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PERRY, Iowa -- In the town bearing his name, Governor Rick Perry finally seemed at home.
The Texas governor, now facing the prospect of failing to crack the top tier in a state once predicted to hand him a cakewalk victory, offered perhaps the most fluid and passionate performance of his 42 city bus tour during its final stop.
Perry, who throughout the final weeks of his Iowa campaign has frequently consulted notes during remarks and offered lengthy and tangent-laden answers to questioners, spoke concisely and emotionally Monday night about the dangers of big government and the importance of nominating a GOP candidate who shares social conservatives' "values."
"Why would you settle for anything but an authentic conservative who shares your views and values and will go to Washington DC and not apologize one moment for them?" he asked.
About 200 supporters packed into a ballroom of the Pattee Hotel, offering choruses of "yeah!" and "damn straight" as Perry delivered a punchier version of his typical stump speech.
But his remarks were stripped of their recent direct hits on top rival Rick Santorum, attacks he has delivered over the past week with heavy reliance on rehearsed lines and written notes.
Joined on stage by his family and top surrogates - and introduced by early backers Governors Bobby Jindal and Sam Brownback - Perry won sustained applause from the crowd for his praise of two veterans - Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell and former Marine Capt. Dan Moran.
"That's part of what this is all about," he said, appearing briefly to fight tears. "It's about those young men and women. It's about supporting them when they come home."
Perry now approaches a caucus night that will weigh his campaign's organizational muscle against the gaffes, internal sniping, and sluggish response to missteps that have plagued his run.
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This clown doesn't have a clue ..that America doesn't trust or want him !
Rick... read our lips .....NO NEW TEXANS !
Snore... Oh right, the GOP/TP primary...
The silver lining may be an end to the political careers of these clowns. Bachmann may lose her seat, and Perry may find his governorship contested as well. Can Texans really re-elect this guy now? The rest of the clowns, Romney, Santorum, Gingrich -- They are not currently in office for good reason, and now the nation is seeing why.
We'll be glad to see a few other governors gone as well (Scott Walker, Rick Scott, John Kasich, etc.) and hopefully we'll say b-bye to congressmen Paul Ryan, Scott Brown...wouldn't it be great if Eric Cantor was put in a hot seat too -- Did folks catch the interview with Cantor and the "You Lie" interruption in regard to well known and acknowledged FACTS about Reagan? Reagan cut taxes then raised taxes about a dozen times thereafter -- Stop with your right-wing myths and get a reality check!!!
Holy cow, and Perry is the epitome of what's wrong with the Teapublican Party...
Iowans are still confused? America is confused! Where did the GOP go? These candidates reflect what is wrong in political candidates. Lack of knowledge, presence, credentials, education, positions, you name it, almost every factor relative to their being in the political arena can be challenged with substance; and yet, here they are still beating their own drum.
Even if Romney wins, Iowans, like most Americans, are still looking for an alternative to these status quo candidates. This is why Ron Paul is appealing. Unfortunately, Ron Paul has been out there a long time with positions that are out there also, on everything that will subject him to that 'at the end of the day' scrutiny, ballot box remorse, and the realization that even if he wins Iowa, it will be a win against the notion that what the GOP has put forth as 'candidates' are viable in today's political environment.
Here's to Iowans sending a message with a Ron Paul win. Ron Paul will not get the GOP nod, but let's hope that the GOP will get it if Ron Paul wins Iowa.
Go get em Rick.....or go down with some kind of fight....even if it's a small one...
Iowans will vote for Perry who is the most qualified candidate. Santorum is not surging - it is a ploy by the media and pollsters.... Dems and msm are pouring time and $$$ to keep him in race to stop Perry. MSM , , including fox, and Rep. establishment are doing everything to stop Perry. Sadly, this is what Dems also want, The Dems DO NOT want to run against Rick Perry (witness what the WH has been doing to TX). How could they possibly put his record up against Obama's? No debates needed – facts are facts. There are no videos out there of Perry changing positions over and over. Now at the last 2 days they pull a trick and promoting Santorum who?? He is all over the TV and nothing is said about Perry and the crowds he is getting everywhere he goes. For God’s sake there is no news about the huge rally he has tonight with all his endorsers.
wow,...talk about saving
your job, or just absolute hoplessness,,.....sorrryyeeee!
