Texas governor Rick Perry has thrown his hat into the ring this weekend. I had suspected that he would and am very curious to how the nation perceives him. In an appalling GOP atmosphere of extremism I think he will either go over like a firecracker or sink like a dud.
When I lived in Texas I had some customers at my bar who moved in those circles. They were the most gossipy group of men other than rugby players, always engaged in wheeling, dealing, back stabbing and intrigue. It is common knowledge within the state that despite being governor and lieutenant governor, George Bush and Rick Perry had no love lost between themselves. Perry seemed to have both an inferiority complex and a superiority complex to the wealthy Bush family. I had to respect that Perry picked up his own boot straps and got himself to where he was through his own merit but that may be where the respect ended. Compared to Perry, George W is a liberal. Whereas W is a "compassionate conservative," i.e. his policies allow for social welfare and immigration reform, Perry is hardcore conservative all the way. His views, including "American exceptionalism" (oh the irony) echo those of the religious right as well as the tea party but he may be too reasonable to fall in with the wild conspiracy theories that seem to have taken a hold of the Republican party.
If there was one theme that was repeated to me from my politically well placed customers it was that Rick Perry has no personality. He apparently is all god and politics with not much else. Though Pawlenty has exited the race Jon Stewart may still be able to use his oak tree representation of a candidate. But it is not as though his personality suffered due to his educational steadfastness.
There's the issue of Perry's poor academic record. His grades make Bush look brilliant; barely anything above a C including a C in U.S. History, a D in Shakespeare, a D in the principles of economics, a C in gym (seriously?!), a D in veterinary anatomy, a F in a second course on organic chemistry and a C in animal breeding. It may explain why as governor he thought is was a great idea to gut the university system and implement a business type model; if only he could have paid for better grades back in the day.
As someone who voted for Kay Bailey Hutchinson over Perry for the Republican nomination and is still confused over how Perry became governor I can only shake my head and watch.
When I lived in Texas I had some customers at my bar who moved in those circles. They were the most gossipy group of men other than rugby players, always engaged in wheeling, dealing, back stabbing and intrigue. It is common knowledge within the state that despite being governor and lieutenant governor, George Bush and Rick Perry had no love lost between themselves. Perry seemed to have both an inferiority complex and a superiority complex to the wealthy Bush family. I had to respect that Perry picked up his own boot straps and got himself to where he was through his own merit but that may be where the respect ended. Compared to Perry, George W is a liberal. Whereas W is a "compassionate conservative," i.e. his policies allow for social welfare and immigration reform, Perry is hardcore conservative all the way. His views, including "American exceptionalism" (oh the irony) echo those of the religious right as well as the tea party but he may be too reasonable to fall in with the wild conspiracy theories that seem to have taken a hold of the Republican party.
If there was one theme that was repeated to me from my politically well placed customers it was that Rick Perry has no personality. He apparently is all god and politics with not much else. Though Pawlenty has exited the race Jon Stewart may still be able to use his oak tree representation of a candidate. But it is not as though his personality suffered due to his educational steadfastness.
There's the issue of Perry's poor academic record. His grades make Bush look brilliant; barely anything above a C including a C in U.S. History, a D in Shakespeare, a D in the principles of economics, a C in gym (seriously?!), a D in veterinary anatomy, a F in a second course on organic chemistry and a C in animal breeding. It may explain why as governor he thought is was a great idea to gut the university system and implement a business type model; if only he could have paid for better grades back in the day.
As someone who voted for Kay Bailey Hutchinson over Perry for the Republican nomination and is still confused over how Perry became governor I can only shake my head and watch.
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