Rick Perry, how serious a threat is he?

[DonCoquixote]

I ask this for many reasons, but I will try to keep it concise: On the one hand, this fellow seems so absurd that you cannot help but think he will wither under serious scrutiny.

The problem is: I felt that exact same way about W.

I realize that many people downplay Rick, for good reasons, and also because they would rather the 2012 election be about kicking the fake left out and putting in a true liberal, ending the old trap of "you know you have nowhere else to go." However, as much as that is a nice thought, I know that the American people love their Dixie jackasses that are "strong and wrong" to quote Clinton.

So, to quote Rachel, if you think he is not a serious contender, talk me down.

[Firebrand Gary]

1. He must not be taken for granted.

He can be beaten, however we must stay sharp on our game. Perry will play a scorched earth campaign.

[Warpy]

2. They're all threats until something is done about hackable elections

because we know the plutocracy will still prefer to overturn elections and get their own puppets in there, even when they can successfully threaten and bully presidents they don't own outright.

Be afraid, be very afraid.

[KaryninMiami]

16. Thank you- my sentiments exactly. And nothing is being done, sadly.

And as long as we are still voting on those machines, unless we have a landslide turnout, as we did in 08, we can and will probably loose since they can and will skim off a point-point in a half, in as many districts as possible. So, it goes un-noticed unless it's a very close race (in which case a recount (or paper tally if there are opti-scans) could be called for but that's never a sure thing. We need to win by at least 3 points in swing districts.

That's why it's all hands on deck folks or we'll be welcoming President Perry (just typing those words makes me sick) or President Romney into the White House in 2012.

Are you In? Let's get to work.

[highplainsdem]

3. More serious a threat than any of the other current GOP candidates.

[sellitman]

4. He will be our next President

If we tear apart Obama with a Primary.

IMHO

[polmaven]

9. You've got that exactly right!

:thumbsup:

[Cosmocat]

23. Our team has to get it's head out of its arse, for sure ...

nm

[demwing]

29. So what do we do in 2016?

Should we just hand it over to Biden, if he wants it, or if not, Hillary, if she does?

When will it be safe to have a primary again?

When will there NOT be a GOP jackass waiting for the Dems to "tear apart" the selected nominee with a primary?

And when did the Democratic party stop being democratic?

[sellitman]

32. What you don't do is cut off your nose to spite your face

Primaries for Obama will only have one effect. He will still be our candidate but he will be so weakened that the crazies could actually win.

If you think that Will make us more Liberal than have at it.

[demwing]

33. That's not an answer, that a judgment

when will primaries be OK. By your logic, there can ALWAYS be a viable reason to avoid a primary challenge. When will it be ok?

[Ineeda]

5. He's vulnerable on so many issues

(and especially his Dominionism) that's it's hard to believe he's a threat. But those vulnerabilities have to be shouted from the rooftops, repeatedly, to be heard. He needs clear, powerful confrontations or this country is not just toast, but burned-beyond-recognition toast. He is one scary dude. I felt the same as you about W and firmly believe election fraud (twice) was what placed that scourge in the White House. Yet another thing to guard against in 2012.

[chelsea0011]

6. Will the media be serious about all his flaws and lies?

If not, he will be tough to beat.

[Selatius]

7. Rick Perry is a threat if he can get close to 50% of voters to vote for him.

If he gets that close, then the remaining votes can easily be switched to give Perry the victory, basically vote rigging. You just need a population dumb enough that 49% would actually vote for Perry, but then again, this is the same country that had George W. Bush for eight whole years.

[connecticut yankee]

8. He will have lots of money behind him

The phony PACs will inundate the airwaves with Swift Boat-type ads.

Do not misunderestimate him. He is dangerous.

[Ishoutandscream2]

17. Exactly. The fool is good at one thing - dirty campaigning

He can run a brilliant campaign. That is frightening.

[Historic NY]

10. We laughed at Frat Boy...didn't we.

[Little Star]

11. He's not. That is naturally just my opinion..... None of them are..

The Republican A team (Jeb) will be in for the 2016 game. Obama will have a second term because we have no viable primary candidate and there is not one single viable Republican that will run until 2016.

But the show should be interesting none the less.


