Here is Part I of a rundown on why the Republican field is considered so weak this election cycle (all of them have huge vulnerabilities….see title), and the evidence to back that up.
First Up: Postulating Perry.
Rick Perry is my governor. This has been true since I moved back to Texas in 2004. This is not something I’m terribly happy about. However, it should be noted that the Governor in Texas doesn’t have a whole lot of power which has made it difficult for him to screw things up.
When it comes to having to talk to people and defend his rather absurd worldview, we see a very big weakness. Recall, this is the guy who allegedly whipped out his sidearm to kill a coyote, while jogging…
It’s pretty much his approach to debate as well.
Decorah, Ia. – A Luther College student was cut off in mid question by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who told her that pollution from hydraulic fracturing does not exist and that it was made up as a fear tactic from liberals, a statement that received groans from some people in the audience.
“We can have this conversation but you cannot show me one place – not one — where there is a proven pollution of groundwater by hydraulic fracking,” Perry told 22-year-old Carrie Kauffman.
Rick’s problem, of course, is that the EPA just noted such events.
In a draft report (pdf) released today, the Environmental Protection Agency confirmed what many residents of Pavilion, Wyoming have been complaining about for some time now: Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is responsible for polluting the area’s drinking water.
Fracking is a controversial method used to make it easier to extract natural gas, petroleum and other substances. As the AP explains, this is the first time the EPA has linked the practice to the contamination of drinking water. The gas industry has denied any responsibility.
Recall, this is a Governor that during the hottest month ever in Texas (this last summer), denied the existence of global warming (“climate change in the hotter direction” for pedants) while literally praying for rain during the (oh, BTW) worst drought in recorded history.
And just to top if off, Perry is also coming to the defense of “Sheriff” Joe Arpaio (in quotes because he’s likely to soon become “inmate Joe”).
SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Texas Gov. Rick Perry is defending one of his more controversial surrogates, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, against a report by the Justice Department issued on Thursday that accuses him of committing civil-rights violationsagainst Latinos in the Arizona county he oversees.
“I would suggest to you that these people are out after Sheriff Joe,” Perry said, though he acknowledged he didn’t know the details of the charges. “He is tough. And again, when I’m the president of the United States, you’re not going to see me going after states like Arizona or Alabama, suing sovereign states for making decisions.”
Alas, Perry has dropped so far in the polls this is unlikely to matter. He’s a joke, and for stuff I haven’t even mentions.
Second Up : Racist Ron
A lot of folks really, really like Ron Paul. So much so that I often type RON PAUL when referring to him and talking to them. The reasons they like RON PAUL are often very similar, as are the people who like RON PAUL. There is a 95% chance that the person you are talking to that REALLY REALLY likes RON PAUL is a white guy. There is a 100% chance that, if it’s a younger white guy, they don’t know about RON PAUL’s social views, and if it’s an older white guy, they don’t care about those views if they do know of them.
All of these people call themselves “libertarians”. A great many call themselves fans of “Austrian” economics. Many love Ayn Rand. Most dislike political parties (!).
There’s about 15% of these folks in the electorate. While Paul looks like he may win Iowa at this point…he’ll join a long list of folks who won Iowa and that was it. See exclamatory point above.
So why the racist label? Notice how the demographics for RON PAUL supports are all the same? That’s because all of those folks easily dismiss this kind of stuff. Why? Because they probably aren’t aware of this.
A blast from the past is blowing a big hole in Ron Paul‘s campaign.
A recently surfaced video from 1995 shows the GOP presidential hopeful discussing controversial newsletters that he claimed this week he didn’t even read until about 2001.
The Texas congressman has come under fire in recent days for the newsletters, called Ron Paul’s Political Report, Ron Paul’s Freedom Report and the Ron Paul Survival Report, which went out under his name in the late 1980s and early 1990s during his time in and out of office.
And now Paul is taking the Perry approach when the media starts to pay attention to him.
Or even this…which is the kind of stuff that happens in the areas of Texas that Ron Paul represent in Congress.
Note: He’s complained about not getting attention, and now doesn’t like this attention.
My issues with Paul is that so much of his complaints about what the government is doing are directly related to the changes we implemented to stop the absurdly institutionalized racist bullshit. The young white men that support Paul don’t realize (for the most part) the world he wants to return to (seeing his stance on the War on Drugs as the only relevant bit of information), and the older ones that do will say so with a wink and a knowing smile.
They don’t want no federal gubmint telling them who they have to serve in their restaurant. It a…uh…Constitutional thing…yea…that’s the ticket.
In Part II We’ll Look at Millionaire Mitt and the Nefarious Newt
Robot Pirate Ninja 