Rick Perry Courts South Carolina GOP Leaders At Private Reception

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Leaders of the South Carolina Republican Party received an extra treat from Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) after he announced his presidential candidacy on Saturday, getting to attend a private reception where the governor assured them he'll be a frequent presence in their state.

"You are going to see me, see me, see me," he said at the gathering, which was closed to the press. He assured the attendees that they would all soon be on a "first-name basis" with him.

The reception took place at the RedState Gathering, a conference being held at the Francis Marion Hotel in downtown Charleston and attended by more than 400 conservative activists.

At the event, many attendees were given "Perry for President" signs to wave, and the governor stuck around after his brief remarks to chat with people and pose for pictures.

South Carolina GOP Chairman Chad Connelly was scheduled to meet with Perry later in the day and told HuffPost he was planning to advise the governor to come to the state as often as possible.

"Because we're a carve-out state, we're small, we're easy to get around and we're an inexpensive media market to campaign in, they can really get to know people," he said. "They can go to the small diner for breakfast in one corner of the state, they can be in the midlands, they can be in the low country, they can be all over the place. So that's my advice: Come and meet the [voters], get to know them and answer their questions."

Florence County GOP Chairman Bill Pickle is originally from Dallas and first voted for Perry when he ran for state agriculture commissioner. He said while it was still "too early" for him to endorse a candidate, he was impressed that Perry chose to come to South Carolina to make his announcement on the same day as the Ames Straw Poll in Iowa.

"It was an outstanding move," he said, adding that it could significantly help him win votes in this first-in-the-South primary.

Aubrey Alexander, a member of the Charleston City Council who came to the conference with his son, said he hoped that Perry could provide an extra "spark" to the GOP field that seemed to be missing from Thursday's debate. Perry, not yet a declared candidate at the time, did not participate.

"I watched the debate on Thursday night. I thought there just wasn't something there. There was no spark," he said, noting that his family members in Texas were big Perry fans.

Alexander said that he respected former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and thought he was "the most intelligent of the group," but felt he has "too much baggage."

"Gov. Perry -- he's fresh, he's successful and again, you've got the recommendation of family in Texas. That's why we're here to see him," he said.

Perry will be traveling to Iowa and New Hampshire in the coming days, but Connelly said Perry will be back in the Palmetto State next week for another event.

 

 

Comments

[DSAldridge]

06:30 PM on 08/23/2011

He just lost the black vote, at least in SC.
http://www.southernstudies.org/2011/08/gov-rick-perry-flunks-civil-rights-lesson-in-south-carolina-campaign-stop.html

[Veneita]

10:20 AM on 08/15/2011

while all seems happiness and light at the Francis Marion Hotel, nikki haley approves one of her departments begging the federal government for a loan http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=greenvilleonline&sParam=37212425.story

[Skunkman]

09:37 AM on 08/15/2011

See, anyone who has actually followed Rick Perry for any length of time knows that he says a lot of whackadoodle stuff. It's the single biggest difference between him and his predecessor; G.W. Bush could dogwhistle, while Perry just whistles. How he's managed to position himself as the savior of the GOP from a field of crazies and hollow backsliding opportunists is utterly beyond me. If he is the nominee, he's already written and will continue to write Barack Obama's general election ads for him.

[AJOHMSS]

09:05 AM on 08/15/2011

I've been wondering for some time why Perry always appears so stiff-backed and rigid in his appearances and I may have figured it out.
I think the man is wearing a girdle.

[witsendster]

08:33 AM on 08/15/2011

I was out of state (SC) on vacation this week, and so, thankfully, missed Perry's incursion. Yuk to Perry, Yuk to Haley, Yuk to the entire car full of clowns. They make my teeth hurt from clenching my jaw!!! When you pray the famous line, "Deliver me from evil", I think the Republican party is what the prayer refers to!

[Clevelandinwi]

08:13 AM on 08/15/2011

The 'gated' folks will love ricci. The 'Texas Lie' can become the 'South Carolina Lie'. Both are doomed to the third world of states.

[collinsdll1]

08:08 AM on 08/15/2011

As a Texas, I cried this year because all the teachers STATEWIDE that were fired because of budget cuts. He promised us when he wanted the lottery here it would all go to education.
This is the biggest lie, he ever told. 'and he lies alot' He tells you what you wanna hear,
then when he has your support, it's game on! He does whatever the hell we wants!

[Clevelandinwi]

08:14 AM on 08/15/2011

Killing education creates less educated people and that's what people like parri need to stay viable.

[Janet Root Wetherell]

09:12 AM on 08/15/2011

that is the what thr repub/tp want..uneducated are easier to convince..easier to control..and easier to feed a pack of lies to ..thus trash education and you have control...then create your own schools..educate them in what you want them to know...and this is backed by Norquist, Koch, ALEC, etc..and then guess who runs the show..corporate dictators..please people read the part of history mid 1930's Germany..sounds alot like what is going onhere..and we allknow how that turned out..

[Lordcron]

06:15 AM on 08/15/2011

How in the world would you want a man President of your country if he's willing to commit secession from it? That's what's wrong with this picture here!

[plaidsportcoat]

01:43 AM on 08/15/2011

Gov. Rick Perry has been castigated by some conservatives and 10th Amendment aficionados for his public support of federal amendments to protect the sanctity of life and the sanctity of marriage.

They accuse him of abandoning his commitment to federalism, states’ rights, and the 10th Amendment and committing unpardonable Tea Party heresy in the process

But to consider amending the federal Constitution as an abandonment of the 10th Amendment and states’ rights absurd.

