Rick Perry - The Great Campaigner

[Tender Branson]

Forget about death and taxes. Today, there are only two sure things in life: Every few years Rick Perry will run for office, and every few years Rick Perry will grind his opponents into dust. Since 1984, the man once derided as “Governor Good Hair” has participated in ten contested elections and won all of them.

A few were against relatively weak opposition, but many were against prominent figures who were expected to give Perry a run for his money. Jim Hightower, John Sharp, Tony Sanchez, Chris Bell, Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Bill White—you could competently govern a medium-sized republic with political talent like that.

But all of them fell to Perry’s deep coffers, disciplined campaign style, occasional refusal to debate, and (semi-) popularity among Texans. What is it like to run against the man who may well be the most successful state politician in Texas history?

To find out, we spoke to eleven people with intimate knowledge of what is, after dying and paying taxes, the most unpleasant experience a politician can endure. Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann, Barack Obama: Read closely.

...

Race

1998 general election for lieutenant governor
Opponent

John Sharp (D), lost with 48 percent

A veteran of the state House and Senate, Sharp, who had been a friend of Perry’s at Texas A&M, gave up his position as comptroller to run. But he wasn’t quite able to close the gap. He recently announced that he would run for the Senate seat that Kay Bailey Hutchison is vacating.

Sharp: Running against Perry is like running against God. Everything breaks his way! Either he’s the luckiest guy in the world or the Lord is taking care of him. In 1998 Governor Bush told Bob Bullock he was going to stay out of our lieutenant governor’s race, according to Bullock. Then Bush realized that he could not run for president if it meant leaving office would elevate a Democrat to governor. So he was forced to get involved, and his parents ran ads for Perry.

http://www.texasmonthly.com/2011-09-01/feature7.php

[Link]

1998 general election for lieutenant governor
Opponent

John Sharp (D), lost with 48 percent

A veteran of the state House and Senate, Sharp, who had been a friend of Perry’s at Texas A&M, gave up his position as comptroller to run. But he wasn’t quite able to close the gap. He recently announced that he would run for the Senate seat that Kay Bailey Hutchison is vacating.

Sharp: Running against Perry is like running against God. Everything breaks his way! Either he’s the luckiest guy in the world or the Lord is taking care of him. In 1998 Governor Bush told Bob Bullock he was going to stay out of our lieutenant governor’s race, according to Bullock. Then Bush realized that he could not run for president if it meant leaving office would elevate a Democrat to governor. So he was forced to get involved, and his parents ran ads for Perry.

http://www.texasmonthly.com/2011-09-01/feature7.php

You think that's something check out Obama's electoral history.  It contains one of the greatest implosions to occur during a statewide election.  It makes that story sound like you're reading the ingredients list for Cheetos.



In fairness people say Perry is a good campaigner.

[krazen1211]

1998 general election for lieutenant governor
Opponent

John Sharp (D), lost with 48 percent

A veteran of the state House and Senate, Sharp, who had been a friend of Perry’s at Texas A&M, gave up his position as comptroller to run. But he wasn’t quite able to close the gap. He recently announced that he would run for the Senate seat that Kay Bailey Hutchison is vacating.

Sharp: Running against Perry is like running against God. Everything breaks his way! Either he’s the luckiest guy in the world or the Lord is taking care of him. In 1998 Governor Bush told Bob Bullock he was going to stay out of our lieutenant governor’s race, according to Bullock. Then Bush realized that he could not run for president if it meant leaving office would elevate a Democrat to governor. So he was forced to get involved, and his parents ran ads for Perry.

http://www.texasmonthly.com/2011-09-01/feature7.php

You think that's something check out Obama's electoral history.  It contains one of the greatest implosions to occur during a statewide election.  It makes that story sound like you're reading the ingredients list for Cheetos.



In fairness people say Perry is a good campaigner.

Obama isn't undefeated. He lost his primary challenge to Bobby Rush.

[King]

I'd like to think most people running for President have an electoral history that involves winning elections.

[Link]

1998 general election for lieutenant governor
Opponent

John Sharp (D), lost with 48 percent

A veteran of the state House and Senate, Sharp, who had been a friend of Perry’s at Texas A&M, gave up his position as comptroller to run. But he wasn’t quite able to close the gap. He recently announced that he would run for the Senate seat that Kay Bailey Hutchison is vacating.

Sharp: Running against Perry is like running against God. Everything breaks his way! Either he’s the luckiest guy in the world or the Lord is taking care of him. In 1998 Governor Bush told Bob Bullock he was going to stay out of our lieutenant governor’s race, according to Bullock. Then Bush realized that he could not run for president if it meant leaving office would elevate a Democrat to governor. So he was forced to get involved, and his parents ran ads for Perry.

http://www.texasmonthly.com/2011-09-01/feature7.php

You think that's something check out Obama's electoral history.  It contains one of the greatest implosions to occur during a statewide election.  It makes that story sound like you're reading the ingredients list for Cheetos.



In fairness people say Perry is a good campaigner.

Obama isn't undefeated. He lost his primary challenge to Bobby Rush.

You're thinking of Palin.

No one said Obama was undefeated.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Please tell me this is a joke.

[Eraserhead]

Perry is big pimpin', Bachmann is limpin'.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/61366.html

[J. J.]

Please tell me this is a joke.

I read the article; Perry is an exceptionally good campaigner.

[Lief 🗽]

Wow, a conservative Republican's won a lot of elections in a conservative Republican state. Must be a genius.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Please tell me this is a joke.

I read the article; Perry is an exceptionally good campaigner.

I mostly meant the picture. However, his nationwide prowess remains to be seen, and outside of deep blue Texas his real record may be his downfall.

[J. J.]

Wow, a conservative Republican's won a lot of elections in a conservative Republican state. Must be a genius.

I had no idea LBJ was a Republican?

BTW:  The state is littered with the political bodies of Republicans that ran against him.

[courts]

Wow, a conservative Republican's won a lot of elections in a conservative Republican state. Must be a genius.

Didn't do much for Gore.

[King]

Wow, a conservative Republican's won a lot of elections in a conservative Republican state. Must be a genius.

I had no idea LBJ was a Republican?

BTW:  The state is littered with the political bodies of Republicans that ran against him.

Perry wasn't running in 1956, or hell, even 1980.  George W. Bush lost a Congressional race to a Democrat more conservative than himself.

[The Mikado]

Perry's biggest breaks came at two specific points: 1. Deciding to switch to the Republican Party to mount a challenge against Jim Hightower for Ag Commissioner and pulling off a narrow win in a bad year for the TX GOP, and 2. George W. Bush becoming president and letting him into the Governor's Masnion years ahead of schedule.  (The narrow victory over John Sharp in 1998 is a good third point, but I see the Bush thing as more significant).  Perry's lucky, yes, but he also has a good sense of timing.