acceptability. Close your eyes and think of Rick Perry and Barack Obama on a debate platform, and I don't think you have to say much more.” Even more pressing for Perry, are some of his largest benefactors, jumping ship and redirecting their financial support to other candidates. Perry’s only hope for survival would be winning the early state caucuses particularly Iowa. A resounding win in the Evangelical strong Iowa could provide the momentum to put Perry’s campaign back on track. According to a poll conducted at the beginning of the month, Perry trails Cain, Romney, and Gingrich in Evangelical support but perhaps a win in Iowa could turn the tide. With that being said, Perry still faces an arduous if not impossible struggle back into GOP relevance. Whatever the end result may be for Perry, it was an interesting albeit entertaining journey following his candidacy for President. 2016? 

Rick Perry 9

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/story/2011-11-12/rick-perry-jobs-energy/51153894/1

           Rick Perry may have lost momentum in the Presidential race, but that has not stopped him from promising 2.5 million new jobs created if he is elected President. How you might ask, will Perry make good on his promise? Energy. America has always been a massive consumer of global oil, but never has it been one of the largest suppliers. Gov. Perry spurred by his experience with oil corporations in his native Texas, believes he has found a way to create more jobs and stimulate a flailing economy. Perry proposes that domestic oil and natural gas has the potential to supply the U.S. with millions of new jobs and enormous revenue. If elected to the white house, Perry vows to open federal lands to oil and natural gas exploration and expedite the necessary licensing and permit processes. As President, Perry would be able to roll back intrusive regulations and allow oil companies to start building and drilling as soon as possible. Other candidates like Romney, Bachmann, and Cain have addressed the issue of energy production as a necessary area of reform, but none have been as active and specific as Perry in their plan to incorporate energy into their economic policies. Similar to his fellow Republican candidates, Perry supports supply-side economics with minimal government interaction with the market. Perry promises to reduce corporate taxes and only dictate the conditions of the economy and not the outcomes. With public unrest swelling over President Obama’s failure to stimulate the economy and job creation, Republicans are being pressed to submit a new plan for financial recovery. While Perry’s idea of millions of new jobs from the oil industry is promising, it is unlikely to reach fruition. He is a doubtful to win the GOP nomination and on top of that, domestic oil/natural gas industries are extremely volatile. The boom-or-bust nature of the industry seems fitting for the bravado of the Texas governor, but unfortunately Perry’s economic “game changer” seems and is too good to be true. 

Rick Perry 8

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/13/MNB31LUCD8.DTL


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            This past Saturday, a Republican foreign policy debate was held at Wofforrd College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Among the candidates present at the debate were: Bachmann, Cain, Gingrich, Huntsman, Paul, Perry, Romney, and Santorum. The majority of candidates focused their talks on denouncing President Obama’s current foreign policy. Rep. Bachmann described Obama’s foreign policy “miscalculations” as the possible cause of a nuclear world war against Israel. Mitt Romney, also chimed in on the President’s polices and criticized Obama’s handling the conflict in Iran as his greatest failing as commander in chief. The four main arguments in the debate were over: prisoner torturing and water boarding, U.S. aid to Pakistan, relations with China, and the war in Afghanistan. Gov. Perry was noted as being very forceful and assertive in this debate. His powerful demeanor on Saturday is most likely the result of a weak showing and mental gaffe in last Wednesday’s debate. His strong presence may be an attempt to reaffirm his supporters that he is indeed a viable candidate for President, but that moment may have passed him last week. Perry harshly criticized Ron Paul’s call for a reduction in controversial interrogation techniques such as water boarding. Perry defended interrogation as a necessary aspect of a nation at war, “This is war, this is what happens in war, and I will be for it until I die.” The other candidates attacked Perry on his lack of foreign policy experience, a major flaw in the governor’s campaign. Perry responded by referencing his leadership and experience as the “commander in chief of Texas” and its 20,000 National Guard soldiers. In unison with his forceful demeanor, Perry called for sanctions against Iran’s national bank and compared China to the USSR in that China will eventually meet its demise and end up as an “ash heap of history”. Perry also advocated dissolving current U.S. aid to foreign countries, until they can explain why they need U.S. assistance. Overall, Perry delivered a very abrasive message on foreign policy and the distribution of U.S. aid. His strong positions on Saturday may be an attempt to force Republican supporters back into his camp after his brain fart in the last debate, or they may be an indication of just how little Gov. Perry knows about U.S. foreign relations and the national scope of government. 