You can’t get any more “states’ rights” than amending the Constitution, for one simple reason: only the states can amend the Constitution in the first place.

Unless proponents can get voters in 38 states to agree with them, our supreme legal document remains unchanged.

When the Constitution is amended, this is the exact opposite of the federal government imposing something on the states, but is rather a manifestation of the states expressing their political will. If anything, it’s the states imposing something on the federal government. Everybody ought to get pumped up about doing something like that.

So it turns out that "states' rights" doesn't mean that the states have the right to decide the issues as they see fit, but rather that the majority of the states have the right to decide what the minority must do.

Is this any surprise, coming from a man who doesn't believe the First Amendment covers non-Christians?"

[plaidsportcoat]

01:54 AM on 08/15/2011

This is a quote from Bryan Fischer, Perry's huge supporter.

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/category/individuals/bryan-fischer

[Ismael Coffee]

12:53 AM on 08/15/2011

cont'd

• Percent of Women Living in Poverty – 6th
• Mortgage Debt as Percent of Home Value – 47th
• Foreclosure Rates – 10th
• Median Net Worth of Households – 47th
• Average Credit Score – 49th
• Retirement Plan Participation – 47th
• Amount of Carbon Dioxide Emissions – 1st
• Amount of Volatile Organic Compounds Released into Air – 1st
• Amount of Toxic Chemicals Released into Water – 1st
• Amount of Recognized Cancer-Causing Carcinogens Released into Air – 1st
• Amount of Hazardous Waste Generated – 1st
• Amount of Toxic Chemicals Released into Air – 5th
• Amount of Recognized Cancer-Causing Carcinogens Released into Water – 7th
• Number of Hazardous Waste Sites on National Priority List – 7th
• Consumption of Energy per Capita – 5th
• Workers’ Compensation Coverage – 50th
• Income Inequality Between the Rich and the Poor – 9th
• Income Inequality Between the Rich and the Middle Class – 5th
• Homeowner’s Insurance Affordability – 46th
• Number of Executions – 1st

[plaidsportcoat]

01:45 AM on 08/15/2011

This is exactly the Plan for America that is being carried forth by Citigroup and the uber rich corporate overlords of the globe:

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/09/can-the-middle-class-be-saved/8600/

[Janet Root Wetherell]

09:15 AM on 08/15/2011

good info thanks..F&F

[Ismael Coffee]

12:53 AM on 08/15/2011

cont'd

• Percent of Non-Elderly Uninsured – 1st
• Percent of Low Income Population Covered by Medicaid – 49th
• Percent of Population with Employer-Based Health Insurance – 48th
• Total Health Expenditures as % of the Gross State Product – 43rd
• Per Capita State Spending on Mental Health – 50th
• Per Capita State Spending on Medicaid – 49th
• Health Care Expenditures per Capita – 44th
• Physicians per Capita – 42nd
• Registered Nurses per Capita – 44th
• Average Monthly Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) Benefits per Person – 47th
• Percent of Population Who Visit the Dentist – 46th
• Overall Birth Rate – 2nd
• Teenage Birth Rate – 7th
• Births to Unmarried Mothers – 17th
• Percent of Women with Pre-Term Birth – 9th
• Percent of Non-Elderly Women with Health Insurance – 50th
• Rate of Women Aged 40+ Who Receive Mammograms – 40th
• Cervical Cancer Rate – 11th
• Percent of Women with High Blood Pressure – 16th
• Percent of Pregnant Women Receiving Prenatal Care in First Trimester – 50th
• Women’s Voter Registration – 45th
• Women’s Voter Turnout – 49th

[Ismael Coffee]

12:51 AM on 08/15/2011

Texas standings against all 50 states on a variety of issues (1st means highest ranking, 50th means lowest ranking).

• State Aid Per Pupil in Average Daily Attendance – 47th
• Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) Scores – 45th
• % of Population 25 and Older with High School Diploma – 50th
• High School Graduation Rate – 43rd
• Per Capita State Spending on State Arts Agencies – 43rd
• Birth Rate – 2nd
• Percent of Uninsured Children – 1st
• Percent of Children Living in Poverty – 4th
• Percent of Population Uninsured – 1st

[mitsecl]

12:22 AM on 08/15/2011

KISSING grASSroots...

[pavd8]

12:12 AM on 08/15/2011

is it strategic, or sneaky? the way rick perry entered the gop race? if you look at this guys record as governor of texas, it is identical to another texas governor, who became president, and created the mess we are now in, george w. . perry who slashed education funding by 4billion, ranks as the worst of all 50 states in population from 25yrs. and older without a high school education. has the worst record of the per centage of the population uninsured, the worst per centage of uninsured children. all for no reform or regulations of big business, his record reflects the highest amount of chemicals released into the water. the highest amount of hazardous waste generated. ..but, ranks as number 1, for the highest amounts of executions in all 50 states. if this guy gets elected, it would be like having george w. back in office..and nobody, but nobody, wants that!

[rusty apache]

02:08 AM on 08/15/2011

He also tried to ram the Trans Texas Corridor down the throats of Texans.

[pnllsprkf]

11:29 PM on 08/14/2011

I wonder how they'll feel about Perry when they realize that he's willing to bring chinese businesses(Huawi technologies) into Texas against both Bush and Obama administrations concerns regarding potential cyber security risk to US Military and businesses

[GiannaX]

01:47 AM on 08/15/2011

Isn't that treason?

[pnllsprkf]

02:38 AM on 08/15/2011

sure seems pretty unamerican to me-but then alot of whats been going on lately feels pretty anti-American