I wish people would stop bashing Perry and start extolling what a wonderful president he would make

[Gman]

or even Bachman. We WANT Perry to be the nominee of the GOP. The guy's political baggage will sink him much faster than the Titanic. He stands literally no chance against Obama next November. We want him to be the nominee, we want the GOP to get behind him. We want him to crash and burn in November 2012.

By default, the bashing by liberals and moderates only helps Romney who is Obama's biggest threat. Romney, IMHO, stands at least a 50-50 chance of beating Obama next year. Why wouldn't we want to bash Romney and push Perry and even Bachman? It's in our best interest.

We should have our own Operation Chaos.

[izquierdista]

1. As I recall

Some idiot Texas governor was thought to have no chance against a popular vice-President running on record prosperity.

[Gman]

5. That same idiot governor was kept on a very tight leash by his handlers/owners

and talked in very measured moderate terms. Not so for Perry. It's open mouth now, stumble on questions later.

[truebrit71]

12. Yup. That's what worries me too....only this time the presstitutes will be falling all over...

...themselves to make it happen...and they won't even bother to cover it up...

Yes this country has enough easily manipulated stupid people to "vote" yet another Dumb-ass Texan Governor into the WH...which is another reason why I wish that the current occupant had a better campaign message other than "Who you gonna vote for, the crazy-ass cracker?"

[RandomKoolzip]

2. Oh, I can't see that ever backfiring.

Believe this, because it's unfortunately true: people are going to LOVE Rick Perry. He's just the right kind of "tough love,' Yosemite Sam, gun-totin' shitkicker dumbass that Americans love for some goddamned unknown reason. He's the only candidate of the current field who genuinely worries me. To us, the thought of executing 234 people is abhorrent - but to a huge number of Americans, they think that's fuckin' awesome - that's what Chuck Norris would do if HE was president. They respond to that macho shit for some reason.

Rick Perry is incredibly scary to me, because I know how Americans think and it's not pretty.

[Gman]

6. Granted he'll get his 40-50 million votes in the GE

but Obama will get 60-80 million. The majority of people don't like radicals. That's why the country always gravitates back to the middle. That's why the conservatives are trying to make their agenda "mainstream" and the theoretical center of gravity the country will go back to.

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. Won't work. Whoever we bash gains instant cred with their base.

If we bash Romney, we increase his chances of being nominated.

[Gman]

7. That's a good thing

then he's toast in the GE.

[RaleighNCDUer]

13. Huh?

You just said that Romney was the greater threat, and we should bash him so that Perry would get the nomination - I said, bashing Romney gives him cred with their base. So if we bash Romney, we INCREASE his chances of being their nominee.

Did you mis-state that, or do you disagree with my assessment of the dynamics of repug politics?

[Gman]

14. I agree that whoever we bash gets credibility with their base.

And it wouldn't hurt to bash Romney to keep his negatives up, but I think we may be pointing out too many of Perry's obvious faults that could motivate the moderate Republicans to go vote against Perry in the primaries.

Bottom line, Romney is the biggest threat to get the nomination and beat Obama. we need to create a little chaos in the GOP.

[denverbill]

4. Never underestimate the stupidity of the voting public.

Perry may be talking teabaggerese now, but once he gets the nomination locked up he'll suddenly become Mr Moderate. The 'undecideds' aren't paying any attention to politics right now. They'll base their votes on 30 second TV ads and maybe part of one debate and will vote for whoever 'seems more Presidential' or just vote for a change if the economy still sucks. Bachmann and Palin can't hide their nuttery, it comes out in every statement they make. Perry is a completely neo-con corporate sell-out who is campaigning as a teabagger successfully. He'll campaign as a moderate in 2012.

[Gman]

9. Of course. Both sides do it

But commercials of Perry calling SS a Ponzi scheme and "monstrous lie" will not play well in the GE.

[Honeycombe8]

8. Because I think he COULD win the general election. Remember the last time...

we "misunderestimated" a Texas governor? Twice?

Perry is a professional politician and has NEVER lost an election. I'm a'feared of him winning. He's truly a nutsoid far right wacko. He's strong, he's fearless, he's unethical...in other words, if anyone could figure out a way to end Social Security and Medicare, it'd be him or someone like him. He'd blackmail and bribe everyone he could.

[Gman]

10. But that's what makes him so unelectable

[CakeGrrl]

11. Never a good idea to wish a dangerous candidate one step from the WH,

not with the MSM clearly in the GOP's corner.

[Gman]

15. These are not ordinary times and we're not going to win by playing defense

we should be pushing for the least electable Republican to win the nomination. That would also include Bachman or even Santorrum. We should be creating as much chaos in the GOP as possible.

[Douglas Carpenter]

16. whenever the economy is perceived as down - the incumbent president almost always loses

The fact still remains that most likely the economy will still be in a state of malaise come October/November 2012. Historically whenever the economy is down or perceived as down - the incumbent president almost always becomes very unpopular and almost always loses reelection. There are exceptions to that rule of course, but they are rare. Perry doesn't need to convince everyone. About 40% or more of the population will vote Republican no matter what. If another 10% of voters from the group commonly known as swing voters simply follow the normal historic pattern - Perry wins and we have a dangerous kook as Commander and Chief of the greatest super power the world has ever known. Hopefully, if Perry becomes the GOP nominee it will become so apparent to most Americans that Perry is an extremist nut who does not share their values. However, in economically desperate times - I would not count on that 10% of the voting block who are among the lowest information voters in the world to be reasonable and sensible.

[skip fox]

17. If, however, you want to avoid having Perry close to the Presidency

(given his out-landishness the risk seems terribly high), please come help build Rick Perry: The File by sending links to stories on his possible transgressions in Reply to this OP:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x771488

[totodeinhere]

19. I doubt if most voters will take the time to read that long list let alone care about it. n/t

[totodeinhere]

18. We always hear before an election why this or that Republican cannot win.

It's standard fare for DU. Yet somehow they keep winning anyway. Go figure.

[lumpy]

20. I am a Democrat, I'll b damned before I would root for Perry.

Stupid idea anyway.