Tag Archives: Rick Perry

Who are ‘they,’ Donald?

October 11, 2015 kanelis2012

Donald Trump is taking undeserved credit — imagine that, will you? — for Kevin McCarthy’s stunning withdrawal last week from the contest to become the next speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The GOP presidential candidate said “They’re giving me a lot of credit” for McCarthy dropping out of the congressional campaign.

Who said it, Donald?

That’s all part and parcel of Trump’s modus operandi.

He takes credit where none is deserved, along with shuffling blame off on someone else — all while tossing a personal insult or three at various other individuals.

So help me, I never heard anyone giving Trump “credit” for McCarthy backing out of the House leadership race. That is, until Trump said so.

The fact is that McCarthy’s own intemperance got him booted out.

He muttered that amazing fact, er, gaffe about the Benghazi hearing under way in the House, suggesting the committee was formed for the expressed purpose of undercutting HRC’s presidential ambition.

As former Texas Gov. Rick Perry might say …

Oops.

national news, political news

Jindal turns up heat on Trump

September 16, 2015 kanelis2012

Now it’s Bobby Jindal who’s taking dead aim at Donald Trump.

The Louisiana governor and fellow Republican presidential candidate calls Trump a “madman” who “must be stopped.”

Holy cow, governor! You’re beginning to sound like, oh, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who fired both barrels at Trump after an earlier round of insults that Trump had loosed on someone.

How much good did Perry’s salvo do? None. He has left the campaign.

Stop the madman

Jindal is declaring, of course, what a lot of American believe about the current GOP front runner. The man is loony.

“Sane conservatives need to stop enabling him,” Jindal wrote in an op-ed published by CNN.

“They need to stop praising him, stop being afraid of him and stop treating him rationally,”

I agree with Gov. Jindal.

His No. 1 concern, though, is this: Will the Republican Party’s primary voters, the base of his party, agree with him or will they rally behind Trump … yet again?

None of the rules that works for conventional politicians is working today.

To be continued …

national news, political news

Perry drops out of campaign

September 12, 2015 kanelis2012

And then there were 16.

OK, it doesn’t sound much different from 17, which was the number of Republicans seeking to become president of the United States.

Today, though, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry “suspended” his campaign. He’s out of money, out of staff, out of momentum.

“When I gave my life to Christ, I said ‘your ways are greater than my ways, your will superior to mine,’” Perry said in a speech in Missouri. “Today I submit that His will remains a mystery, but some things have become clear. That is why today I am suspending my campaign for the presidency of the United States.”

It wasn’t supposed to be this way for the one-time Texas political juggernaut. He said he’d learned his lessons from his short-lived and disastrous 2012 GOP primary campaign. He just didn’t figure out how to cope with all the other who outflanked him on the right — which is tough to do, given Gov. Perry’s own conservative credentials.

But they did. And, of course, a guy named Trump has sucked all the air out of the proverbial room.

Perry’s out

You probably think I’m crying crocodile tears over Perry’s departure. OK, maybe a tear or two are of croc variety. But I am disappointed he didn’t do better this time out.

I believe in redemption and I hoped Perry could redeem himself from that hideous “oops” moment four years ago.

It isn’t meant to be.

As for his “suspending” a campaign, I wish political flacks could come up with another word for it. To “suspend” something connotes a temporary condition.

Hey, here’s another way he could have said it: I quit.

national news, political news

Perry heading for the exit?

September 4, 2015 kanelis2012

It isn’t supposed to end this way, but that’s where it’s headed.

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the one-time TEA Party darling and conservative firebrand, is — shall we say — in a critical flameout.

The former U.S. Air Force pilot knows of what I speak. His campaign “engine” has stalled and he cannot get it to reignite.

I am not crying crocodile tears over this. Honestly, I was hoping he’d do better in this presidential campaign than he did in the previous one that was punctuated by the infamous “oops” moment.

Perry campaign on the ropes

Perry pulled the plug on his 2012 Republican presidential campaign, came back to Texas to finish his stint as the state’s governor; he rested up, cracked the books and studied the issues; then he returned to the campaign hoping to redeem himself.

