Just checked in with three GOP consultants, all of whom have been in the campaign business a while and none of whom are yet affiliated with a 2012 presidential campaign, about today’s mass exodus of staffers from Team Newt.
GOP Consultant One: “Knew this was coming . . . I bet Perry is in this thing sooner rather than later — these guys aren’t jumping off without somewhere else to land.”
GOP Consultant Two: “Knowing all those guys, they are neither impetuous not impulsive. I also have never seen a two-week vacation two weeks after entering [the race]; I took that as portentous.”
GOP Consultant Three: “Gingrich was clearly melting down, and Perry is clearly gearing up, so it was time for the switcheroo.”
Newt Gingrich should drop out or fight on?
It's odd that Rick Perry has been able to keep a relatively low profile the past six months with all of this "field dissatisfaction" stuff that's been going on. He's a fairly popular Governor in one of the biggest states in the nation.
It seems like an obvious path to the White House.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI asked this elsewhere, but I'll throw it up here too:
As a Texan...
Can someone explain the infatuation with Rick Perry? The weakness of the Governor in Texas makes it hard to see what his real accomplishments are. And there are some problems with things he has proposed, most notoriously the Trans Texas Corridor plan, which would have gobbled up a lot of private property.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIs it really that perplexing? It's not like he's the governor of Rhode Island or North Dakota. Perry is the governor of the most populous red state. Whether or not he'd be a good president is a separate debate. He's an obvious choice to run.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTexas has added more jobs than any other state. Calif exec's are visiting Tx to see how they did it. Perry has little warts but he believes in what he proposes and is not a bush puppet. Yippey.......you go Gov.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI'm not convinced it's perry himself, but the results of his agenda.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTexas is doing pretty well in contrast to the other states. Perry is very business friendly.
You are right, Texas governors do not have much power. I don't know about any accomplishments by Perry. I think most of Texas' accomplishments happened because our Legislature only meets every other year. We don't let government get in our way.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abusewotan: shhhhh! While not a native (I've been in TX for 30 years), this is a common phenomenon around the Country. If we go back a few years ago, no one in TX had even heard of Clinton even though he was next door. I was just up in IN for a few days and talking to people there (most of whom were R's) they were not all that excited about Daniels. We know the warts of our own, just as others do of theirs.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNot only does Perry have a problem with TTC, but also the vaccine issue. While those are issues we have intimate knowldege of, most of the Country has no idea.
To me, the bigger issue is whether the rest of the Country is willing to try another TX Governor. I will state that I would certainly prefer RP to the current boy-child destroyer we have in place currently.
I would vote for a candidate named "anybody but Obama" and I have a feeling I have company. I love Newt but he is a little to big for his britches. He would make a great cabinet member. He is not electable.
We need a good conservative (leaves out several candidates) and some one who is electable (leaves out Sarah).
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseFantastic news! I've been watching and waiting. Looks like we have a new "anti-Obama" contender for 2012. Rush Limbaugh is right. If he's in, it's a new day in America.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNow we're cooking.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMy infatuation: Perry represents to me the antithesis of all things Obama. Limited-govt policies, grassroots conservative support. Bravado and gravitas. I'm hooked! Captcha: labour of love
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI know the answer.....Jobs...Jobs...Jobs...."its the economy stupid!"
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRick Perry isn't what FNC makes him out to be. They've been going on and on about Texas and Perry lately. He's not a conservative and he's an elitist to the core. The TTC and driver's surcharge are 2 examples. Perry's strength is his persona, and that will be what takes him to the WH if he does get the nomination. I've been hoping for the last year that he wouldn't get the it because there's no way I can vote for Obama.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhile it is true that the Texas Gov. does not have the Executive power that say, Chris Christie enjoys in NJ, he does set the tone, and does have a good deal of influence.
"Don't spend all the money" - Rick Perry.
Just by doing *that* - he's done A LOT!
Results? 732,000 new private sector jobs in Texas since 2001. (The next ten best job producing states *combined* do not equal that.)
Also - tort reform? Doctors are coming to Texas, instead of leaving it.
I think Perry will be a formidable candidate if he runs?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhoa, a Drudge link for the Campaign Spot. Very impressive.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseToo Bad. Newt would have actually been a good President... The Ryan thing would have been fine if he didn't go as far as he did with some of the things he said. I know what Newt was trying to say.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf Perry really is jumping in, my guess is that Palin will likely turn into kingmaker and endorse Perry.
That, my friends, changes the entire landscape of 2012. A clear frontrunner with grassroots momentum would immediately begin the process of voters contrasting a formidable Republican with our current Community Organizer in Chief and his dreadful economic record. That sequence of events would leave the Dems shaking in their boots for the next 17 months.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseLooks like Bilderbergers are panicking. Perry is Gingrich with the imbecilic delivery of W. The NWO players and their agenda have been exposed. We will defeat you.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse1. Anyone, ANYONE is better than maobama. Anyone.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse2.Who cares that Perry is secretly part of The Pentavirate, or some other loon conspiracy plan to make a global superhighway (with a car pool lane of course!). Puulease.
3.Perry runs a successful, tight ship in TX, and any and all BS or complaints that say otherwise still pale in comparison to the current marxist, liar ruining the country.
Who cares that hes not your perfect candidate, hes a hell of a lot better than the current clown, and thats all that matters.
Perry-West 2012
Are we not seeing it yet?
Ron Paul 2012!
He is the only one capable of handling the problems that we have gotten ourselves into as a country.
Anyone else is status quo, same old same old, we need something truly new. Obama has spent just like W. did.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWe've got to fix our spending!