Rick Perry 7

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/rick-perry-is-getting-slow-embrace-from-women/2011/09/15/gIQAeuWqXK_blog.html

Recent polls have shown, Republican candidate Rick Perry not performing well among female voters. The polls indicate that Perry is trailing fellow GOP candidate Mitt Romney 37% to 40% in female voters. The results of this poll are not all negative for the Perry camp, as the poll also shows Gov. Perry leading Romney in male voters 31% to 20%. Perry has traditionally won the support of male voters because of his aptly displayed “Texas swagger”. John Anzalone, a Democratic pollster described Perry as “a man’s man, doesn’t hold back, says what’s on his mind, risk taker, Macho.” Many of these qualities do not appeal well to female GOP voters, as they are more likely to rally behind Romney’s more comforting, safe, and mature demeanor. Women as a voting block are very diverse and not well united, that being said, in the recent elections, women have tended to lean towards Democrats. Swaying female voters to the GOP will be a focus of Republican candidates in the upcoming election. Perry’s weak appeal to female voters could be a cause of concern for the GOP, should Perry win the nomination. Women are a massive voting block, and despite Perry’s large support among Evangelicals and Latinos, he may fall short in the election if he does not improve his approval among women. Besides concerns about his character, women voters are reluctant to support Perry because of his political decisions, specifically mandating HPV vaccinations for young girls in Texas. With all the negative attention surrounding Perry and women voters, let us not forget that it is still early in the election process, and Rick Perry could very well win over female voters by the time it’s all said and done. Should Perry find a way to receive equal support from both genders, he would be a serious force in the GOP, and a strong candidate for President. 

Rick Perry 6

http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/perry-hispanic-vote-2012/2011/10/14/id/414538

            This article highlights the importance of the Hispanic voting community to the upcoming election. The GOP has traditionally lost the Hispanic vote to the Democratic party, but in this election they may be able to win back some support should Gov. Perry win the nomination. Rick Perry, as the Governor of Texas, has won some support from the Hispanic community by granting in-state-tuition to illegal immigrants attending a public university.  Conservatives have criticized Perry for using tax payer money to fund the education of illegal immigrants, others have accused Perry’s law as a “magnet for illegal immigration.” Whatever the case may be, Rick Perry is the last hope for Republicans of winning over the Hispanic community and stealing their voting block from Democrats.

            Recent data, has shown that Hispanics are the fastest growing minority group in the U.S. Their rising numbers in particular swing states like Florida and Nevada will place added importance on candidates to woo Hispanic voters. President Obama, in 2008, easily won the majority of the Hispanic votes, but leading up to the 2012 election, his approval rating within the Hispanic community has plummeted. The unemployment percentage among Hispanics has gradually risen throughout Obama’s administration and many of their voters are eager for economic and political change. Herein lies the advantage for Republicans and particularly Rick Perry, should he win the nomination. Perry could use his strong record of job creation in Texas and softer tone (compared to Romney and Cain) on immigration to sway Hispanic voters to the GOP. Regardless of who wins the nomination, Hispanic voters will play a crucial role in shaping the political landscape of our nation for this election and many more to come. 

Rick Perry 5

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/19/oh-brother-perry-to-cain/  (Link to Video)

This past Tuesday, the Republican Presidential Debate was held in Las Vegas. During the heated discussions, Rick Perry made an awkward, if not offending, remark to fellow presidential candidate Herman Cain, referring to Cain as “a brother”. The direct quote from the debate is as follows, “I love you brother, but let me tell you something, you don’t have to have a big analysis to figure this out…I'll bump plans with you brother, and we'll see who has the best idea about how you get this country working again.” The comments came in a response to Cain’s plan for tax reform. Perry’s jovial nature when responding to Cain indicate to me, that the comment was made without any racial prejudice or malice, but many Americans feel that Perry may had crossed the line, and his “brother” reference was offensive. Perry’s relationship with the African American community was already strained from “the hunting lodge incident”, where an explicit racial term was found carved on a rock outside a lodge leased by Perry and his family. The “brother” comments will only add fuel to the fire of anti-Perry/Republican attitudes in the African American voting block that already widely supports the Democratic Party. Perry’s spokesman defended the Governor’s actions by stating that the public had misinterpreted Perry’s definition of the word “brother.” Perry did not mean to construe any racial or negative elements in his comments but was calling Cain a “fellow brother in Christ.” Regardless of the context, I feel that Perry should have been wiser in his word choice and worked to mend his relationship with the African American community rather than alienate them.

