Rick Perry, Rpa And The Georges

The Republican Party of Arkansas may attack Governor Rick Perry this week for his state’s unemployment rate. 

There’s some serious exaggeration in the previous sentence, but there’s also some logic.  Back in July, the RPA sent a press release attacking Governor Beebe for Arkansas’s 8.1% unemployment rate.  Texas’s unemployment rate is 8.2%, so surely the Republican Party will be consistent in their condemnation and go after Perry for his state’s higher unemployment rate. 

Of course they’re not going to do that. The RPA rarely does the right thing, as I’ve previously noted when they spread misinformation about private citizens.

On Saturday, Texas Governor Rick Perry announced his Presidential candidacy and, along with Michelle Bachmann’s win at the Iowa Straw Poll, shook up the Republican Party primary.  The Republican Party’s Presidential primary is now so convoluted you’d think it was a Democratic primary.

Here in Arkansas 20 Republican Arkansas Legislators formed an "Arkansans for Perry" group in June and trumpeted Governor Perry’s job creation record in record. 

However, on today’s "Meet the Press" program, Republican strategist Mike Murphy noted that: "Rick Perry has the best first sentence in American politics:  ‘I created 1/3 of the jobs in America the last two years.’ His problem is the second sentence is ‘they’re all at Burger King or the government created them.’"

Rick Perry’s Texas looks good on the surface, but that’s about all.  During his tenure as Governor, Texas’s debt grew from $13.7 billion to $34.08 billion. Talk about a debt ceiling debate.  Perry railed against Obama’s federal stimulus package, but then used that same money to plug 97% of Texas budget shortfall in 2010.  That there’s some serious hypocrisy, as we’d say here in Arkansas.  Not to mention massive cuts in public education, while at the same time granting big tax cuts and loopholes to corporations.  The middle-class in Texas gets the shaft under Rick Perry.

However, Rick Perry is a formidable primary opponent and has the potential to win the Republican nomination.  His problem, and good news for Barack Obama, is that independent General Election voters will see him as another George W. Bush.  Didn’t we just get rid of a swaggering Republican Texas cowboy Governor who loved to talk tough?  

At the Presidential level, style goes a long way and Perry is a carbon copy of George W. Bush.

Perry has something in common with another George. That would be George McGovern, the Democrats’ 1972 nominee for President.  McGovern was too liberal for the General Election, but got the nomination because he appealed to his party’s base.

Rick Perry is the Republican Party’s version of George McGovern.  Republicans will fall in love with his record and his fiery rhetoric, but independent voters will believe he’s just another Bush.  Democrats would be lucky to have him as the opponent in 2012.