E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSAUSTIN Texas -- With two more debates under his belt, Texas Gov. Rick Perry travels to South Carolina Sunday for a campaign swing that will very likely amount to hitting his head against a political wall for 13 straight days.
"At least it will be warmer there," some on his staff darkly joke.
But Perry, who is keeping his campaign alive despite a fifth place finish in the Iowa caucuses, is a candidate who has never lost an election, a man whose voice breaks when he relates the stories of young veterans who survived brutal attacks against all odds, a dirt-poor kid whose identity is fundamentally rooted in the unlikeliness of his ascent from a chemistry-flunking country boy to the leader of the 13th largest economy in the world.
He believed there was a chance. He's taking it. Because he always has before, and why not?
Sources familiar with Perry's thinking say when his Iowa failure was unfolding, his South Carolina team reminded the governor that his campaign had the financial resources and the ground game to support a last-ditch campaign whirlwind in the Palmetto State. His family - and members of his veterans' coalition who act as an extended family for the onetime C-130 pilot - encouraged him not to give up the ghost until he'd exhausted all options. There was, Perry was told, no downside to continuing the run other than the perception - shared by all but his most ardent devotees - that he would simply be prolonging the inevitable.
But few - if any - members of his staff on the ground walked out of the West Des Moines Sheraton ballroom on Tuesday night believing that Perry would do anything but exit the race on Thursday in Austin. So when Perry rocked (or at least jiggled) the political world on Wednesday by tweeting his intention to stay in the race, confusion abounded in the ranks of staff still groggy from an emotional evening in the hotel bar swapping memories of a campaign days past.
Perry had spoken to top aide Joe Allbaugh and communications director Ray Sullivan by phone about the decision to stay in, but the message was never communicated to aides on the ground in Iowa. One staffer speculated that the governor's Twitter account had been hacked before finding out through press reports that the abandoned South Carolina barnstorm was back on.
Those close to Perry laugh off conspiracy theories that the governor's decision to stay in the presidential contest is somehow designed as a spoiler to elevate Mitt Romney. Perry's personal friction with the former Massachusetts governor's dates back to their overlap at the Republican Governors' Association, and there's no reason to suspect that the brutal last five months has soothed Perry's views of his rival as a wad of political Play-Doh.
Apparent impulsivity - and the deployment of a political vision hazy in the eyes of everyone except for himself - has worked for the governor before.
His decision to run for re-election in 2010, which came as a seemingly off-the-cuff remark at the conclusion of a press scrum, caught his Texas allies by surprise, but Perry marched on to a staggering victory in November. Last year, Perry appeared to have shut and bolted the door on a presidential run, only to bring back his closest advisers from Newt Gingrich's then-crumbling campaign to rocket into front-runner status when he finally entered the race in August.
Perry's calculus this time is based almost completely on the past volatility of the GOP field, which has seen each of its candidates - with the exception of Romney - experience increasingly shorter half-lives at the top of the polls. A perfect storm would require the collapse of both a kamikaze Gingrich who sacrifices the appeal of his "positive campaign" in the attempt to deliver a body blow to Romney and a dizzied Santorum who withers under scrutiny.
In that scenario, Perry - who can point to his national organization and onetime impressive fundraising numbers - would play the role of Lazarus to social conservatives on the brink of despairingly supporting Romney.
The strategy will require not only luck, but also a nimble and united team to respond quickly to attacks and rally supporters for one more foray into the breach.
Which might be the variable Perry hasn't considered.
As sharply illustrated by the content and fallout from a Politico piece published just days before the Iowa caucus, the relationship between Perry's original Texas team and the outside consultants who are largely steering the campaign now is characterized by mistrust and hurt feelings.
So can he do it?
Not impossible. But it would take luck, leadership, and a Texas miracle.
Leave a Comment:
Nah. Not gonna happen. Sorry Rick. And what in the hell was Governor Haley doing with Romney yesterday in NH? Understand being a moron and supporting Romney in her own state but to travel with him?
Optics Rick, optics …
Rick Perry picks Sheriff Joe Arpaio to serve as his presidential campaign’s Arizona state chairman.
This after just 3 weeks ago the Justice Department released the results of its three-year investigation into Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s office, finding rampant law breaking and massive civil rights violations against Latinos. In addition, it was recently revealed that the Arizona sheriff failed to investigate over 400 sex crimes during his tenure, including multiple instances of child molestation.