Well, now there is a whole lot of conspiracy theories to run down. Conservatives, liberals, democrats, republicans, liberal media, conservative media, pollsters are all cooking up schemes to ensure Perry's demise. If all those folks are conspiring against him, who is left to vote FOR him?
Nancy
I don't mind Perry. but I think his late entry has caused him to hurt himself. I think he needed to handle his faith a little better and thought through the Imigration position better. National elections are a different animal than Texas Elections. If he adjusts a bit more and hangs in their for a few more rounds he may get back to the top tier.
Rasmussen showed Santorum advancing 1 week ahead of the regular news media polls. I think he will be the winner. That does not get him the nomination. He should skip heavy work in New Hampshire and hit Virginia, South Carolina and Florida where his numbers haven't seen the bounce of Iowa, but may become open to him when he wins Iowa.
Don't get excited, just make good sound decisions as thing shake out.
I think the @!$%# coming out of his mouth has hurt him far, far more than a simple late entry into the race.
Sorry, we've already had a Texas simpleton serve as president. Rick Perry may be the most pathetic moron ever to run for president. Most qualified candidate for church parson, but aside from that, not qualified for much else. What's wrong with you, anyway? Can't you tell he's just a hubristic hick given to devastating malapropisms?
Wow, nancy sabet, talk about conspiracy theory (see the Reagan myth reference above). It couldn't have been the poor debate performances and messaging that has been all over the map? The only thing that has hurt Perry is Perry. Get over it.
No videos of him changing positions? We was Gore's state campaign chairman! He does fit right in in Perry though. Big Tyson slaughter plant replete with workers whose origin is questionable. No more living wages there so that fits into his little Texas miracle scenario. Let the clown train roll on into New Hampshire. Hang in there Rick. If you think the republicans here are dumbed down you are going to think they are rocket scientists when you get down south. Those are your kind of people there.
@Nancy! Are you kidding? Perry would be a GIFT to Obama!
Pleeeeeeese make him your candidate! Pleeeeeeese!
Any of this TEABAG crowd would be a gift to the president.
Huntsman is the only one that has any credibility and he has been deemed too sane and normal by the teabag group!
Nancy, are you kidding? If, by some miracle (and that's what it will take - a bone fide walk-on-water kind of miracle), the GOP picked Perry as the Republican nominee, then you can count on another four years of Obama.
so Gumps .. another 4 years of Obama. I wonder what 4 years under McCain would have been like. I can't imagine it would have been any better than Obama - unless of course congress decided to work with him. Point is - a president cannot do it alone.
I wonder how history might be very different if Dubya had lost in 2000. Starting to sound like the next Stephen King novel. What if .. what if..
and 'if only'...
Perry in Perry. Talk about the ultimate expression of self love and heck, versatility.
Ricks right!Way................Si',senor,way,...way,.............way............etc.
All I have to say is Ron Paul 2012!!! If you'r Big Government and being told what you can and can't do well the vote for one of those puppet's.. I use to look at Ron Paul like he was crazy, Why? Because I was blinded by the main stream media.. Really.. Really! Think about you'r vote fellow American's, do some research 1st!
Good night..
For**
Ponce,
Apostrophes are to be used for contractions (have not=haven't, can not=can't) or to show possession (John's airplane, Sally's doll). Is that really what you intended to mean by using apostrophes in "puppet's" and "American's?' By the context, anyone can tell that you wanted to express a plural noun. You don't use an apostrophe just to signify a plural noun--an "s" or the occasional "es" is really enough, Ponce.
What did you mean by "If you'r (sic) Big Government and being told what you can and can't do well the vote for one of those puppet's." Did you mean, "If you're for Big Government and being told what you and can't do, well then vote for one of the puppets." But then I got confused by you'r in the last sentence, and that made me think perhaps you meant "If your Big Government" but then the rest of the sentence doesn't make much sense.
