'California is looking at our backside,' Texas Gov. Rick Perry says in San Francisco

[Moonwalk]

83. I think both us Californians and Texans should not let Perry win here and make us divisive...

...and chauvinistic. The man is certainly a backside, and I think we can both agree on that. And we need to remember what his REAL aim is here. To argue that states should lower taxes on big corporations (and by extension, that the U.S. should do the same). That we should allow such corporations to retain loopholes and not pay their fair share, etc. Because it's working for Texas. Or so he says.

THAT is what his real message is. That raising taxes on big business doesn't work. If we, instead, end up bickering over Texas vs. California, or mistakenly see Perry as Texas and make rude comments on Texas rather than on Perry, then he has succeeded--he's gotten us to divert our anger at big business not paying its fair share and got us sniping at each other instead. He's played the diversion game and won.

We need, instead, to counter his arguments about taxes on business being bad. And stay angry businesses that don't pay their fair share. Otherwise he's going to put doubts not only in the minds of Californians but in the minds of any one living in a state thinking of raising such taxes, and doubts in the minds of Texans who might be suffering from this business practice of low taxes on the rich--that is to say, they may think, "Well, at least we're getting other businesses from other states...." Yes, but what good does that do the state if they're not investing in the state (with tax money) while weighing the state down with more people that taxes can't pay for?

Let's look at the big picture here and avoid the "my state is better than yours..." sniping. Perry WANTS us to do that. He wants a Texas vs. Cali war like a football game. That's where he wants our attention, not on what he's trying to really do, which is get everyone who is angry at the rich angry at each other. That's the GOP game. Make the middle class angry at the poor rather than the rich. And now, make one state angry at another state by insulting it, rather than angry at politicians who cater to big business rather than to average people. I'm dismayed that his ploy is working here and we're insulting Texas and Texans. We, of all people, should know better. We should know how this game is played and not be falling for it.