.....5 vetting's and a furneral says it all !
Last Poll in SC Romney 27, Santorum 24, Gingrich 18, Paul 11. I'm sure we will see a few more polls in the coming week
NH is probably too late for anybody but Romney, but Santorum picked up 10 points in one week and may equal that this week to fall short of Romney.
Am I the only one who thinks that "Dead Man Walking" is in pretty poor taste when discussing a Presedential Candidate?
Rickybobby said he couldn't wait to get out of Iowa and head to South Carolina and "Real Republicans". Considering the Republican Party of the south is basically a reconstituted confederacy, I can only guess that Rickybobby plans on hitting a few white sales and packing plenty of sheets to take along. Considering how his good buddy and mental superior, "W", campaigned with some really nasty push-poll robocalls back in 2000, I wouldn't be surprised to see that tactic used again. Mittens may be surprised to find out that by the time the primary rolls around most of the South Carolina moron primary voters will think he has at least one black illegitimate child. So far as Newt goes, all Rickybobby has to do is tell the truth.
I wonder, though if in November, should the Presidents Poll numbers be poor, if he will be described as a Dead Man Walking?
Yeah Say it isn't So, a funeral.
That is just hilarious......
Yes, especially in Perry's case since he is the executioner.
Jon R-469000 -- Good observations about Rick Bobby Joe Perry, and "on the way to the White House" that Dubya and Turd Blossom Rove did to Ann Richards and John McCain -- This along with Newt's Hate Speak and wedge issue divisiveness, plus Citizens United, it looks like Teapublicans are getting a taste of their own medicine.
And lest we forget the anniversary of No Child Left Behind, and Texan text books, Teapublicans deserve their low-IQ candidates like Perry. It's a good thing they have God on their side -- Bang, bang, yippie yi-ay!
Perry is sucking the air out of the debates. He needs to go and forget about it. I doubt if anyone will want him for 2016.
Perry is a lap dog of Republican silliness. It's time for the Democratic Underground to rise up and take power. Can you feel it in your bones? I can. And, God, it feels so good.
WCA personally I think that phrase is always in poor taste whenever it is used and no matter who it is directed to.
You would think a Texan would understand "beating a dead horse".
Dead man walking is appropriate for the governor of the state that executes more people than the rest of the country combined.
"Dead Brain Still Talking" is a more appropriate phrase to use in describing Gov. Rick Perry performances.
"Dead man"? LOL! You had to be alive to then die and be dead. Perry's never had a chance, i.e. been alive.
More like walk of the living dead. Perry's a zombie candidate - dead, but he doesn't know it yet. He's hoping for a miracle, just like Michelle did. And we all know how that worked out for her. Funny - out of the four candidates who claimed that God "spoke to them" about running, two are out. And Perry might as well be out also.
Maybe Perry will pray for a miracle.
Like when he prayed for rain in Texas.
Maybe the Rapture will happen and leave nothing but an empty suit in the place where he stands.
Oh, wait...his is already an empty suit.
Go home to Texas where you belong, Perry. Go cut brush or something.
As they say in Texas: That dog won't hunt.
To White Collar Auto #1.4 @ Sun Jan 8, 2012 3:20 PM EST: I am sure you are not the only one who thinks the phrase is in poor taste, but I also know that I am not the only one who thinks that a death-loving psychopath like Perry, who actually brags about presiding over the executions of over 230 people, deserves far worse than that. We are so far into evil that it doesn't even occur to Perry & his supporters that decency requires at least pretending to find putting people to death sad. For Perry & his ilk, it is rather cause for public celebration. These people are Satan worshippers. That is why they bleat so loudly & incessantly about being Christians - a classic case of protesting too much, telling a lie over & over & over in the hope it will be believed, which experience has shown repeatedly does in fact work, as it has with Perry & his supporters.
Yep, a one way ticket home on the Amtrak.
Perry was only taken seriously by the fringe right who NEVER has any good judgment about anything anyway.
After he said in the debate that he would send troops back to Iraq...really?
Perry, you are finished as a candidate.
Love the gossip that someone maybe hacked Perry's twitter account.
I think his GPS is also not working. He is aimlessly wandering around trying to find Texas again.
