New Perry Ad: Obama Calls Us Lazy. I Call Him Pathetic.

I really think it's time for a second look at Perry. No, he's not perfect on ideology. But he's pretty good in most areas and very good in several (federalism, energy, taxes, regulations, business, social issues).

Yes, he's bad on immigration. Texas has long been different in its friendly relationship with Mexico (partly because a lot of real Texans were once real Mexicans).

But what are the odds that the Republican controlled House would push some kind of amnesty bill which a President Perry would then be at risk of signing?

Would you say that's a high probability? Or a very low one? I would say very low myself.

We don't have the perfect candidate we're looking for. He doesn't exist. People are thinking fondly of Tim Pawlenty now, whom they rejected previously as not seeming tough or presidential or charismatic. That's where we are -- in a state of Pawlenty Nostalgia.

The guy's bad at debates, true. But he did well in the last one, and the thing is, in interviews he seems in command of the facts and fluent. (Or as fluent as we've come to expect in a Republican candidate for President.)

And he does have that record. He has what are, for Obama, "bad facts" which are difficult to spin away. Perry's red state model produces jobs; Obama's blue state model does not. All the rhetoric and canned answers in the world are trumped by facts.

He's live-streaming an address in New Hampshire, but the sound doesn't seem to be working. It's working fine now. Some hitches in the video, but working fine. It's more of a Town hall, I think, a brief address and then questions. He's taking questions.

posted by Ace at 02:39 PM

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