Though he’s yet to officially toss his hat in the ring, Governor Perry is quietly building out the framework for his 2016 run.
Iowa is RickPAC’s latest release.
Governor Perry’s message is markedly different from Senator Cruz’s for reasons other than his west Texas drawl — inclusion and experience.
Senator Cruz formally launched his presidential bid in a fiery speech at Liberty University Monday. Though he’s an undeniably passionate conservative, Cruz’s message might not be the fit for everyone, though it’s a lovely dream to have. More problematic is that this Conservatopia effectively marginalizes everyone who doesn’t seize the vision. It’s not an attractive ideal, rather a disappointingly exclusionary one.
Cruz is pitching himself as a true conservative. Of his principles and dedication to the banner of conservatism, there’s absolutely no question. Ted Cruz is a true believer in the purest sense. But trying to win the White House with only a faction of the conservative base and little to show in terms of tangible leadership results (other than the ability to rouse portions of the grassroots) are two obstacles Cruz will have to navigate around. Not to say either is unsurmountable, but they are unavoidable.
And then you have Governor Perry.
Governor Perry has a lengthy resume that touts years of executive work experience in a state with an international border, and the advantage of low expectations. After traveling the campaign trail post-back surgery in 2012, Perry has one poorly executed presidential run under his belt and nowhere to go but up.
He too has issues to face, or at least explain. Among which are the Texas Dream Act (distinctly unlike the federal variety despite the similarity in title), the trans-Texas corridor and the charges of cronyism, and then of course there’s his infamous “oops” moment.
But if the Governor’s latest video Iowa is any indicator, we can expect Perry to run as the man who will use his governing experience to heal a deeply disjoined post-Obama America.
“Regardless of where you are — left or right, we need somebody that can stand up and say, listen, let’s quit fighting each other. Let’s find the places that we can agree on,” says Perry, speaking to a small group of people in Iowa. “We long for someone in this country who has the experience to take America on a different path than it’s on today.”
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Author’s note:
Before this is labeled as a Ted Cruz Hit Piece, the reader should be aware that independently and while working with FreedomWorks, I worked tirelessly to ensure Senator Cruz was successfully elected to his current office. Before ever meeting Senator Cruz, whom I later had the pleasure of getting to know on a personal level, I admired his work as an attorney. I have tremendous amount of respect for the man and everything he is capable of accomplishing. Objectively assessing the playing field is neither a ‘smear’ nor a ‘hit.’ We strive for objectivity and even handedness, even if the result is less than vogue. This post has been slightly retooled to reflect the broader point.
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