Governor Perry is Conservative but He Is Not Nutty

I’ve been involved in and watched the American political scene for a long time. And, over the years, one truth has become more and more obvious. When the politically conservative point of view seems to be winning over a large percentage of American voters, the left gets out its meat axes and proceeds to bloody anyone who gets in their way.

Case in point. Rick Perry.

Now, let’s be honest. Perry has made a less than stellar beginning to his campaign. His Texas-grown staff seems not to get the message right and cannot control their candidate. And, the Governor does not help himself. He gets so tangled up in Texan vernacular phrasing that he becomes an easy target. But, hey, we know what he’s saying and what he means. Whoever said that a Boston accent was the only acceptable presidential voice, anyway.   

But I digress. Today the Washington Post jumped on Governor Perry with all the cynicism and ridicule it could muster - and that’s a lot, believe me, because the Washington Post believes that it alone has the right to call the shots in American politics. One might add that being inside the Beltway also makes the Post, itself,  a candidate for ridicule because its incestuous relationship with the federal political scene calls into question any position it takes.

To get back to Governor Perry - today, it was the birther issue. The columnists and opinion writers poured more vitriole over the man than anyone who has risen to be governor of any state at any time (the Longs of Louisiana excepted) deserves. Not only has he “found a new outlet for his fringe instincts” to quote Dana Millbank, but Millbank also dragged out Karl Rove, whom we all know is the one Republican determined to destroy Perry. And, Rove took the bait, saying, “when you associate yourself with a nutty view like that you damage yourself.”

Since most of the time, Karl Rove is also Washington Post GOP fodder, I can only assume that Millbank chose to quote him about the birther issue in an attempt to paint Perry as being even farther to the right of the GOP.

And, all of this fury was generated simply because Perry, when asked in the Sunday Parade Magazine interview if he thinks President Obama was born in the United States, said, “I have no reason to think otherwise.” The Governor actually went on to say that “it doesn’t matter” because Obama was elected.

What he might have added is that approximately one-third of Americans do not believe Obama was born in the United States. I suppose that means that one-third of us are “nutty” in our views and have found an outlet for “our fringe instincts.”

What Governor Perry might also have added is that no one has seen Barak Obama’s birth certificate. We were shown the facsimile of a “Live Birth” record.

But, if you were to take the time to read the political pages of the Washington Post today, you could find several references to the fact that Obama’s birth in the United States is a proven fact. Vox Populi (the voice of the people) - as the Romans said when the mob shouted its will in front of the Roman Senate. In a reversal of roles, today, we have the spectacle of a Washington newspaper shouting to the American people as if it were the sole keeper of their voice.   

What the Washington Post forgot in its dash to stomp all over Governor Perry was that he made a major policy proposal about taxes today in South Carolina. I'll write about that tomorrow. Frankly, my dears, I've had enough of the Post for one day.