Texas Gov. Rick Perry's Campaign Gaffes

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright August 18, 2011
All Rights Reserved.                                         

          Announcing his candidacy for president Saturday, Aug. 13, 61-year-old Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry has already shown uncanny similarity to his predecessor, former President George W. Bush. Coming out swinging, Perry warned Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben S. Bernanke that he would be unwelcomed in Teaxs if he printed more money, something he opposes. His own state no longer enjoys a balanced budget, now running at around $27 billion deficit on a $156 billion budget.  Perry thinks warning Bernanke about printing more money scores him points with the Tea Party but displays his lack of political savvy.  His outrageous statements about the Fed are only exceeded by his refusal to accept global warming, despite record drought and heat in Texas.  Rejecting global warming wins Perry plaudits with conservatives, not mainstream voters.

             Government statistics indicate that Texas produced more pollution and greenhouse gasses than any other state.  “I don’t think from my perspective that I want to be engaged in spending that much money on still a scientific theory that has not been proven and from my perspective is more and more being put into question,” said Perry, refuting the overwhelming position of most environmental scientists.  Whether or not you buy the theory of global warming, Perry needs to stop pandering to his Party’s right wing and state for the record what he intends to do about manmade pollution.  Perry has no problem calling the Fed “treasonous,” but had no problem spending budget-busting sums on foreign wars that eventually broke the U.S. economy.  He knows the independence of the Federal Reserve but says Bernanke would be treated “pretty ugly” if he continues to print money and go to Texas 

              Perry blames Obama for the recession that he inherited from Bush, called “a –once-in-a-hundred year event” by former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan.  Perry also knows that Bush with his Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson signed the $670 Troubled Asset Relief Program [TARP] into law Oct. 3, 2008, to provide emergency liquidity for the nation’s biggest banks that ran out of cash.  “It would go a long way toward either finding out whether or not there is some activities that are improper or that they’ve been handling themselves quite well,” said Perry, referring to the Fed’s handling of the nation’s money supply.  Perry isn’t quite sure whether the Feds’ doing their job or bankrupting the country, ready to point fingers at Washington but ignoring the mistakes made in Austin leaving Texas with a whopping $27 billion deficit or 17.3% of the overall budget.

             Admitting he wouldn’t have signed the nation’s debt ceiling compromise, Perry insists the government has to stop spending money.  Like other Tea Party folks in Congress, they thought is was better, like House Majority Whit Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Vir.), to default the U.S. government.  “No, I would not have signed it,” said Perry, insisting, “we got to quit spending money,” showing the kind of extremism that caused Standard & Poors to lower the U.S. credit rating.  Unlike Bush, who recognized the U.S. government was next to a cliff, Perry would take the U.S. over the precipice economically.  “But until they do that, I think there will continue to be questions about their activity and what their true goal is for the United States,” said Perry again questioning the Fed’s motives.  Perry never questioned Bush’s $670 billion, Fed-approved bailout program.

             When Perry announced for presidency Aug. 13, conventional wisdom holds that he’s a real alternative to former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney.  Yet his recent slams against Bush appointee Ben Bernanke and repudiation of global warming indicates he’s pandering feverishly to his Party’s right wing.  While he’s a favorite of Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, former Bush strategist Karl Rove believes Perry is unelectable.  Judging by his recent gaffes, even a tongue-in-cheek Obama asked the press to go easy on the newly minted candidate.  A Few more doozies, Perry will be blown out of the race.  Rejecting scientific research on global warming reminds voters of Bush’s narrow view about the same subject and stem cell research.  Practically calling Bernanke a traitor harks back to the ugly chapter following Sept. 11, where only “patriots” supported Bush’s war policies.

             Perry’s politically incorrect remarks display how he hasn’t yet adjusted to the rigors of a national campaign. What’s good in Texas doesn’t always translate well on a national stage.  Most informed voters know that blaming Bernanke for the nation’s economic woes displays a poor understanding of the U.S. economy.  Without the Fed’s intervention under Bush and then Obama, the nation could very well be in another Great Depression.  When you consider how far the economy and markets have come since 2008, Bernanke’s stewardship has received more praise that scorn.  Stating his strong opinion about Global Warming also frightens mainstream voters that tend to accept prevailing scientific research.  Whether or not there are outliers that reject manmade global warming doesn’t mean the vast majority of reputable scientists take the unpopular view of the subject.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com.and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.

©1999-2005 Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.
(310) 204-8300
All Rights Reserved.