The Permanent Candidate: What's Driving Rick Perry?

The New Republic:

The Tea Party movement had not yet fully impinged on the nation’s consciousness when Rick Perry stepped to the podium outside Austin City Hall on April 15, 2009, to speak at a tax-day protest. Wearing a big “DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS” pin, a black baseball cap with a hunting ranch logo, and the collar of his coat turned up, Perry swayed as he spoke, as if trembling with fervor. The crowd of 1,000 roared as Perry invoked states’ rights and the Tenth Amendment’s protections against federal overreach. Following the speech, Perry spoke to reporters—and uttered a few sentences that would make national headlines for days and weeks to come. “We’ve got a great union,” he said. “There’s absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But, if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that.”

Read the whole story: The New Republic

 

 

Comments

[smcircle]

05:03 PM on 09/28/2011

What is driving Perry, and the TP, may not be what we can life with. We really do need to eliminate the exclusionary TP...

[Robert Fanney]

01:11 PM on 09/28/2011

Perry's mission:

1. Become President
2. Secede from the Union.

Hmm. Maybe I got it backward?

[smcircle]

04:44 PM on 09/28/2011

News at 6:
President Rick Perry of the Nation of Texas is pleading with the United States for help with his huge illegal immigration problems. Uncle Sam's response: Take it up with the UN. Oh wait, you don't believe in them, never mind...

[Lovelyblue]

11:22 AM on 09/28/2011

Mrs Daisy?

[den1953]

11:13 AM on 09/28/2011

What is driving Rick Perry? Would it be a mouse on a wheel in his head?

[shepherdess13]

11:41 AM on 09/28/2011

Don't be unkind. he's having a bad week.

[den1953]

01:52 PM on 09/28/2011

F&F GOD does work in mysterious ways?

[smcircle]

04:47 PM on 09/28/2011

I wonder if the Texas fire fighters will support Perry, hhhmmm... Ol' cut-a-needed-budget Perry is gaining support,,,

[den1953]

10:51 AM on 09/29/2011

Maybe he should go back to Texas and pray longer it hasn't worked yet?

[Mikeystyle]

10:57 AM on 09/28/2011

What's driving Rick Perry? Same thing that drives all the tea partiers----a very short bus.

[Justjack1]

10:47 AM on 09/28/2011

Money and the KOCH brothers are driving Perry.

[Robert Fanney]

01:12 PM on 09/28/2011

Koch has grown fickle. They have a new love affair with Christie...

[den1953]

01:52 PM on 09/28/2011

F&F after all things go better with Koch!

[southernoldie]

04:09 PM on 09/28/2011

Where oh where do the extreme right tea baggers find all of these crrrrazzzy candidates? I think they've lost their senses, IF they ever had any. Aren't they embarrassed at ALL? Cheering when people with no ins. dies, cheering when exections are going on, booing a gay soldier that would die for them. I hope I never meet one of them in a dark alley. They'd just as soon stab anyone as look at them. The blood thirsty fools.

[ramman]

10:42 AM on 09/28/2011

What's driving Slick Rick Perry? Does one truly even have to ask? It's Greed, power, ego, coveting, jealously and the attitude that things at the highest levels belong to him sort of a manifest destiny ego type of thing. Other than that nothing cause there's not much to him.

[le marc]

12:05 PM on 09/28/2011

Yes, in the world of the social conservities and "uber" christians the old vices are the new virtues...

[smcircle]

04:49 PM on 09/28/2011

There is so much anti-Constitution in what you say,,, and Perry fits it...

[Bike Commuter]

10:41 AM on 09/28/2011

Not the best choice of title. It takes away from the fact that the article is an excellent look at who Perry is, how he got where he is, and how he functions.

[shepherdess13]

11:47 AM on 09/28/2011

I think thats called irony. He's entitled because....

[hopepad08]

10:40 AM on 09/28/2011

What's Driving Rick Perry?

Stoopidity?

[Allgernon]

10:39 AM on 09/28/2011

What's "driving" him?

He's trying to drive the Bagmobile to Washington.

[oldyeller46]

10:37 AM on 09/28/2011

The need to give Big Corporations and The Rich more Tax-Breaks, Because they have suffered so much in the last couple of years.

[Intelligenti Pauca]

10:34 AM on 09/28/2011

What's driving Perry? Well shucks, that's an easy one.

$$$$$ - That's what's driving Perry.

[BetterDeadthanRedState]

10:31 AM on 09/28/2011

One of those little clown cars?

[Robert 999]

10:29 AM on 09/28/2011

I'll take a guess at this one, a complete lack of integrity..

[tomtall]

10:26 AM on 09/28/2011

Here's the whole story.....makes W look like .... well..... a really good man?!?!?!

http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/magazine/95448/rick-perry-texas-economic-development-funds?page=0,0&passthru=YzQxZTFjNWFhYzQ2Njk4NDYyZWRmYjdkYzE3YTE3NmM