And, just in case you're interested (not you'r), "I use to look at Ron Paul like he was crazy" should actually read "I used to look at Ron Paul like he was crazy." Perhaps before you purport to give advice to others, you should learn how to write simple English declarative sentences.
I've done my research, Ponce, and I wouldn't vote for any of the turds running on the Teapublican side. If Ron Paul started listening to reputable climate scientists instead of energy industry shills publishing scientific disinformation so oil companies will profit further, I might be more interested in him, but to me, he's just another global warming denier: "[I]n an interview on Fox News on Nov. 4, 2009, Paul said: "[T]he greatest hoax I think that has been around for many, many years if not hundreds of years has been this hoax on the environment and global warming." That he didn't disavow the obvious racist remarks contained in a newsletter bearing his name borders on the unforgivable. But in the end, Ponce, I'm afraid I really don't want to return to 19th Century America nor do I want a callous, indifferent, self-absorbed citizenry, so I guess I'll pass on Ron and his libertarianism, which just isn't robust enough to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.
I suppose we could all go fullblown crazy and elect Paul. Our generation broke this country with our lobbyists and farmer and business and defense welfare programs. Maybe about 10 years in the wilderness of anarchy would wake some people up. No more rascals for the teapublicans at little or no cost to them.
Seems like Santorum and Perry are running against each other to become somebody's running mate. Sterling Greenwood/Aspen
The running mate will be Rubio/ Florida. Southern and more importantly he is hispanic. Republicans have beat on them enough they are going to have to tone it down until after the election. Don't worry though rednecks. Your party still hates them.
Rubio is a poison pill that Romney will not take - tainted TEA. Romney/Huntsman would be formidable as a team.
JustSlapMe,
Sounds like a good ticket in theory. However, there is no way the GOP will put two Mormons on the ticket - the religious right would go nuts. And Romney needs someone who can help in the south.
Outside of South Florida, Rubio will probably pull as much of the Hispanic vote as Palin did of the female vote and for the same reasons. Too many conservatives have poisoned too many wells in the overall bloc, and a fig-leaf attempt to appeal to identity politics won't have a significant result.
Ma momma always said, "Stupid is as stupid does". Run home now, Ricky.
Perry/Gingrich 2012
Based on the title of the article I figured the name of the town must be Dumbass Iowa.
PERRY, Iowa -- In the town bearing his name, Governor Rick Perry finally seemed at home.
====
I'll go out on a limb and presume that Perry Iowa is probably older than Rick Perry. Perhaps the initial sentence should read something to the effect: "Perry, who bares the same name as the town he campaigned in..."
Well let's be frank here, ad libbing is NOT Perry's strong suit.
Of the entire Republican field running, the most scariest and dangerous to the country is Rick Perry. The DNC just needs keeps hammering the Perry record and statements and we the people will see that he fails.
once again, seven articles printed, about losers, ( 5%, 11%, 15%, 7%, of the vote ), but do we hear from Ron Paul, the eventual winner?? NO..why..because you the liberial media, along with powerful, influential lobbists are conspiring to keep the American people from seeing the truth..how do you people sleep at night..probably do, with any one you can..
The GOP should apologize to the people of Iowa.When the only candidates you can offer are this pack of religious zealots .A Mormon who would hand over power to Salt Lake City UT.A nut who thinks the presidents job is to destroy the the rest of the federal government.And a dumb ass hillbilly who wants power for the sake of power.You can only wonder why this country is going to hell.
"Why would you settle for anything but an authentic conservative who shares your views and values and will go to Washington DC and not apologize one moment for them?"
I'd rather elect someone with values you don't need to apologize for.
"Scary Perry" is the GOP Clown that has no intellectual ability. He is a "Super Spewer" that is unable to speak clearly, does not know how to use words correctly, and has no logical speaking pattern. He Cognitively comes off as the GOP's "Crazy Clown" of "Cultural Clutter." "Scary Perry" has made it very clear that he is a Radical Right Wing Religious individual that has no tolerance for anyone. He is a Confederate States Of America Politician that has cultural views in or around 1861. It is just "Scary" listening to Perry! Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! The Party of NO has got to GO!