Texas also knows that Rick Perry the officeholder is not at the same level as Rick Perry the candidate.
In nearly 11 years as governor, he has not been known for his problem-solving or innovation. Perry has instead established himself as a power governor who doesn't like to be crossed, and many Texans are far more familiar with what he is against (like "Washington") than what he is for.
Now the nation is getting an eyeful of what Perry does best - compete - with his entry into the GOP contest for president.
The stakes today are not only higher for him, but for the nation. That calls for Perry to do what hasn't come naturally for him. The times call for solutions, not catchphrases or lines in the sand.
This nation has been unnerved by uncertainty over debt and a massive loss of jobs. People are hurting, their life savings bled away.
The answer is not merely asking the public to be in awe of the Texas low-tax, low-regulation model and live within our means as a nation. Yes, we balance our books here in Texas. The state Constitution says we must, and the Legislature sees that it gets done every two years. Perry is often disengaged from that process and offers little imagination.
One year Perry's chief contribution to Austin's spending plan was political theater: His budget proposal to lawmakers was a 15-page document with line after line of zeroes.
Perry wanted to make a point about penny-pinching. But the stunt also revealed how involved the governor wanted to be in the details.
We saw that, too, in 2006, when lawmakers were staring at a court order to design a new system of paying for public education. Perry was a reluctant participant until his hand was forced. There were too many questions involving taxes, and Perry doesn't like to be anywhere near that word.
President Barack Obama has been legitimately criticized in recent months for not being a man with a plan for getting out of the nation's financial swamp. This will be the standard Perry must meet. He will have to take the political risk of laying out details.
The nation's challenges also call for neutralizing a toxic atmosphere in Washington, and bringing sides together is not a Perry talent. He sometimes seems to revel in the opposite, in being a polarizing force. He told Time magazine last week that a "clear focus of mine" would be working with Congress. Though a former Texas House member, this governor is not known for strong rapport with lawmakers in Austin. A budding LBJ Rick Perry is not.
Early Show" co-anchor Erica Hill noted Perry has talked about President Obama deciding, in his view, not to serve in the military. Also, Perry has recently said that if Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke prints more money in an attempt to pump up the economy before the 2012 presidential election, Perry would consider it "almost treasonous."
Hill said, "(He's) coming out swinging. Is this just who Rick Perry is?"
Slater said, "It's exactly who Rick Perry is. ... He started the campaign at full gallop. He's going after Obama. He's trying to distinguish himself already as the candidate who will be the alternative, expressing the Tea Party and social conservative values against Obama in the fall. That's who he is.
"A lot of people think he's George (W.) Bush. And in a sense, they sound alike, in some ways they look alike. (But) they're very different people. Perry is more partisan. He's more ideological and -- here's a big difference between George Bush and Rick Perry: George Bush always was resentful, a little bit, that his father never got to do what he thought. He was always overshadowed by Ronald Reagan. Rick Perry would like to be the second coming of Ronald Reagan, all bold colors and optimism."
Hill noted Perry's "bold colors and optimism" play very well in Texas, but maybe not so well in other areas of the country. How, Hill asked, will Perry need to temper his message to attract people in other areas of the U.S.?
Perry may not do that at all, according to Slater.
"I see very little evidence that he's going to temper his message, at least in the next few months," Slater said. "The game right now is to show himself to be the best candidate to Republican primary voters, especially on the right of the party -- the 'teavangelicals' -- the combination Tea Party, and evangelical voters - and others who are going to be so important. So, I think he's going to really push the envelope with respect to expressing the things that are important to them, a sharp attack on Washington, and a real appeal to evangelical and Tea Party voters. Now, that leaves him with a problem if he becomes the nominee. How do you pivot next summer and become more appealing to moderate voters? That's something that seems like they're worried about later."
Hill added, "He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would like to be told what to do or what to say."
As for the president, CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Norah O'Donnell said Mr. Obama has put "very little" focus on Perry.
She said, "We haven't heard President Obama mention Gov. Perry by name, or even sort of allude to him. However, the Democratic National Committee has already challenged Gov. Perry's job creation record in Texas. Even though, about half of the jobs in America created in the last few years were created in Texas. The Democrats are saying, 'Yeah, but that wasn't because of anything Perry did.' That was just because of oil growth, and other things going on in Texas."
O'Donnell continued, "They also know that there's a terrible health care system (in Texas), that there's a large number of kids living in poverty in Texas. So they are beginning to tick away at Gov. Perry. But I think more interestingly now is that for Republicans, and Republican voters who are angry, they want someone who's going to directly challenge President Obama, that Perry's swagger, his Texas style campaigning, is exactly what Republicans are wanting. I think that's why he's created so much buzz, even just that he's been in the campaign for just days now.
No comments:
Post a Comment