was an excellent forum with the panel asking hard questions.In my opinion all canidates did well but Newt Ginrich was head and shoulders above all others.The former speaker of the house hasn’t a chinaman’s chance in hades of winning the Repub nomination but all things considered;he’s by far the best qualified individual seeking the nomination.

Some people feel that the campaign-season is excessively prolonged, as evidenced by this e-mail from a friend:

“It is a sad reflection on our Presidential politics that the primary race has to start in earnest so soon. Thus far, we are seeing a myopic focus on the economy, but the political landscape that folks see today could radically change by next spring or summer (especially regarding foreign policy).”

I concur that Foreign Policy looms as a potentially-pivotal consideration–and the D’s would certainly want Social Issues to be emphasized–but I suspect the R’s will attempt to stick to jobs/jobs/jobs. Furthermore, any concern with “cronyism” will face in comparison, when the electorate worries about the economy; performance is the key.

More broadly–perhaps because I have favored Perry for months–I perceive the early-start to the primary season as an opportunity for a consensus-development process to supervene. It is not difficult to project Perry’s capacity to draw heavily from “Fed Up!” when attacked during the half-dozen debates that will be held during the next two months, and any specific question regarding governance will be easily tethered to a populist political philosophy.

What could easily result would not only be the winnowing-down of the potential candidates [with $-support evaporating, as has begun to occur with Michele...as per Ed Rollins' candid commentary], but a growing-recognition that Romney would easily be bested by Perry [face-to-face]. Thus, what would emerge would be a go-to “loyal opposition” orator–each time BHO said/did anything–thereby allowing the voters to “get to know” Rick.

BHO’s $1-billion won’t be able to counter this ability to create a comfort-level, particularly because most of the big-guns have already been shot-off @ Perry during the August MSM-doldrums. MSNBC can rerun its screeds that suggest contradictions, where there are none [e.g., federalism and DOMA], and CNN can pontificate [corroborated by fact-checkers galore]; FNC will ensure his message is disseminated.

My guess is that there are two operational hurdles facing Perry. First [c/o my son] is that he’s ANOTHER Texan; this can be rebutted when metaphorical distinctions [A&M v. Eli] are noted, even as BHO’s personal attractiveness drops [n.b., golfing vacation while awaiting big jobs-speech]. Second [c/o a close-friend] is that the have-nots will be intimidated to vote against losing their “Obama-Money”; it would be hoped that sufficient education would have occurred in the interim to dispel fear and to emphasize the need for fiscal responsibility.

Thus, time is on our side, even as D-insiders suggest that the “better watch out, you may get what you wish for” aphorism may apply to their prior preference to run against Rick [as opposed to Mitt]. Their desperate predictions of a 3rd party would go “POOF!” if Rick were to absorb [easily] the fervor of the Tea Party Movement…leaving BHO to lose a bipolar race [for starters, almost the entire fly-over USA].

THEREFORE, let’s enjoy the ongoing migration to Perry [for corroboration, note his Intrade-numbers] as people return from summer vacations [and "home-cations"] to awaken to Perry’s unique magnetism. Let them note how he would support a “0%” capital-gains tax and let them feel-good when he discusses the need to support democracies abroad [such as Eretz Yisrael]. [Both were aired yesterday-a.m. on CNN.]

Am I excessively upbeat? Is the prolonged campaign-season a blessing? Can anything be dredged-out about Perry that KBH and the Bushies didn’t already air?

when he was already on the move in Bastrop visiting with the folks who are evacuated or lost their homes. He is doing his job that we elected him to do, and as he has always done. Perry is no shirker and would never skip out on any debate or any other obligation. What a concept! Those who blast him know not of what they speak, believe me.

Byron York went waaay down in my opinion. He so very obviously is in the tank for Romney, which is fine, but not in order to use his bully pulpit to slam other candidates. How crass!

I agree with you on Palin. Though I agree with her on so many levels, she is just a bit much to me these days. The coy teasing is very unbecoming to a lady. And I say that as a 71 year old conversative, anti-feminist female.

Enjoy your informative site and columns. I have learned a great deal here. Thank you.

in Groundhog Day. She has learned from her own missteps and mistakes and now she is learning from the missteps and mistakes of others. I still don’t think she will become a candidate for the 2012 race UNLESS Perry gets knocked out for whatever reason.