Rick Perry 4

http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=333701

            This article’s primary focus is Rick Perry, the famed Evangelical Christian Governor, and his unconventional relationship with Muslim leader, Prince Shah Karim Al-Husayni. Prince Al-Husayni is the leader of the Shiite sect of the Nizari Ismaili Muslims, which has a following of over 18 million. He also carries an immense family wealth that places his net worth upwards of $800 million. Perry met Al-Husayni in 2000, while vacationing with his family in Paris. The two men quickly became friends, and in 2002 Al-Husayni hosted a dinner in Houston, where Perry openly spoke about the close relationship he shared with Al-Husayni. Over the years, Perry has attended several Nizari Ismaili events sponsored by Al-Husayni and has garnered some support from the Nizari Muslim community. This personal friendship with Al-Husayni has drawn anxiety and criticism from some of Perry’s largest Evangelical supporters. They are concerned about Perry’s proximity to the Nizari Ismaili sect and its foreign leader. While many Christians view Perry’s relationship to Al-Husayni in a negative light, radical Muslim leader Mustafa Carroll stated, “Perry has a good relationship to the Muslim community in Texas. Perry has also enacted legislation in Texas with the help of Al-Husayni to bridge the gap between Christians and Muslims. One agreement aimed to teach Texas children about the Islam and Islamic culture. It also formed a mutual cooperation between the University of Texas and Al-Husayni’s Aga Kahn University in Pakistan to teach students about Muslim history and culture.

I was very surprised to learn about the influence of Al-Husayni on Perry and parts of his policy making in Texas. As a strong Evangelical Christian, I presumed that Perry would be reticent to working and forming a strong relationship with a Muslim leader. As Espinosa noted in his readings last week, the Muslim community is shifting towards the Democratic Party especially after Sept. 11 and the war in Iraq. Perry’s involvement with Al-Husayni may be an attempt to suppress the Muslim exodus to Democrats and keep a portion of he Muslim community with the GOP. Then again, I could be entirely mistaken and Perry’s main interest in Al-Husayni is his vast personal wealth and the financial impact he could make in Perry’s upcoming bid for the Presidency. 

Rick Perry 3

http://christiannews.christianet.com/1098362715.htm

            This article was written by ChrstiaNet, a Christian internet blog, prior to Perry declaring his candidacy for the Republican nomination. It describes Perry’s devotion to Christianity and his faith while serving as the Governor of Texas. While busy managing the affairs of over 23 million Texans, Perry strove to keep his family a major priority. He told ChistiaNet, “My son played high school baseball and I rarely missed a game. My daughter is a cheerleader, I’ve never missed a home game. I have an important job, but its not more important that being a father.” Obviously, Perry’s Christian beliefs helped him to live up the virtues and standards of being a good father. Those same religious ideals guided him to campaign for and pass the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage in the state of Texas and in the United States as between a man and a woman. Perry defended the Defense of Marriage Act by explaining that “another state by virtue of an activist judge, can create a gay-marriage situation where we would be forced in Texas to recognize that. “ He goes on the campaign for a national amendment where the laws about marriage in other states would not apply in Texas. The support of traditional marriage laws is a defining characteristic in Perry’s conservative political philosophy. As, the Governor, he had the power to enact these laws in the state of Texas, and should he become President, he could force his religious driven ideals on the entire nation.