Will someone in SC point him in the right direction?
Nice Avatar, Northstar.
thanks NDDD,
Water and MN just go together.
We already elected one doofus from Texas we don't need another one. notice noone id ads or debates mentions Bush? Hmmm.
How did Perry survive his creepy speech when it looked as if he was either high or drunk. Not to mention his fondling of a bottle of syrup and giggling.
Maybe "Dead Man Walking" was in poor taste. He could have written "Dumb Man Walking"
Sorry Rick but there is no pardon from the governor. Last meal: crow and humble pie.
On a side note, First Read staff. Slightly creeped out by the title of this post. Could you re-think that please? Too excessive and exaggerated.
How about dumb man stumbling?
That's much better Tom, and WAY more accurate! Thanks!
Actually the first one it the mark totally. Perry has as much chance and a man walking to the legal injection room under escort and in cuffs.
morning newday and Northstar, Perry's staff is not finished making money.
I suppose you're right about that ideology!
He is definitely going down the drain. Maybe his staff has put in a call to Joe the plumber.
Ideology,
Perry the job creator!
Those GOP political consultants need to keep their jobs.
Wonder where they will go when Romney wins enough delegates to secure the nomination ?
perry'smillion jobs were created through low paying(ie minimum wage) servicejobs, oil industry, military increases at bases like Fort hood(federal dollars) and companies that moved from another state. Sort of like Romney still claiming jobs he created 10 yers after leaving Bain.
JohnRN - Was every one of those million jobs low paying, minimum wage jobs? Every job? If not every job, how many of them were not low paying jobs? Do you know the answer to this? Do you even have a clue? If there were a million jobs and you claim that these jobs were created through low paying service jobs... you'd better damn well know how many weren't created that way.
My second point John - did someone take the jobs? Were people hired for these positions? If the job was filled, then that would indicate the person taking the job needed it. Who are you to besmirch a person that took a job that needed it? What high horse are you on? How many jobs have YOU created? More on!
Brianb, Perry created no jobs. Having oil in Texas is what created jobs. Perry had nothing to do with the oil. Any decent jobs here are all caused by the people that oil brought here. Health, IT, ect. Nothing Perry did.
That wasn't my point verno. I don't give a rats ass about Perry. If jobs were created, why put any of them down. It is true that Texas has had more job creation than any other state, irrgardless of Perry. I don't care what sort of job they were, no ideology should even begin to attack the jobs. Not in todays economic climate. To me, attacking jobs, which is what John did, is arrogant and pretty stupid. Maybe some people should think before they express themselves.
Brianb
low pay jobs like $8 an hour can't support nobody these days, they have to work 3 of those jobs and ridiculousness hours, and after they realize it don't get them no where, they quit and get on welfare. We need livable wave jobs, not minimum wage jobs
BrianB, yes they should think and be capable of thinking. Irrgarldess is not a word. and either is irregardless, even if you had misspelled that non-word correctly.
Perry's running a zombie campaign...trying to come back from the dead and looking for brains.
Must have brains. Brains good for Perry. Must have brains.
Headline should read Sick Man Dying, Social Security a Ponzi Scheme my a@@. This one is Bernie and Norquist rolled into one. Oh yea and lets not forget Hitler? Thats all we hear these Naztea party Publicans talk about is Social Security and Medicare for the poor. I mean can't they find someone to pick on besides these poorest of the poor. This has been a new Low for American Politics.
The (current) headline does it for me:
"Dead man walking? Perry envisions a SC miracle"
It certainly would take a miracle, at this stage of the game. And Dead man walking? That just floored me. Whoever wrote this one deserves an award. It was perfect. MSNBC got one right, for once.
The GOP Clown and "Johny Bee Dumb" lately Tea Begger "Scary Perry" needs alot of miracles. It is a miracle that "Scary Perry" can even speak simple sentences. It is a GOP/Teabegger got an Sixth Grade Education. This is another Confederate States of America Poltician in or around 1851. Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! The Party of NO has got to go!
I expect Perry or Gingrich will do well in South Carolina. There aren't many states that have any more of a far right wing, racist element in the Republican Party as South Carolina. The election of Barack Obama brought 'em out in droves. Those people will back Perry or Gingrich because they perceive both believe as they. Good Republians and Democrats of South Carolina, however, will defeat that element in the general elections in November.