Being that I prefer political redemption over condemnation in almost all cases, I was pulling for Perry to do better.

He’s not. He has run into the buzzsaw aka Donald Trump. The TEA Party faithful have turned to others, such as Trump, Rick Santorum, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Carly Fiorina … oh, I could go on, but you get the point.

Perry has quit paying his campaign staff. He’ giving up on New Hampshire. Still, he calls the race a “marathon” and insists he’s in it for the duration.

Well, it now appears that the duration has arrived.

local news, State news

Texas stood tall in time of tragedy

August 30, 2015 kanelis2012

Ten years after the fact, Texans perhaps should take stock of a time when our state stood tall as our neighbors fled a savage onslaught.

Hurricane Katrina killed nearly 2,000 Louisiana residents and drove many thousands more than that from their homes. And of those thousands who were displaced, many of them came to Texas.

Most found refuge downstate. Some came to the High Plains.

As Erica Greider writes in her Texas Monthly blog, the manner in which Texas responded to the crisis provided the state with one of its shining moments.

Greider writes: “… Texas’s response to Katrina has to count as one of our state’s finest moments. We saw real leadership from people like Rick Perry, then the governor, and Bill White, then the mayor of Houston, among many others, and real graciousness on the part of millions of Texans, who welcomed so many neighbors at their time of need. I’d like to think that’s who we are. And I’d like to think it’s a good reminder for us today, since 10 years later we have the flaring tempers and frayed nerves without the proximate cause of a historic natural disaster: when people work together, progress is possible.”

Here’s the blog post

Amarillo responded well during that time. We set up emergency quarters for the residents who came here. We gave them shelter, food, medical care, counseling services and placement advice as they sought to collect themselves after having their lives shattered by the storm’s wrath.

It’s good that we don’t have to respond in such a fashion all that often. But when we do, it’s also good to know we are able and willing to answer the call for help.

national news, political news

Unraveling has begun in Perry campaign

August 24, 2015 kanelis2012

Maybe it’s just me, but the resignation of former Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s Iowa campaign chairman has the appearance of the beginning of the end of Perry’s second bid for the White House.

Sam Clovis, a popular Iowa radio talk show host, has resigned as Perry’s state campaign chair. It’s a pretty deal in a campaign that’s struggling to get traction as the Iowa caucuses are approaching.

The Perry camp continues to talk bravely about the Texan’s commitment to campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination.

But it’s just talk.

Perry has quit paying his campaign staff because his fundraising has dried up. He languishes far behind the front runners in the polls.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way for the former governor, who entered this campaign far better prepared than he was for the 2012 GOP nomination fight which, shall we say, ended badly.

Can the Pride of Paint Creek pull it together? Well, only if every other Republican in the race starts drooling or commits some serious verbal gaffe.

Then again, Donald Trump is showing that even crass stump rhetoric doesn’t do any damage.

national news, political news

Birthright citizenship: tough to eliminate

August 20, 2015 kanelis2012 2 Comments

A part of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says this:

“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.”

It’s clear, yes? Everyone born in this country is a citizen of this country.

Why, then, do some Republicans — maybe most of them — want to amend the Constitution to single out those who have the misfortune of being born to individuals who are here illegally?

GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump wants to end the “birthright citizenship” clause of the 14th Amendment. He’s led the amen chorus on that one. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has joined him.

But as Eric Greider of Texas Monthly points out, some Republican presidential candidates are standing for the Constitution. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry is one of them; so is U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida; same for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

What do these men have in common? They all have been elected in states with substantial Latino populations, which of course is the audience being targeted by those who want to repeal birthright citizenship.

If we get rid of this citizenship provision, we will have to amend the Constitution. Don’t conservatives generally stand foursquare behind the nation’s governing document?

national news, political news

Turn out the lights, Gov. Perry

August 14, 2015 kanelis2012

The late “Dandy Don” Meredith would sing, “Turn out the lights, the party’s over,” whenever a team was getting blown out on Monday Night Football telecasts.

