« BACK  |  PRINT

RS

MEMBER DIARY

Why I will continue to support Governor Perry

By: shinglejim (Diary)  |  January 16th, 2012 at 08:43 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

As we get closer and closer to the SC Primary, I keep hearing people tell me that my vote for Governor Perry is a vote for Mitt or somebody else depending on their agenda.  I hear it at work, on the radio and I see it on TV. I see it here at RedState too. Apparently I should support [ENTER NAME HERE] because only they can beat [ENTER OTHER NAME HERE].

Last election I settled on McCain after the primaries. After the convention, I was told to get in line otherwise Obama would win and all hell would break loose. I got in line and guess what happened? The GOP still lost and all hell broke loose. That’s what happens when you run a horrible candidate. A candidate who people don’t support because he doesn’t share their values. A candidate people support because they’re browbeaten to.

And here we are again, just a few short years later. Once again I’m being told to shut up and get in line to support a candidate that doesn’t share my beliefs.  If I don’t, all hell will break loose again.  Never mind the fact this isn’t the general election yet or that only two states that obviously do not share my values have voted. Never mind that this is turning into a replay of 2008 all over again.

Well, I have news for you. I’m not ready to shut up and get in line. My Rick Perry vote isn’t changing. Its not a vote for Mitt, Newt, Santorum, Paul or anybody else. Its a vote for my principles. That’s what primaries are for. They exist for people to vote their values and beliefs.  Only one candidate shares my beliefs on the major social, fiscal and economic issues facing our nation and has the record to prove it.

I believe Washington needs change. I believe in limited government, lower taxes and less regulation. I’m against bailouts, handouts and runaway spending. I believe our entitlement system needs change and our citizens need jobs. I believe our military needs to be treated better and our borders need to be secure. I believe we need energy independence. I don’t like people telling me that I have to buy insurance. I believe in capitalism and the free markets. I believe marriage is between a man and a woman and I believe in the sanctity of life.

I’m getting sick and tired of people telling me to ignore any of my values, to overlook tiny things like records, achievements and past statements and actions. I won’t do it. I will continue to contribute to Rick Perry and I will vote for him in the Texas primary. To do otherwise would be an admission that my principles can be overlooked. Its hard enough to do that in a general election. Its damn near unforgivable to do it in a primary.

COMMENTS

POSTING RULES  |  LOGIN TO COMMENT  |  REGISTER TODAY
  • aj_0000

    Period. You are not standing on principle, you are wearing blinders. The only thing that will stop Romney is if somebody else wins SC. That is the reality of how the process works. And the only candidate within striking distance is Newt Gingrich. A vote for anyone but Gingrich at this point is a vote for Romney. If perry was in second place, I would say vote for Perry. If Santorum was in second place, I would say vote for Santorum. Romney must be stopped. And Newt winning SC is the only way it will happen. That’s REALITY.

    • aj_0000

      If you don’t live in SC or FL, it won’t matter who you vote for, because Perry will drop out before the race gets to you.

    • pttx333

      Pardon me, but a vote for Perry is a vote for Perry, just like a vote for Romney is a vote for Romney, and so on. I don’t vote according to what the polls say, they are totally unreliable and so are the talking heads.

    • Scope

      and to tell anyone anything about principles. If you are willing to throw your conservative principles away for nothing but a loud mouth, that has been determined by many to be a moderate, from his record, you need to take your empty pleas elsewhere.

      • gracie

        Wish the rest of the US could read it.

    • shinglejim

      You may view it as wearing blinders, I view it as principles. Sticking by one’s principles isn’t always the easiest thing to do, but its the right thing to do.

      And with all do respect to you and your opinion, its this constant bending and willingness to overlook one’s core beliefs that leads to nominees like McCain, like Romney, like Dole.

      For Romney supporters, its that constant search for electability that takes precedence over record, values, etc. Unfortunately, we never get an answer to electability until the election is over. Its a crap shoot at best. In the process of banking on electibility, they’re willing to compromise their own core beliefs on life, government and everything else.

      In your case, you favor Newt over Romney. Don’t blame me for Newt being in second place. Perhaps he should’ve done a better job of sticking to his own core beliefs when he decided to sit on the couch next to Pelosi or when he called Ryan’s plan right wing social engineering. Instead he was trying to read the tea leaves to better position his political future. Perhaps he should have thought about his own core beliefs when he made personal decisions in his marriage and family life. But he didn’t.