I'm glad Perry is continuing so that he can be further and fully humiliated. Perry is a bad human being. Hopefully even most Texans will learn from this, and put him in the dustbin of history.
I'm siding with you on this one. If Perry can stay in the spotlight there is hope he will completely destroy any chances of re-election here in Texas. "W" had Daddy's connections and money. Perry don't.
Sorry Ricky Baby, but your political luck has run its course. You may be counting on prayer and a political batting average of 1.000 to help you here. But you can't pray away "stupid" and your political fortunes dim significantly beyond the TX border. Maybe you should have consulted God before deciding to enter prime time. Oops!
Northstar I would rather his GPS (or anyone) would point him in the direction of Mexico
I don't think they want him either!
With the average I.Q. in South Carolina being 30, ANYTHING is possible.
If Perry envisions a miracle, he better start looking for the 3 wise men from the east first.
Sadam, Osama and Khadafy are dead ... he's down to dumb luck.
How funny!!All of these wingnuts except Paul have claimed " God wants them to be president", they are all claiming that they are being persecuted because of their belief and they all claim that "god" will make a miracle happen and they will win the next contest.
1) Is this "god" character that indecisive that he cant choose between you? Sounds just like the republican base to me.
2) are there that many different "gods" in the Christian "faith" that each one gets to choose his/her own human wingnut to be puppet master over for the primaries?
3) After claiming you were chosen by your "god" to be president and then getting spanked in the primary, doesnt that make your "god' appear somewhat inept?
impressive find a way to share on the web for all to see. you said it perfect
I am afraid of Christian religious nuts like Perry who want to do away with the separation of church and state. There is nothing more fundamental to America than our freedom to worship or not.
To quote George Carlin on religion:
The God Myth is the greatest WMD ever created, you can control or destroy entire populations with it. You can change the course of history, stagnate the evolution of an entire species, plunder resources, and commit genocide all in the name of God. You can live as if there were no tomorrow because your God myth will always be there to save you from yourself. Nothing matters as long as you believe, or can con others into believing that you believe.
In debates and on the campaign trail, Republican Presidential candidates continue to make false or misleading statements which go unchallenged by the media (MSM).
Romney insists that Obama raised federal income taxes on businesses. The reality is that federal corporate tax revenue have dropped by 50% in the past three years even as the US GDP grew by 10%.
Perry claims "Government spending is out of control" and that we need to reduce the number of federal workers and departments. The reality is that the federal government has 297,000 fewer employees than under Ronald Reagan and now serves 25% more Americans. As the population continues to grow the government is shrinking.
Republicans always stick to a tight script of talking points that are misleading, or worse plain out lies.
Fight the status quo - Get the facts for yourself. Check out our full DebateWatch coverage here -
No, you check the facts.
Obummer cut social security funding and will bankrupt that as well.
The only reason he didn't cut income taxes was that his constituency of government tit suckers are already paying NO tax!
Nice Try sloppy joy, but you are full of it up to your ears. You eyes are starting to look brown from it flowing up to your head. His fact are correct by the way.
There had to be at least one clueless TeaBubba ooze out here to show his bright red cheeks to all...
Indeed, and a lot of the reduction in the "size of Government" occurred under President Clinton, not Dubya.
.....5 vetting's and a furneral says it all !
Some people who die simply don't know it yet. They live in a twilight world and need to be guided toward the light. Go toward the light, Rick! Go back to Texas where you are loved and will get elected. There is a heaven for idiots and it starts with the letter "T".
Where are the right-wing bloggers, to embarrassed to defend ricky.
Sloppy and Alan are babbling on for them all today.
They have let all the donkeys out to roam free in Texas. Obviously, they let this donkey, Rick Perry, out earlier to roam the country free to make a fool of himself. Why don't they ship this Lone Brain Cell buffoon back to the Lone Strar State where he can bray his banalities in a rubber room. The quicker, the better.
I think that after Perry managed to successfully list 3 items in the debate, they should have handed him a cookie and escorted him off the stage.
Perry doesn't have a prayer - not even his god has that much of a sense of humor.
And he was so proud of the fact that he remembered them.
Hey! The fact he remembered them was a miracle.
Go home, Rick!
