Essential Reading on Gov. Perry

Some hardy soul going by the moniker garnet92 has researched and written up the good and the bad things that folks are saying about Governor Perry. They are long, accurate, and utterly necessary reading in the face of the current media blitz against Perry. Bookmark 'em.

I can't in good conscience borrow much; they're just too perfect and I really want you to click over and read. I will grab just a bit from the responding-to-critics post because it's an issue that even Republicans from the North have been bugging me about.

Some say that Perry wants Texas to secede from the Union and he is a traitor for saying so. The governor never said that he wanted Texas to secede. Scholars know that Texas secession is an urban myth and certainly, the governor knows it as well.

What actually happened was that after people shouted “Secede!” at an Austin rally, he said that he understood their frustration but added, “We’ve got a great union. There is absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, who knows what may come of that. Texas is a very unique place, and we’re a pretty independent lot to boot.”

Perry emphasized that he was not advocating secession, but understands why Americans may have those feelings because of frustration. He said it’s fine to express the thought. He offered no apology and did not back away from his earlier comments. Perry’s remarks were in response to a question from The Associated Press as he walked away from the rally. The governor said he didn’t think Texas should secede despite some chatter about it on the Internet and his name being associated with the idea.

I honestly didn't understand how weirded out even a joking reference to Texas' secession legend makes some northerners until a few weeks ago. But apparently even GOP northerners can get a bit creeped out about it and his joking response -- "we're a pretty independent lot to boot" -- has been stretched beyond all reason to comprise an actual Perry policy preference for seceding.

So, to be clear: Perry did not advocate or "threaten" (as the media, Democrats, and some anti-Perry Republicans have characterized it) secession. In fact, he said, quite seriously, that there is no reason to dissolve the Union. Perry went on to affirm a point of Texas pride: we are pretty independent and self assured, so don't mess with Texas, punks. This nod to Texan superiority should not be taken to mean Texas will secede next week if Bernanke keep printing money.

It's something Texans say, like, e.g. the oft-repeated indisputable fact that Texas is the best country state in the Union. (SWIDT?) Have you ever heard a Texan disrespect his home state? No, I submit that you have not. And if you think you did, he ain't a Texan. Home-state pride is a virtue, not a vice. You'll find that Texans are fiercely loyal to their own and if you want a fiercely loyal president, say, in contrast to a certain trans-national lightbringer, Perry's a good choice.

posted by Gabriel Malor at 07:30 AM

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