Rick Perry, American Caudillo

[Valin]

The Atlantic:

The former Texas governor turned a constitutionally weak office into a source of tremendous informal power.

Richard Parker

Mar 27 2015

 

 

AUSTIN, TEXAS—Right now, at least, Rick Perry seems to be getting nowhere.

 

In fact, both of the ambitious Texan Republicans with designs on the White House—Perry, the former governor and Senator Ted Cruz, the conservative firebrand—are footnotes in the early jostling for the Republican nomination for president. But we are a full year from the early caucuses and primaries. In 2012, it did not matter that Rick Santorum won Iowa. In 2015, who even remembers?

 

It would be a mistake to write Perry's political epitaph just yet, despite his withdrawal from the 2012 race. He’s been lampooned of late as the cowboy governor who gave up boots for designer glasses. But he didn't become the longest-serving governor in the history of the Lone Star State without a tremendous instinct for acquiring and wielding power.

 

Perry is worth studying for the simple reason that his super PAC is reintroducing him this spring. If he runs, he will be richly financed, calling on formidable resources in Texas as well as a vast network across the country: corporations and individuals who owe him favors. His tenure as governor provides a window into how he might govern, combining unremarkable policy achievements with remarkable increases both in his power and in his dispensing of rewards for those who help him.

 

Rick Perry represents a model of politician not yet quite known in American politics. He is less a cowboy governor than what would be termed in Mexican politics a caudillo, a strongman. It is no coincidence, then, that the criminal case against him in Austin represents a collision between his vast but informal power and the rules of the road in American governance. And there is more to this case than meets the eye.

 

(Snip)

 

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From The Comments

 

Walter Goerlitz

Liberals never cease to amuse me, when a Republican does things in the same manner as a Democrat it is an outage. Amusing. Liberals and democrats have abused the law for year, thy have allowed the rise of a liberal mentality so corrosive it has allowed the election of the most corrupt and inept regime in the history of America.

 

(Snip)

 

[Draggingtree]

4 Things We Need in the Republicans’ 2016 Nominee

MARCH 27, 2015 By Robert Tracinski

With Ted Cruz’s announcement that he is running for president, the 2016 race has began.

Yeah, I know. You probably weren’t ready yet. But here it is, you can’t escape it, and you might as start taking a look at the likely candidates now.

But before we examine the individual candidates one-by-one (which I will do next week), it’s important that we know exactly what we’re looking for.

As Republicans, but more important as lovers of liberty, what are we going to need the most from a candidate in 2016?

There are four big requirements.

http://thefederalist.com/2015/03/27/4-things-we-need-in-the-republicans-2016-nominee/

[Valin]

@Draggingtree

 

 

1) Someone who will fight.

(Snip)

 

2) Someone who can win.

This will require a difficult balancing act. To find someone who will fight, we need an ideological firebrand. To find someone who can win, we need someone who is more than just an ideological firebrand. We need someone who can explain those ideas in a reasonable, articulate way that connects to the concerns of the average voter.

 

 

Something (given my reading of comments on many Right Wing sites) way to many people don't understand. If you can't win, it doesn't matter how great your ideas are.

[Valin]

Rick Perry’s new video provides a stark contrast to Cruz’s messaging
Kemberlee Kaye

Thursday, March 26, 2015

 

Though he’s yet to officially toss his hat in the ring, Governor Perry is quietly building out the framework for his 2016 run.

Iowa is RickPAC’s latest release

.

Governor Perry’s message is markedly different from Senator Cruz’s for reasons other than his west Texas drawl — inclusion and experience.

 

Senator Cruz formally launched his presidential bid in a fiery speech at Liberty University Monday. Though he’s an undeniably passionate conservative, Cruz’s message might not be the fit for everyone, though it’s a lovely dream to have. More problematic is that this Conservatopia effectively marginalizes everyone who doesn’t seize the vision. It’s not an attractive ideal, rather a disappointingly exclusionary one.

 

Cruz is pitching himself as a true conservative. Of his principles and dedication to the banner of conservatism, there’s absolutely no question. Ted Cruz is a true believer in the purest sense. But trying to win the White House with only a faction of the conservative base and little to show in terms of tangible leadership results (other than the ability to rouse portions of the grassroots) are two obstacles Cruz will have to navigate around. Not to say either is unsurmountable, but they are unavoidable.

 

 

And then you have Governor Perry.

 

(Snip)

 

 

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standard political ad. YAWN