With GOD All Things are Possible. Even an INCOMPETENT, Muslim Sympathizing, Agitator-in-Chief called Hussein can get elected once.
Ya and IDIOTS like you voted for Bush not only once but TWICE.
Oh, it must be hard living with that black soul of yours Alan, you poor sad hater.
Oh, by the way, you left out "Kenyan".
Alan, take your meds, get over it.
Alan: You sound like a sore LOSER!
Yeah Alan and Obama is sooo arrogant he did not even credit God almighty for making him president, he thanked the people who voted for him instead.
I knew fom the start that this Texas idiot didn't have a chance since I live in Austin...thank God that even the low IQ of the average republican hasn't let me down!
As far as low IQ goes, I'd start with YOU...after reading your post....just sayin!
Hey sloppy, I know, the truth hurts. Move on.
So sloppy, he left out an "r' from his typing, like maybe a typo, and that gives him a low IQ. Hmmmm. Keep trying.....so far you are losing at everything you try.
Listen folks, Perry is going to do well in South Carolina. I live in SC and let me tell you the people I know really like his ideas about getting America back to work. , I can tell you my friends, neighbors and family really like Rick Perry's message and we like his guts. He is the only one with grit to stand up to Obama. The rest of the candidates are wishy washy messes afraid of their own shadows. Oh yea! Perry is going to rock it in my state and shock all you naysayers! Perry 2012!!!! By the way, have any of you taken the time to read Perry's positions or are you just judging him on a single debate gaffe. check these out
His positions including eliminating the Department of education and the EPA, NO THANKS. I had a third but I forgot, OOPS
Single gaffe? Every time he opens his mouth it's another gaffe.
If Perry, by some miracle, should win the nomination, the debates between him and President Obama would be hilarious.
Remember SC is the home of Jim Demint. Do not underestimate the raw lunacy, hypocrisy, and open bigotry of most "white South Carolinains". Many preachers there choose the clergy profession only because of the height advantage of the pulpit. Allows 'em an unobstructed view of the females legs and panties under their skirts.
People, don't put SC down too much, they have brains and can see the flim-flam man Ricky Perry coming. Yes, it will take a miracle for Perry to win SC. even for republicans.
Perry is a Patriot. But has Perry ever said how he is going to create all of these jobs he is promising?? Perry has guts but no brains. I know, I live in his state.
I respect everyone who has chosen to vote for another candidate.
But what irks me is the put downs regrding Perry's intelligence. Okay, he didn't graduate suma cum laude and actually enjoyed the college experience with both spirit and focus while in the corp of cadets. Snobs that believe graduating from an agi u is some low level accomplishment amaze me. And it's also an insult to the United States Air force. Dumb people don't make it through flight school and become pilots flying C-130 tactical missions. Nor do they make it to rank of Captain. So maybe to some running an agricultural business such as a cotton farm, a crop grown and used in the USA, is not as prestigious or sophisticated as working for a venture capital firm but I happen to think knowing how agriculture in the USA is a value to our nation, is a pretty important thing. Sure, Perry is not an uber intellectual who spent all his time trying to get straight A's. But he knew what he wanted from boyhood and he took roads that gave him a very broad and well rounded life. He knows a hell of a lot more about bi-partisanship, being a pit bull when it comes to budgets and the place our Nation should have when it comes who we are as the red, white and blue. So maybe he won't ever get an invite to the Harvard Club, or win a Noble laureate in physics. I can't identify with people like that anyway. I like Perry. I've done my homework and I will vote for him in the primaries.
And if his joy and delight at life's small wonders is a so called weakness, well, then I guess there's a lot of very sad, empty, joyless people out there.
Cause you know what? Maple syrup from NH is awesome and the effort, time, energy and collaboration it takes to produce a gallon of syrup is something pretty dang amazing. But I guess you have to have a love of the outdoors, the country, nature and the wonders of God's creation to ever really understand that
Spoken like a true South Carolinian!
Btw, didn't Dubya go through flight school?
So basically it's now a POSITIVE for presidential candidates to be dumb and uneducated? I take it you're a Republican and I can't figure out any possible meaning besides that.
So the #1 criteria for the leader of the free world, controlling the most powerful military in the history of the world, and responsible for life and death decisions, economic decisions, policy decisions etc is "a guy who isn't that smart but might be fun to have a beer with?"
I think we're doomed.