      All of these Newt problems go back to the question of character. Its very important to me and I’m not willing to sacrifice mine just to make you feel better about beating Romney. The fact that you can so freely do so is on you.

      The people of Iowa and New Hampshire have voted for who they wanted, so why can’t I have that chance?

  • westcoastpatriette

    What more can I say?

  • gracie

    Wish the rest of the US could read it.

  • bzip

    Thank you for the great diary. I totally agree, I am sick and tired of people telling me to sell out my values and my principles.

    I won’t do it, I won’t sell my country out nor my principles out. There is a choice, a choice of a person who has a long proven track record of consistent conservative governing, leading his state into growth and less regulations or pseud conservatives.

    Don’t sell out just because you want to see Obama get a bloody nose in a debate, that has to be the all time stupidest reason for casting your vote for a candidate and at the same time sellout yourself out to do it..

  • americanexpat

    This diary explains exactly why I will vote for Rick Perry when the Maryland primary comes along, unless Perry himself decides that he’s done and pulls out, in which case I will cry bitterly as I fill out my absentee ballot with … only God knows what name, because I sure don’t. I’m not sure why people have such a hard time understanding the idea that in the primary, you vote your conscience–YOUR conscience, not some naysayer’s conscience–and only in the general do you hold your nose and vote Republican no matter who the candidate is.

    • benko

      Perry might very well be an excellent president. However we will never know (not this year). This is reality.

      By all means vote for Perry. I am skeptical that our country will really change until like an alcoholic, we hit bottom. And if Romney is the best we can do after Obama, the bottom is coming and soon and with a very loud bump.

  • WillWong

    Gov Perry and Rick Santorum, I would not go there! However, there is enough reason for Gov Perry and Santorum to do some soul searching how their staying/leaving before Saturday will impact the fate of the country in general and the conservative movement in particular. For those of you who believe in the power of prayer, try praying along those lines asking God to speak to Perry, Newt, and Santorum.

    Last Monday, I asked God to give the person of His choice wisdom to do well in the debate without mentioning any names. I will pray the same this Thursday and if Newt does the same and hit it out of the park again, it would be mighty hard for me not to infer that God might be telling us something about Newt!

    • westcoastpatriette

      Newt. Remember the prophet Hosea in the OT book with the same name? The Lord told him to marry an active prostitute to illustrate Israel’s betrayal and unfaithful to God. Hosea obeyed the Lord and truly love the woman who had children that were not Hosea’s.

      America is a lot like Israel right now in that we are being unfaithful to the Lord and serving many other idols. So I can see allowing Newt to win so that we can all see the woman Newt had an affair with in the White House to illustrate our unfaithfulness to God.

      By the way, I agree with you in this comment here and it is what I am resorting to in my prayers more and more. I just pray that God’s will be done and let go of what I want.

      • WillWong

        Sure I do! Very interesting parallel! Never looked at it that way but I couldn’t agree with you more on the fact that we, as a nation had strayed far from God’s precepts. Interestingly, when disasters strike, and they do, how quickly we turn around and blame God for not protecting us!

    • WillWong

      I have utmost respect for Gov Perry for doing what he did! Some of you may not agree or like it but you got to respect the man’s decision. Let’s see if Santorum would respond likewise!

    • WillWong

      Newt hit it out of the park again and got two standing ovations after the one he got on Monday!

  • runner12

    There is nothing more for me to say. I want a chance to vote for Perry on Super Tuesday. I am tired of the talking heads telling him to get out for the “good of the party.” Really? How has that been working for us so far?

    To those of you ready to crown Newt the anti-Romney, I think you need to be honest about his personal negatives. The DNC will eat him alive. The one positive Obama has going for him is that he is “considered” a good family man. What is Newt’s biggest baggage? Enough said. Yep, the DNC will go there and with great gusto. It does not matter whether what the LSM says is true or not (it never is). But I am very concerned about this line of attack against Gingrich.

    • WillWong

      and got his liver handed back to him chopped and fried!! I like to see the DNC try as well!