            The article’s description of Gov. Perry religiously and politically resembles Carty’s depiction of John F. Kennedy as a representative and senator of Massachusetts in this past week’s readings. JFK, as a representative, supported several bills that would provide federal funds for Catholic schools. As a Catholic, he saw it as his responsibility to help fellow Catholics and endorse the ideals of his constituents. The majority of JFK’s voters were Catholics, and thus he fought and campaigned for policies that would align with their beliefs. Perry, similarly, supported the Defense of Marriage Act in Texas, where the majority of his constituents are devout Christians whose definition of marriage comes from the Bible. Gov. Perry, like the early JFK, allowed his policy decisions to be influenced by religious ideals, those same ideals and beliefs held by the majority of voters. 

Rick Perry 2

http://www.washingtonpost.com/on-faith/evangelicals-line-up-behind-rick-perry/2011/09/23/gIQAsE8HrK_story.html

     This article focuses on the vast amount of Christian support, particularly evangelicals, that Gov. Rick Perry has accrued since declaring his candidacy. Perry is very public in his Christian beliefs and has "suffused his campaign with religion building on strategies honed for years in Texas politics." Some evangelical leaders are going as far to say that Gov. Perry is the second coming of Ronald Regan in that Perry is a big state governor, staunch conservative, and devout Christian. Perry's religiously fueled campaign has earned him enormous support from elder evangelical leaders. One particular benefactor, Donald Wildmon, reportedly donated $600,000 to Perry's prayer rally, The Response, and has also instructed his following of 60,000 pastors and  180 Christian radio stations to support Perry's campaign. Wildmon, like many other evangelical leaders are directing dollars and votes towards Gov. Perry. If Perry succeeds to unite evangelicals and Christians alike behind his cause, he would have an enormous advantage that could propel him to the Republican nomination.
     This article details the immense financial and electoral power of evangelical Christians. As Fowler described in this weeks readings, Evangelicals will play a major role in the upcoming election. The article notes that in states like Iowa and South Carolina, Evangelicals make up half of the GOP votes. This article also highlights Fowler's point that a smaller dedicated group of supporters are more beneficial than appealing to the masses. As Espinosa cited in his chapter, the GOP as evidenced by Perry and Bachman are making a strong push to win the support of Christian and evangelical leaders. Perry also displays a religious journey very similar to that of Lincoln. Both Perry and Lincoln found Christianity later in life as young adults. Perry claims that "He was spiritually lost as a young man before turning to God at age 27." Lincoln turned to God and the Presbyterian Church after the death of his son. I am by no means implying that Perry may be the next Lincoln, but with the overwhelming support of Evangelicals and Christians alike, he may find himself the next Republican in the White House.

Rick Perry 1

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/392478/july-19-2011/god-calls-rick-perry-to-run

Only watch from (0-3:24) after that point, Colbert digresses to a rant about a coyote.

The clip posted above is from the Colbert Report on July 30, before Perry announced his candidacy for President. It highlights Perry's plan for The Response, a prayer ceremony led by the Governor in Houston, Texas. In the Response, Perry stresses the need for each and every citizen to ask for God's forgiveness and His help to solve our nation's problems. Perry looks to God for answers to local and national issues and does so in a large public forum. The Governor’s personal relationship to God and his church are perfectly acceptable for a political figure, but when he crosses the threshold of private to public prayer he no longer separates church and state. Gov. Perry, as the prayer leader, essentially asserts his beliefs onto each person in the stadium, and although those in attendance shared his beliefs, had they not he would be imposing his religion on non-Christians. As a leader in charge of the state of Texas, he should not show favoritism or preferences publicly for one religion over another.  The Response, is specifically a Christian rally one aimed at building support for Perry’s eminent Presidential candidacy.

In class this past week, we discussed the nation’s cultural shift and a new generation of prospective voters. Perry’s Christian rally somewhat contradicts Fowler’s idea of a cultural shift from organized religion to spiritual individuality. Fowler proposed that voters today are more private and individual in their religious practices, but the massive congregation of voters at The Response shows that many still cling to organized religion. Perry’s campaign targets these enormous pools of voters, and preaches Christian ideals in his politics to earn their electoral and more importantly financial support.

I chose this clip from the Colbert Report, because I thought it detailed Perry’s prayer rally in a refreshing and amusing manner. Colbert presents news reports and facts about The Response while offering his own comedic insight on the matter.