Rick Perry's Army of God

[Austin]

So, if I understand you correctly and I think I do, finding any fault or making a critique will just be considered "persecution" and might make people react in favour of Perry? Damn you crazy people! I just hate the idea that some people feel faith should be a part of everything you do and therefore is justified in politics. I hate that faith is seen as a legitimate point of view or reason to pursue certain political courses. I hate that faith has such a role in mainstream politics. Grr. I like my politics old school. Leave your faith at the damn door.

/end of rant.

Pretty much that's it. Despite their constant claims of persecution by the most strident and extreme, the fact is that Christianity is the sacred cow in this country. A candidate has to get way weird to have it really reported upon: think of Sarah Palin and her annointing by the witch hunter.

[FlorenceHamilton]

Can we draft Rachel Maddow for president? She is who she is, so nobody can "out her". She is brilliant, knowledgeable and well spoken. She is unapologetic for the Butch that she is, but she also happens to be beautiful and charming.

[Sprocket]

The CNN article was interesting. I do have to disagree, however, with his claim that it would be a Perry-Palin ticket. That's laughable. McCain went down that road and he has her to thank for crashing and burning miles away from the finish line. I highly doubt that she would be willing to play second fiddle again either....

[pamplemousse]

If Rick Perry somehow wins the 2012 election, God help us all. Seriously. I fear for our country if he is elected.

Too bad Rudy Giuliani isn't a candidate. Unfortunately, he wouldn't stand a chance in the primaries.

[thoughtful]

Mitt Romney would be it, except that he's mormon.

And he says things like . . .wait, what was it again? Oh, yeah:

Oh, and Perry terrifies me.

[GeoBQn]

I've got fellow Jewish friends who "aren't sure" if they will vote for Obama because he "doesn't support Israel." (Never mind that a majority of Jews vote Democrat anyway and I doubt that an American president would ever break ties with Israel.) If Perry somehow gets the nomination and anybody tries to pull the "what about Israel" shtick with me, I will point to Perry's participation in the recent prayer rally that included someone giving a long speech about how all the Jews need to convert to Christianity--including Israeli Jews.

[xDreamerx]

If Rick Perry somehow wins the 2012 election, God help us all. Seriously. I fear for our country if he is elected.

Too bad Rudy Giuliani isn't a candidate. Unfortunately, he wouldn't stand a chance in the primaries.

Except that Giuliani doesn't seem to have a platform beyond the words, "9/11".

[Lillybee]

Rick Perry is my nightmare come to life. I am getting really scared at the direction my country is headed into.

[debrand]

States' rights is one of Perry's biggest issues, and he has said individual legislatures should decide matters such as gay marriage and the legalization of marijuana

I don't think that he will win because of his views on states' rights. The same people who support Bauchmann- or follow Glen Beck- aren't going to be pleased that any state allows gay marriage or pot use.

[daharyn]

Can we draft Rachel Maddow for president? She is who she is, so nobody can "out her". She is brilliant, knowledgeable and well spoken. She is unapologetic for the Butch that she is, but she also happens to be beautiful and charming.

This! Cute and smart as all hell. What's not to like?

[Avalondaughter]

This! Cute and smart as all hell. What's not to like?

Agreed. Too bad there are too many idiots in this country who would not support a liberal lesbian woman.

[demgirl]

The media is like, salivating over Rick Perry and it's starting to piss me off. If I read one more story with something like, "Is this Man Unbeatable?" I'm going to pull my hair out and start screaming and run for the Canadian border. The only good thing about any of this is that it's often the one that the media is SO sure will win and seems SO invincible that has their campaign crash and burn and then the media is like, "OMG! Let's do a three week long analysis of what went wrong". I'm crossing my fingers. President Romney or President Huntsman? I could deal. I wouldn't be happy, but I'd survive.

President Perry? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

[Austin]

The CNN article was interesting. I do have to disagree, however, with his claim that it would be a Perry-Palin ticket. That's laughable. McCain went down that road and he has her to thank for crashing and burning miles away from the finish line. I highly doubt that she would be willing to play second fiddle again either....

Oh, I totally disagree with that part, too, and it was kind of jarring to find that weird opinion in the middle of an opinion piece that otherwise I think is very insightful.

I don't really have a sense of who he would choose for VP. Some say Marco Rubio, which would zip up the south for him, but I think he'd get the south anyway, so I don't know how much good Rubio would do him, plus he's just another white male religious conservative - like Perry himself. I think the ideal (for him) would be to have a serious, conservative female candidate to choose from. Not a Bachmann or a Palin, who really only appeal to a very narrow segment of the GOP. And many GOPers are embarrassed by them (as they should be). Plus, Bachmann and Palin are really the same person: women who are virulently evangelical Christian and who have very tenuous relationships with the truth.

He's going to need broader appeal than just he or another version of of him can bring to the table. It would need to be somebody different, somebody who wouldn't chase off the religious right but who could appeal to moderate GOPers and independents. But if he could find just the right person, he could do it. Sadly, for America.

[notsocommon]

And in breaking news that will surprise no one, it looks like Rick Perry will be in the race:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44110416/ns ... ?GT1=43001

UGH, put your head between your legs and kiss your ass good bye. We are screwed.

[demgirl]

Perry would need a VP that could appeal to the more midwest-northern states, like Pennsylvania and Ohio and also to places like Colorado. Touting your religous bonafides doesn't get you very far in PA with Presidential elections. It works in our Senate elections, but not when we vote for President, which I've never understood, but anyway... yeah. I'm not sure Perry will have a huge amount of appeal in those types of states and they are essential to win elections. He has the greatest appeal in states that already automatically go Republican -- the South, Texas, etc. And he does have a jobs creating record, which may help in the old industrial centers like Michigan and Ohio and to some extent PA. But I still think he needs someone that can appeal to more "North" sensibilities.