That's spooky enough. But Joshua Green offers three more reasons for a President Perry. Tucked into reason three is a big reason why he could lose.
But first number one. Green points to Perry's "overt religiosity that is sure to excite the social conservatives in the Republican base who feel neglected by the unrelenting focus on the economy."
That sounds pretty thin -- and very off-putting to liberals and centrists. But then there's this -- reason number two.
Perry's second strength is his big appeal to the Tea Party movement. Long before most politicians grasped its significance, he had made himself an ally. In truth, his populist West Texas conservatism with its native distrust of Washington prefigured much of what the Tea Party has come to stand for. Perry has strengthened the connection by adopting the constitutional fetishism that is a hallmark of the movement. In his new book, "Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America from Washington,'' he says he'd like to repeal the 16th and 17th Amendments; his fixation on the 10th Amendment is already legendary. Though often ridiculed for suggesting, in 2009, that federal oppression might cause Texas to secede from the United States, that sentiment helped him shore up conservative support and come from behind to trounce his 2010 primary opponent, the popular Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson.
But it seems to me that what Texas likes is precisely what's sinking in the polls these days -- Republicanism and, to a greater extent, tea partyism.
More to the point is reason number three -- "his record of governance."
Perry is the nation's longest-serving governor, of a big state that, relative to everywhere else, is doing pretty well. A study by the Dallas Federal Reserve found that 37 percent of all jobs created nationwide since mid-2009 were in Texas. (Although the state also has considerable poverty and the highest rate of uninsured residents in the country.) When not leading prayer rallies, Perry is most eager to tout this aspect of his governorship, and will base candidacy on the claim that he can do the same from the White House.
A proven record of job creation and prosperity has got to have an appeal with voters these days.
But did you happen to notice that little parenthesis in the middle? Texas' "considerable poverty and the highest rate of uninsured residents in the country"? That's a pretty big drawback and bound to be discussed during the campaign. Add to that the biggest reason for Perry's sustained political success: money, huge money, corporate money and backing.
I'd love to see someone do a study of the extent of homoeroticism in American politics. I guess either you see it or you don't, but Perry is a prime example of the male politician as homoerotic target. Bush 2 was a target and Reagan may have been, too. It's not just Republican candidates who have it but Republicans seem to be more responsive to it. Cheerful, innocent, and prevalent homoeroticism about the first surprise I got when I came to Texas in the '80's. Homoeroticism may tag along with social conservativism and evangelism. Another subject...