It now appears that another Texan, former Gov. Rick Perry, may need to follow that advice, according to those who say they’re in the know.

Perry is out of money. He has quit paying his campaign staff. His second run for the presidency of the United States is likely to end perhaps before the first actual Republican Party primary contests in Iowa and New Hampshire.

A part of me wishes it wouldn’t end.

Perry worked quite hard in the period between his first presidential run and this one to rehabilitate his image. His first effort ended in early 2012 after the infamous GOP debate “oops” moment. This time, he was better prepared. But the primary faithful began tuning into other candidates. Indeed, there are 16 others running for the party’s presidential nomination.

Perry said this week he’s “in it to win it.” Sure he is. That’s what you expect him to say.

However, even after his blistering critique of GOP frontrunner Donald Trump’s bizarre pronouncements, his own well-defined message and the “retail political” skill he employs in meeting and greeting potential voters — a skill he honed to perfection while being elected to three full terms as Texas governor — he remains far back of the front tier of GOP candidates.

The winnowing of this large Republican field will begin in due course. It might be soon.

As one New Hampshire Republican said of Perry, “He is out of money and out of time.”

Is the party over? Looks like it from here.

national news, political news

So long, Rick Perry … already?

August 11, 2015 kanelis2012

The money has dried up.

And in this day in American politics, you need money — I guess — to get your message out. So, with no money coming in, there’s no money to pay staffers at former Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s campaign operation.

They’ve become volunteers.

News of this development leaves strangely saddened. It’s not because I think Gov. Perry is the perfect Republican presidential candidate out there. Actually, I think I voted for him one time, when he ran for Texas agriculture commissioner — but that was in 1990 and I’ve slept some since then. The other times? For lieutenant governor and then governor? Not a chance.

My sadness comes in my desire to see him redeem himself from the disastrous 2012 GOP presidential campaign highlighted — or lowlighted, perhaps — by the infamous “oops” moment when he couldn’t name the third of three federal agencies he’d disband if he were elected president.

He came back to this campaign better prepared. But Republican hearts and minds belonged to other candidates.

“As the campaign moves along, tough decisions have to be made in respect to both monetary and time related resources,” Perry campaign manager Jeff Miller said. “Gov. Perry remains committed to competing in the early states and will continue to have a strong presence in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.”

The “strong presence” will be determined by how well Perry does in those early caucuses and primary elections. That success, of course, depends on how effective a candidate is in getting the message delivered to the voters.

No money, no message.

It doesn’t look good, no matter how you seek to spin it.

national news, political news

Perry seeks unity in primary? Good luck

August 11, 2015 kanelis2012

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry is seeking a noble goal among the thundering herd of Republicans seeking to become the 45th president of the United States.

Sadly, it cannot happen.

He told a crowd of conservative activists that fellow conservatives need to unite, to speak with one voice as they campaign against the Democrats.

That’s an interesting notion being put forth by the ex-governor.

But it’s impossible.

Sixteen men and one woman are running for the GOP nomination. They’re all trying to be more conservative than everyone else. It’s a fascinating spectacle. To position themselves to the right, they necessarily have to draw distinctions and differences between themselves and the rest of this still-large field of candidates.

At the RedState Gathering in Georgia, Perry said: “I don’t believe the answer to a Democratic divider is to have a Republican divider. It’s time for leadership that repairs the breach.”

That’s the kind of “leadership” that should present itself after the candidate has been nominated to face whomever the Democratic Party nominates.

However, first things first. Republicans have to spell out their differences among themselves, just as Democrats are likely to do during their primary campaign.

You can’t be singing off the same hymnal page if you’re trying to say that you’re the best candidate out there.

High Plains Blogger

Tag Archives: Rick Perry

Who are ‘they,’ Donald?

Jindal turns up heat on Trump

Perry drops out of campaign

Perry heading for the exit?

Texas stood tall in time of tragedy

Unraveling has begun in Perry campaign

Birthright citizenship: tough to eliminate

Turn out the lights, Gov. Perry

So long, Rick Perry … already?

Perry seeks unity in primary? Good luck

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