    • http://www.tooncesthecat.wordpress.com tooncesthecat

      While attending a Rally for Rick Perry last week, the lady in her 70′s sitting next to me leaned over and asked: “What do you think of Newt Gingrich?” I deferred, asking her “What do you think?” She said: “You know he’s been married three times. I can’t vote for someone like that.” That’s what Newt will run up against, even if the DNC doesn’t say a word. I’ll vote for Newt if he’s the nominee, but a lot of folks, especially older women, won’t.

  • carolynr

    and BHO started it BIG TIME. For starters…let’s stop using terms like Latino Americans and Black Americans. Why? BHO has done more to enlarge the racial divide in this country than any other candidate going.

  • angelfire

    Beautifully said!

    I wholeheartedly agree with all you said!!

    PERRY 2012!!

    • Rapunzel46

      I am beyond sick of people telling Perry to get out, saying he has no chance, etc., he has the best record of anyone in the race, I guess I have to ask why, if the country is going to the dogs (and it didn’t just start under Obama, he’s just sped it up) are the powers that be in government and in the media determined that we all get in line and vote for the candidate who will continue things as in instead of a candidate who has a great record in the 13th largest economy in the world who will likely shake up the status quo!

      • tokenleftyfromnewark

        In his last debate, I think he was really effective (I did only see the last third or so). He may be out of the race, but if he ends up getting the VP slot… well, Joe Biden should not be doing any misunderestimation.

  • patsee

    it deserves. Well there goes the best candidate we could of wished for. Rick Perry was the closest to perfect I have ever seen. Most of the people are so scared that they choose the wrong candidate – they choose the wrong candidate. So they therefore get the President they deserve.

  • http://www.changeforrickperry.org louisianapatriette

    Good job, shinglejim! Although I wasn’t old enough to vote in 2008, I am this year and I have absolutely no intention of holding my nose. I’m chomping at the bit to vote for Perry in the Louisiana primary (why should Texans get all the fun anyway? ;) ) and I’m also ready to take it to the convention if we have to.

    Thanks for this diary: it echoes my feelings exactly.

  • pttx333

    my vote.

    I don’t buy into that old stuff of don’t vote for your candidate because of this or that. I figure that my vote will go to my candidate regardless, come what may. If I don’t vote my choice (RICK PERRY), then that will be one less. So I call bs on anyone who tries to rain on my parade. They can rain all they wish, but I’ll just get a bigger umbrella!

  • http://www.tooncesthecat.wordpress.com tooncesthecat

    My wife and I will be voting for Rick Perry in the South Carolina primary this Saturday. We could never sell out our principles and vote for Gingrich or Santorum, two Washington Insiders who helped get us into this mess.

    And I wonder: How many of those who want so desparately to stop Romney, will be urging Virginia Republicans to vote for Ron Paul, since he’s the only other choice on the ballot in Virginia?

  • shinglejim

    Tonight’s debate just reaffirmed my stance. After watching Mitt’s performance after coming under finally coming under fire, thanks but no thanks.

  • pttx333

    noticed that my recos still didn’t come through. Don’t know what is wrong!

    Oh, yeah, our guy is truly a winner in all ways. And I’ll stick by him through thick and thin and through all of the bs anyone can throw my way. I do not care what anyone says either! Perry nailed it again tonight!

    Thanks again for the diary, kind sir!

  • romansdaughter

    Yes, Romney is not looking good…can you see him up against the Dems and Obama? He will be crying like a baby. My goodness, I want a leader who doesn’t have a big ego but cares about our country more. That is why I am with Perry all the way.

  • forgiven

    I am so hopeful that Perry will catch on now, but I will not defect from my support for him. I tell everyone I know to look at him again and they, for the most part hold his slip-ups and gardesil as well as instate tuition against him. These item keep them from supporting him even though they are all Chrisitans.
    I am still trying….Go Perry…you need more and better PR. Get some pros to help you…please.

  • jakeofalltrades

    mixed in with assorted gore from Juan Williams’s broken husk. At that point, it will be down to two: Newt or Perry. At last, a clear choice.

  • Spartan4Life

    When hasked whether he regretted a particularly tough ad against the Big Government Senator he said, “I only regret I had only one minute. I couldn’t get in everything I wanted to say.” LMAO