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Subscribe to RSSCHARLESTON, S.C. -- Whatever you call it -- a "shake-up," a "game change," a "political earthquake," or "a new face on the scene" -- it's happening. Gov. Rick Perry is officially in the presidential race.
Speaking to a crowded hotel ballroom of conservative bloggers and more than 100 members of the media in South Carolina, the Texas governor unveiled a new tagline of his presidential contest: "It is time to get America working again."
'That's why, with the support of my family and unwavering belief in the goodness of America, I declare to you today as a candidate for president of the United States," he said.
Perry's remarks focused squarely on America's economic situation, and he held the Obama administration flatly responsible for sluggish job growth and the recent downgrade of the country's credit rating by Standard and Poor's.
"One in six work-eligible Americans cannot find a full-time job," Perry said. "That is not a recovery -- that is an economic disaster."
Highlighting his background as the son of tenant farmers who grew up in a tiny Texas town wearing clothes hand-sewn by his mother, Perry -- with a characteristic Texas twang -- said that Washington lawmakers are detached from the everyday lives of American citizens.
"I promise you this," he said to rousing cheers. "I'll work every day to try to make Washington, D.C., as inconsequential in your life as I can."
The Texas governor's entry is all but certain to jolt the base voters of other candidates in the GOP field and ensure dramatic competition in early contest states Iowa and South Carolina. His pitch to the evangelical Christian community, on full display last weekend at his 30,000-strong day of prayer and fasting in Houston, could pull support from Iowa front-runner Rep. Michele Bachmann. And his record of job creation in Texas, which will serve as a key selling point for his national campaign, will be measured against the tenure of other former statewide officials in the race like perceived front-runner and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
Texas Governor Rick Perry announces his presidential candidacy while speaking to a crowd of supporters in Charleston, S.C., on Saturday.
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Kate, the quote you referenced is amazing.
"making D.C. inconsequential in your life..."
Inconsequential:
1.lacking importance
2.not following from premises or evidence; illogical
- American Heritage Dictionary
Synonyms: immaterial, inconsiderable, insignificant, measly, minor, negligible, nicke-and-dime
U.S. Slang: of no significance, paltry,petty, trifling, trivial, unimportant
-English Synonyms Dictionary
So he is going beyond shrinking government to bathtub size, to a petty nuisance in our lives?
The level of manure that come from Perry's mouth is above the eyes of most intelligent citizens!
Just how did the Rebumblecans help us in those debt ceiling talks? got us downgraded. Where are all those jobs they talked about??? not one job plan. They cannot build a government on badmouthing Obama. They resort to manure slinging!
With liberty,justice, and Walmart jobs for all.
Thank God America has a viable candidate. I have already donated to Rick Perry’s PAC. Obama has done quite a bit of damage to our economy and our image around the world. God has answered ours prayers looking for a solution to the Obomanation (sic) presently in office.
God does not vote nor care about the US presidential election.
True however I do view this turn of events as a wake up call and our last chance for preserving our Republic. I truly believe that if we, as a nation, maintain on our current course we will end up like Europe.
You better hang on to your $$. You are going to need it when you wind up having to supplement your job at Walmart when your employment is the next to go. It really blows my mind how many people buy this line and forget the economic destruction of the middle class began a long time ago, and GW did nothing to make it better. These ultra mega rich don't care a whit about you. Money creates greed and greed obliterates compassion and altruism.
Who the hell wants a President that wants to secede from his Country (except a fool). No confidence in your Country...don't try to Lead it!
Yeah, Dr-No, I'd hate to wind up like Europe and have decent health care, education and vacations. It's far from perfect there, but at least they don't have private prisons locking up the highest number of citizens in the world. BTW, Perry fans, where does Jesus say that Christianity = Capitalism?
Apparently you have never lived in Europe if you believe this tripe. Why do you think Europe is broke and we are not far behind.
Yes it started with the Great Society look it up.
Speaking of Bailey Quarters, does Perry remind anyone else of Herb Tarleck on WKRP in Cincinnati?
What kind of jobs??? Texas is 2nd to last only to Louisiana in minimum wage jobs.
I have news for you, mw jobs are NOT going to save thiscountry.
With liberty, justice, and Walmart jobs for all.
