“Riding coattails is a metaphor that refers to the way in which lower level or uninspiring celebrities can often reach stardom through their ties to another, more popular and successful celebrity. This can often be used as a generic phrase for anyone that hangs onto another person as they forge ahead, without effort from the hanger-on.”
Texas Governor Rick Perry: Sarah Palin Is The Face Of America
“I love Sarah Palin, I love her positions, I think she was a good governor. . . . I want her to be engaged in this rebuilding of the Republican Party. . . . She is substantially more the face of this country than some other people who might want to be the face of the Republican Party. To me she’s the face of America. I mean she’s a hard worker, she didn’t come from money, she didn’t come from privilege, she just worked hard. . . . I have not seen another person who invigorated the Republican base [like she did] with the possible exception of Ronald Reagan in 1976—the speech he made at the Republican Convention. People were looking around and saying, ‘we nominated the wrong dude.'”
Would Perry like us to smell a Palin/Perry 2012 ticket? Perhaps, but then again why would we trust a governor who mandated that every girl in his state be injected with a drug regardless of her parents’ wishes? That’s not conservatism–that’s Nanny State liberalism as its worst.
I do think after George W. Bush we know to not presume simply because someone is a Christian means they’re an authentic conservative. Ultimately, Perry was reversed by state lawmakers, but at least it gave us some insight into what he’s capable of. Interestingly, it seems Gov. Perry has removed all references to Gardasil from his official website. Isn’t that convenient?
Additional Resources:
Mandatory Gardasil in Texas: Perry’s motives are a bit Merck-y
Rick Perry’s sycophantry to Sarah Palin is one more reason why the Republican Party needs to be abandoned by conservatives. I mean it was semi-organized, grass-roots revolt at Obamacare that has put a wrench in Urkel’s Obamacare…NOT the leadership of Michael Steele (If only he would live up to his name for conservative benefit) etc….these Republican fools didn’t show up for the fight until AFTER the fighting was nearly over with (for this round, anyway).
If memory serves, Perry was the governor who, in reaction to Obama’s inclination to dangerously expand Federal powers, noted that Texas could conceivably secede from the Union. (As a legal point, remember that Texas was an independent republic for a period, and entered the Union voluntarily; it might be able to invoke a legal escape clause that would be unavailable to lands that were purchased or seized by the US.) Anyway, I don’t know enough about Perry to judge him, but I’m glad to hear anyone in power clearly state that there are serious consequences to abuse of Federal authority.
Maynard’s right. Oh yes, and the lawmakers reversed his decision. The system worked. Right now, we have no checks and balances in our federal system. So anyone that opposes the expansion of federal power right now, is good in my book. As for Palin and Perry in the future, that’s an argument for another day.
I’m in Texas. Perry is what I call a sentimental conservative. And, it isn’t like h’s unread. His Texas sentiments incline to economic conservatism, and he’s officiallly conservative socially, though that doesn’t drive him. But, he makes a mistake like mandating a vaccine for children because he does not have a lucid philosophical perspective and typically as an American politician, he thinks he has license to do whatever HE thinks is a good idea. It’s like Romney mandating the purchase of insurance in Massachusetts, only as a childhood Michigander and Massachusetts resident/governor, Romney doesn’t have Perry’s West Texas instinct. I never supported, but watched Romney the entire campaign and saw him speak at the TX Republican convention. I never saw conviction prompted by a clear philosophical blueprint.
It makes me nervous that Sarah Palin ‘s FACEBOOK page lists her Political Party as “REPUBLICAN.”
It presents all kinds of problems to me.
Assessing what we have so far.
We have a candidate who has not declared that she wants to be a candidate. That seemed to be solved by DRAFTING HER.
Drafting her through which party ? Or drafting her as an Independent? Or drafting her as a Conservative? What???? Which???
Other “undeclared ” candidates like Romney already have the money and workers in each state ready to organize and work for him in the Republican Primary.
What do we have?
A Sarah Pac that does not communicate with its contributors. A Draft Sarah Committee that is trying to organize by state and cities ,but has many states not represented in their organizing chart.
This is as bad as Rudy Guiliano not entering any primaries and not winning any primaries . This lead to that horrible Mc Cain candidacy.
I am trying to organize for Sarah through each Congressional Districts. Trying to identify which Congressional Districts have Palin workers.
Primaries are organized by electing or selecting people as Palin Delegates who will go to a Convention (in this case Republican National Convention for 2012).
So complaining about Perry or anyone else for 2010 does not help anything.
I guess I am just eager to get started on the 2012 race and organizing for Sarah. Sarah is driving the bus and waiting for her to get us to our destination is hard for me.
Thanks for reading this far….
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I LIVE here in the Republic of TEXAS. Perry is more conservative than any Texas democrat, and he has been a very competent executive. TB hates this kind of statement….but: Perry is a less than pure conservative, but he’s OUR less than pure conservative. Aren’t legislatures there to reverse bad policy eg Gardisil mandate? They did here in Texas. We have a strong economy and low taxes (for now), good business climate. Texas tort reform changed the landscape for medicine AND business. One thing about True Conservatives, we don’t have a utopian streak. No politician, no policy no leader, no talk show host is perfect on all counts. The US Constitution comes pretty damned close. Demonizing someone with whom we generally agree for an admittedly bad error in judgment and ethics does not serve our cause. Maybe Perry learned something BIG about a personal issue from that grievous error. To her GREAT and LASTING credit, Tammy learned from her years loooooong mistake in NOW. Redemption…..it’s a good thing.
carolyn, that’s a vital point you make there, and one of the most fundamental reason we’re on the right side and do the most good and least harm: Precisely BECAUSE we’re not Utopians, and have limited expectations. It’s the zeal of Utopians the inevitably leads to coercive authority and hell on Earth…because people just aren’t good enough to live in paradise, and so they must be beaten into submission. “Tolerance” is a liberal byword, but true, real-world tolerance is a product of the conservative camp. (I’m speaking broadly; there are individual exceptions, of course.)
Can’t anyone compliment SP without being suspected of wanting to bask in her limelight? Why can’t anyone comment on her or make suggestions without being vilified for “dissing” her? If she is going to get on a ticket in 2012 she HAS to continuously attract and withstand “suggestions” from GOP establishment types without compromising her core. Sarah is classy and hopefully will remain so, with an attitude of gratitude: “I am grateful for your suggestions. Thank you for noticing.” Then she can do it HER way and kick down the doors any way she likes. Supporters should do likewise.
Rick Perry doesn’t always make the right decisions, but he does seem to learn from his mistakes. A good example: Rick Perry’s terrible handling of the evacuation of Houston/Galveston in front of Hurricane Rita (chaos) and good handling of Hurricane Ike (orderly). Perry seems to have made relatively good appointments to various state agencies. Rick Perry is somewhat typical of the Texans that I have met – plain spoken and honorable. You don’t have to agree with him to respect him.
The fact that Perry likes Sarah Palin is not a shock – neither of them is a blue blood and both come from similar western backgrounds. Both ran geographically large states that are important to the production of energy for the country. Both have degrees from non-Ivy League schools: Texas A&M for Perry and Idaho for Palin. The last non-Ivy president we had was President Reagan, and I’m ready for someone from outside the Ivy League to run the Executive Branch again.
Sarah Palin in 2012? Who knows. The fact that she is not actively running for President in 2009 indicates that she may understand the fatigue created by the eternal Obama and Romney campaigns. An un-organized grassroots campaign that advances her candidacy is refreshing. It is like going back to the beginning of the Republic.