I’ll leave it at that for now.

It’s your blog, you can write what you want. You can even accuse people of alcoholism if you want and claim it came from other people. Reputation is a huge thing to lose. Who knows whether or not Sarah Palin will enter the race, but one thing is clear, she has not teased anybody. Perhaps you do more writing than listening. She has made quite clear for months that she will make a decision by the end of the month. Perry said he was not running, and then ran. Christie said he would commit suicide before running, and now is apparently considering it, Hillary said she was not running either 5 years ago (the campaighn lasted two fricking years) but of course she ran anyway. Words to the politician are just words with no meaning. I am not sure who I am supporting yet, but the current field is certainly lacking IMO.

I certainly expected no less from Romney’s acolytes. But we will see how well their nonsense holds up in the next debate.

Personally, I have no issue with vetting our candidates. It eventually helps them in the general election. But a political, town hall style debate vs. a life-or-death situation in a state Perry was elected to govern? You are kidding Byron- right?

To me it simply shows that Perry has a firm grasp on priorities. He knew this had the potential to hurt him politically and instead chose the responsible action. How refreshing is that?

Frankly, Romney’s staff comments are insulting and somewhat demeaning. Do they think the good people of SC and Demint are reactive rubes without the cognitive abilities to determine the aforementioned? Hardly.

I thought he did quite well and seemed to have a firm grasp on the impact of the new regulatory “reforms” on business. I know this not a popular thing to say on RedState, but I am significantly more interested in getting someone in the White House who understands economic policy and private sector job growth than I am having a fire breathing conservative elected.

Most years I would be all on board the Perry bandwagon, but I think two things must happen during this election. First off, we have to nominate someone that will beat Obama and beat him thoroughly. I want to take the Senate, expand the house and come into power with a mandate from the American public. Second, I want someone who understands the business community and can do the things necessary to enable robust growth in our economy.

Having said that, I am waiting to see how Perry performs at the debates. If he can show a strong grasp on issues relating to the economy, I will have no issues voting for him.

draws a distinction between Romney performing – on stage – and Perry performing – in his elected capacity as governor of the the state of Texas.

He derides the working man and positively heralds the stage actor. Hmmph!

” Jim DeMint hosted a forum that should be the model for future Presidential debates.”

Really? He based invitations upon the idiotic pre-Ames Real Clear politics poll. Giulliani got an invite, but not Santorum..

He held it on a date conflicting with the Chapin Parade. Santorum walked the parade, prompting SC Senator to Graham say, “President Bush walked in the parade,… Senator McCain came. We’re four months away from the South Carolina Primary to determine the Republican candidate for president. Since 1980, every candidate whose won the South Carolina Republican Primary got the nomination for the party. I can’t get over it. I don’t understand.”

I don;t know whether you folks read my blogs or not…but I will start out with this. (1) the MSM picked Obama. He was never vetted, nobody asked him hard questions. We don’t know about his education (really)…we don’t know very much about him with the exception that he worked for ACORN and his wife (as an attorney for her hospital!. We got a glimpse of him with Joe the Plumber and his socialistic ideology but…we had that “white guilt” going on…I suppose…either that or there are a lot of very stupid people in the country.

We continue to do the same thing over and over and over again expecting a different result. Next on the stage…John McCain. Could the GOP have done better…I think so…but it was his turn…and the people capitulated to the GOP instead of going with their gut. We went to the poles…holding our noses and tried to vote out the communist.

Well, here we are again. I make no apologies…I am a backer of Rick Perry and the man had a bigger obligation on his hands…his wildfires…SO HE DID HIS JOB AND LOOKED AFTER HIS CONSTITUENCY. Hey….MSM…GOP…that is what we expect from a person that leads our government…someone to be loyal to the people…not the MSM and Not the *&)(&*)(*& GOP. You can tell I am mad. Please people, before you judge Perry…remember what you did the last time…you voted for the GOP and the Media…you went for the candidate that couldn’t even beat a community organizer…and a communist to boot…and no…I don’t make an apology for that either.