Yada-yada-yada..blah, blah, blah. I am soooo tired of the same old crapola from Perry and the far right. Boehner and company, you promise us jobs and then do everything you can to stand in the way of their creation. The only agenda this group has and ever will have is to get rid of our President ASAP, keep the poor as poor as possible in order to control them, and make their cronies ARAP (as rich as possible!) What blows my mind is how many soon-to-be-no-longer-middle-class people buy their constant lies and false representations. Wake up!! You and your way of living are the next to go. How can the amazingly, astoundingly rich even begin to identify with the rest of us who struggle every day to make the bills? I don't care how humble their roots; extreme wealth breeds greed, and greed kills altruism and compassion.
How about odumba. The last eight times he read from the teleprompter was all carbon copy shyt. The lying dyckhead will go into history worse than the peanut boy did.
Name calling only leads me to believe that you are probably one of the "low-information voters." Turn off Rush for a little while and explore some of the other media sources out there. There are a lot of good, non-biased news sources out there on the Internet. You just have to seek them out.
I have NEVER seen the democrats so scared!
Most, if not all, of the negative posts about Perry that are posted here are probably from the White House OB Administration.
Didn't know they even worked the personnel in DC on Saturdays. Our tax dollars at work.
Perry - Rubio 2012!
Psychos in the White House is a reason to be scared. Why do you nutjobs keep electing them, workinghard?
I did not know that so much sh$t could flow out of Texas. First Bush now this guy.
Look in the Whitehouse. That is full of shyt right now.
not only shyt in the WH but fraudulant shyt. This damn socialist liberal has done everything within his power to kill our country. Not any more. He's OUT! And take his damn Michelle with him and her $600 tennis shoes.
And all the other shyt she has charged to the taxpayers.
Richard LOL, you read my mind as I posted that. Maybe a few or so will catch the drift, one can only hope so.
It's not as if Perry has done a decent job in Texas. Is it that anyone who claims the titles "Texan" and "Republican" somehow gain a huge leap just from those? How foolish are people?!
One of your idiot "jounalists" called him a wax clown. Well, if anyone is that it's your tingles boy. obama is done. Fork him.
Just what we need, another right of Attila the Hun, politician that can't seem to separate religion from politics!
I think we have all had enough of just about anyone from Texas, for a while!
.........so you want to keep a guy that has doubled the debt, that is ruling with 'governance' rather than leading, that through the EPA has thrown tens of thousands out of jobs, that has strangleheld the businesses to the point they're at a complete stand still............NOT! Get Obama the hell out of there before he does anymore damage....and oh, he can take all of his damn Unconstitional Obamacare 3500+ page shyt with him.
I'm tired of the shyt from IL.
US Presidential nominee????!!! The man who wanted to secede from the United States????!!!!!
hell if I could get OH to secede I would. Who in the hell wants to be 'UNDER' Obama the Dictator?
Who the hell wants a President who wants to secede from his Country (except a fool). No confidence in your Country...don't try to lead it!!
Hey Annirich - There are many a country you can move on to if unhappy in our great nation. Sure a few like China or Japan would be happy to have you. Just be sure to expect a few less freedoms or advantages.
HA! Now that's pretty funny. Are you familiar with Patriot Act? That's just one example.
Well Gary, if you find them sooooo intrusive to your life, and even I am not totally thrilled with some provisions, you can always join Annirich in a move. In the scheme of things have not had the need to complain about anything specific, except maybe going through airport security. But rather put up with those inconveniences versus the possible consequences.
So you'd rather give up your freedom and let the government take care of you?
How about you demand from the government to stay out of your life and allow you to bear arms without asking you questions because it's in the constitution?
The point is, there are always double standards in this country so don't think China is worse. At least they are honest. If you say anything against the party they kill you. But it's the double standards i hate.
Think about it; this country was founded by white men who owned slaves who wanted to be free after killing the natives. How's that for a double standard?
Don't get me wrong. I like it here. I just hate double standards and wished everyone was more honest.
That's why is time to find a better system in this country, because the two party system is not working. The elected officials do not represent the people.
Gary, I hate government in my business but there is a balance and difference within the subject.
An an Independent right of center, and tend to be more liberal on the social issues and on that matter I find people like Perry as unacceptable. As a president it will be his social values or nothing and as all other extreme Tea Party members they feel their standards must be the rule.
I did not support Obama in '08 and while he has surprised me any many areas, I am open to considering another candidate IF they could provide some real substance and not pandering to one extremist view or another. Unfortunately the GOP has provided NOTHING except rhetoric and there sadly is no viable third party movement to fit the bill.
There are a few dedicated elected official but I have not found them in Tea Party types that are willing to create and put the nation in havoc so as to advance their agenda.
Texas school dropout rates are horrible--60% in Houston public schools graduate...turn the rock over and see the creepy-crawly underbelly of the so-called Texas success.
