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.