Now…want to vote for the GOP and MSM’s pick…Well, here’s the skinny on Romney:

He supported TARP
He initiated Romneycare (blueprint for the disaster we have now)
He supports Cap & Trade ON A GLOBAL BASIS.
He says there is nothing wrong with companies asking for bailouts.
Supports reappointment of Bernanke(debasement of currency)
Didn’t like Contract With America
Likes Mandates (See Romney care)
Worked to regulate green house gas emissions in MA
Got MA involved in regional climate change
Supports ethanol subsidies
Wants to increase SPENDING on energy research
Opposes Fair/Flat Tax
During debate with Teddy Kennedy said he was not a fan of Reagan.
Refused to support Bush Tax Cuts
Thought Obama’s stimulus would “accelerate timing of recovery”
Supports No Child Left Behind
Proposed Tax Shift to increase taxes on SUV’s.
Spent millions in higher fees and taxes while gov of MA.
2008 – told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer…”there’s nothing wrong with dealing with global warming.
Instituted special gas fee of 2 cents per gallon on gasoline.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST….Sat on his hands and would not weigh in on the bill in Congress…Cut, Cap and Balance….when asked about it in the debate…he denied his “hiding from the subject” and said he supported it. After all was said and done and he needed “Conservative” support…he said he did. Sounds like another Obama to me.

PEOPLE…does this sound like Barack Obama or what. Are you going to be hoodwinked again. Are you going to let us go up in smoke? Byron York made some very stupid remarks…however…FOX is very pro-Romney…this is their pick…just like McCain was last time. Whether it be Obama or Romney…IT ALL ABOUT BIG GOVERNMENT, BIG SPENDING AND MORE GLOBAL INVOLVEMENT IN OUR SOVEREIGN COUNTRY.

Why all the unsolicited apologies for Rick Perry, Erick? It’s his job to run his campaign and respond to the criticisms, not yours. And in the case of Byron York’s criticisms, they are spot on. Perry doesn’t want to have to face the music on those issues any more than Romney wants to face criticism on the Massachusetts health care laws, or any number of other politicians on anything else. That’s the great thing about the debates: you try to focus on making what you are good at overshadow the things you aren’t so good at, and your ability to do those two things determine your success (along with a lot of money).

My point is, that you ought to just start printing Perry ads beneath all your columns. I don’t begrudge you your choice of President, but at least come out in the open about your support or you will be just as biased as the leftists in the media.

some of the comments about Perry. Hey folks, we’ve had around 1000 homes burned to the ground here in Texas in the last day or 2 and, we consider that to be somehwhat of a catastrophe. The drought here is unlike anything I can remember in years and I can assure you that if Perry had stayed around for this debate (jeez, you’d think there weren’t anymore debates scheduled) he would have been blasted for not doing his job, which is to lead. And please, if you’ve never experienced a severe drought someplace where the winds whip up to 50 to 70 mph ALL day long for several days in an open plains setting or even the hill country, then keep your comments to yourself; because, frankly, you probably don’t really comprehend how it is here in Texas right now.

I am a life-long Texas conservative and, like many conservatives around here, I have a love-hate relationship with a Perry candidacy. I have become a lot less skeptical about supporting him in this race after reading this article.

http://peskytruth.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/rick-perrys-negatives

If you are looking to learn more about him, please do yourself a favor and read this – it is really good information that is backed up with source materials. I have lived and voted in this state for more than 30 years and I still learned a lot. I am very concerned that the liberal-biased MSM and Democrats have lots of ammunition to demonize him in the public’s eye. AND we have the added burden of Washington elites (including Bushes) trying to bring him down. He is far from being the perfect candidate, but he might be the best choice to defeat Obama. (Especially if Romney is our only other choice – see post above about him.) PLEASE read this information and educate yourself so you can help dispel the liberal myths and lies they are going to put out there. We CANNOT survive another 4 years of Obama!

veardmorecoalition.org/node/5848/rick-perry-hes-guy

to his state in the midst of a disaster. I cannot believe that some our condemning him for it. Heaven forbid the man put people above politics (sarc).

N/T

I think that stick & stone will brake Perry’s bones, but a few words of criticism won’t hurt him.

It’s not like Byron York was saying that we need to “Take out those S.O.B.’s”. That’s what I consider to be “disgusting rancor”.

When a crisis of the magnitude of the Texas fires hits, the ONLY responsibility of the governor is to his state. I can’t believe anyone even questions this.