Still, Reagan was behind Carter until their debates. How will he play with independents? We don't know yet.
Hey, Rick, why don't you start by getting Texas working again. Last time I checked your unemployment rate was 8.2 percent and the state was kicking old people out of nursing homes because Texas couldn't pay its medicare bills and laying off teachers because your state's financial ass had sunk so far in the hole. The day you were offering your prayers publicly to God, in violation of the new teatament's entreatment not to do so to impress those around you, the poor of His Earth were next door to the stadium, 100,000 strong or weak, begging for free school supplies. Like all right wing extemists you are a liar and a hypocrite, but what else is new? Bush, Bachman, Boehner, Bonzo and now Parry.
Doolin? We might be related.
Here we go again folks, another Governor from that awful state of Texas, it's like watching a re-run Bush's third term. America deserves a lot better then Rick Perry or any of the other clowns running on the GOP. The Dems should draft Hillary to run, it can only get better with her. She's got experience, will put those Tea Party/ Republicans right in their place. Let' start a petition to draft Hillary Clinton For President in 2012!!! We don't have much time, let's start the DRAFT HILLARY FOR PRESIDENT 2012-NOW, BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!!!
I agree it's time to get America working again but which members of Congress do you suppose you'll be working with to do that Mr. Perry? The respected economists want some type of stimulative actions short-term for job creation and address the debt in the long term. If you become president and your party insists on further cuts and no efforts to get America working again, will we just chalk it up to another presidential promise broken? I know every presidential candidate lies and Obama was no exception but we just had a new round of Congress men and women elected on that same "get America working" promise.
What a bunch of maroons. If you don't make at least $500,000 a year...voting Republican is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. This idiot...along with the rest of the rich bastards, liars, thugs and just plain crazies running on the GOP side will get eaten alive by Obama in a debate. No of them is particulary smart or well spoken. All they know is NO! That ain't gonna wash with the American people anymore.The Republican side of Congress has polling numbers somewhere in the teens. They have no new ideas...no plans to fix the economy. Here in Michigan, the Republicans only fix was to slash the state to pieces. They cut school funding, infrastructure and state revenue sharing to local governments. No one in their right mind will move a business here now. The new Republican governor is baffled. And like his national bretheren, no job creating bills...no nothing. In fact, since he took office we are at a NET LOSS of jobs in Michigan. Sorry kids, I've seen the Republican way of doing things for 20 years here in Michigan and if that's the way it works, we are all doomed if they get control of everything. Look what happened under Bush. We still can't get out from under their last mess. This is still the Republican's toilet swill we are swimming in...no matter how they try and pin it on Obama. Simple math...3 years does not undo 8.
wildcat, gee somehow am thinking your have your big fat snout stuck in the government trough... dont you?
Job creation?
That's funny. My brother lives in Texas and he says they've emptied the factories near him of the illegal aliens (which everyone knew were working there) and now have minimum wage job openings.
He was telling me the employees get treated like dirt and they weren't following the laws with breaks and lunch...
I'm sure those jobs will go away quickly when his friends (the owners) start making less meny and need the illegals to do the work.
What a joke!
I miss Ann Richards.
Isn't this the guy who thought that Texas should secede from the union? Just what we need..oh wait, maybe thats what he has in mind. Wake up Sheeple!
Someone tell Gov Perry the lefty wackjobs who post comments on Obama's poodle network MSNBC dont approve of him running for President...
No doubt he will be all shook up about that...
Bob, how's that praying for rain for Texas working out for Perry. Maybe he can pray for jobs for this country.
There's no doubt about it, when you're full of sh*t, you're full of sh*t. God how sickening is it to listen to him and all the other Republican "candidates". Not a word from any of them on how they would fix the economy. Not one single word. Because frankly, they don't have the slightest idea how to do it. They don't even understand why it's in the tubes now. But they all know how to slam Obama. I've figured out their strategy. Slam Obama and slam Obama and slam Obama, and those who do the best job of slamming Obama will be nominated by those in their party who hate n -gg__rs the most. You know, I'm old enough to remember the days when Republicans not only had intelligence and solutions, but also integrity. Where are you Ike when we need you the most.
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The GOP is in for big disappointment if they consider a right-wing, nut case, bought and paid for by a few Texas billionaires already working the system by setting up their super pac's.
The nation has seen what radical extremists bring to government and they do not like what they have seen.
Perry best stay in Texas where he might find a few willing to listen and buy into crazy talk like secession - The majority of the country want a sensible individual worthy of holding the office of president and Perry with his extreme evangelical positions does not fit into the equation.