That is what I really believe.


I've been wrong before but I'd bet money on this one. We shall see!

[Buns_of_Fire]

12. Sorry, no words of comfort here.

I heard it said a day or two ago that Perry is everything that Shit-fer-Brains pretended to be.

If the nutbaggers loved the fake manly-man cowboy, think how gaga they're gonna go for a relatively authentic one.

[Cosmocat]

24. YEP!

He is the very embodiement of the republican party of 2011 - angry, mean, and just flat out bold enough to SCREAM their incomprehensibly ridiculous platform as if it is in fact reality ...

A governor, an alpha male, out and out with his pimping of religion, served in the military ...

[hatrack]

13. In this dumbass country? Fairly serious.

To support my argument, let me submit:

1981-1989
1989-1993
2001-2009

[Bluebear]

31. Aw shucks y'all and good hair.

Serious.

[watercolors]

14. After "W" I think most people will think twice about it!!

[Cosmocat]

25. two years after W was gone, this country gave the House ...

back to the most deranged group of candidates we have seen our lives - people like O'Donnell and the nut in Nevada were legitimate candidate for the senate ...

The media drives the debate, and the media drives it where the Rs want it to go ...

They WILL do all that they can to damage president Obama, and they WILL posit whatever positive frames about Perry that the right wing chooses ...

[Golden Raisin]

15. After Ronald Reagan &

Bush the Younger I unfortunately believe anyone can gain power in this country. Nothing would surprise me and that includes a potential President Perry, President Palin, President Bachmann, etc. The combo of corporate media, Diebold/hacked ballots, big money (Koch Brothers, etc.) & voter stupidity/intransigence is a lethal recipe for democracy & the Republic.

[sfpcjock]

18. Not very. They'll find a way to throw him out on his Protestant @ss after a while.

(Unfortunately). He'd be easy to beat.

[warrior1]

19. Don't go by

how much President Obama is attacked here. I'll bet Perry is a flash in the pan. He really doesn't have a chance. Don't you know that it's Romney turn to run for prez?

[OHdem10]

20. Very serious contender. Here is what is so mind boggling.

He is simply the candidate because the younger Tea Partiers
only wanted someone with the guts to get in Obamas face.

He is good at throwing Red Meat and the 40 somethings
think he will be nasty to Obama when it becomes a
race between the two.

[hifiguy]

21. He is a threat, quite possibly a serious one.

There are a lot of people in this country who think that an "all-'murkan" "folksy" cowboy type who loves jeebus is exactly the perfect type of leader. Which does not speak well of their intelligence. If Chimpoleon could manage to serve two terms (without being actually elected either time) there is no reason why the even dumber and meaner pRick Perry couldn't be installed to administer the coup de grace to what's left of democracy in this country.

[Samantha]

22. He is a Category 8 threat

which could do an inestimable amount of damage from which it would take forever to recover -- if we did recover at all.

Sam

[yellowwood]

26. Terry Gross; NPR; Spiritual Warfare

Yesterday, August 24, Terry Gross hosted Rachel Tabachnick who writes about religious/political organizations:
http://www.talk2action.org/

She ties Rick Perry to these groups.
One of their goals is to convert Jewish people to Christianity.

Transcript:
http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=139781021

[treestar]

27. None at all

IMO they are saving up their real candidate for the last minute, in order to make that last minute "splash." The new kid on the block gets the highest ratings. Perry is in it too early - he's the new kid on the block NOW.

[AngryOldDem]

28. I think we ignore him at our peril.

Look to whom he's playing: Evangelicals. Angry malcontents. General ignoramuses who hear what they want to hear, damn the facts and damn the workings of government and politics in general. People who miss the misguided bluster of W.

He has just the amount of bluster and charisma that will draw a lot of people into his fold, which is exactly what makes him scary.

[hifiguy]

34. Yup. There are always plenty of ignorant rubes

(in the cultural sense) to give the Elmer Gantrys a big audience. Always. Perry strikes me as the Texas version of a cheesy two-bit ward heeler crossed with a transparently phony "evangelist" and there's never a shortage of suckers for that come-on.

[Glimmer of Hope]

30. I don't think he has the blessing of the Repbulican party.