Dakota Beacon

(The above characterizations as to political leaning are based on the descriptions by the candidates themselves.)

*These are arguably “progressive” although they claim to be “conservative”

Some interesting inferences may be drawn from the Iowa Straw Poll of 2011, held last weekend.  The first and most obvious, is of course, that Tim Pawlenty’s race is run.  Voters assessed his performance (chiefly against Michele Bachmann) and decided they’d rather have her.  The beleaguered but ever popular Bachmann dealt deftly with the many irrelevant questions handed her by the panel of pundits who clearly wanted to trivialize her candidacy (and failed to do so).  Indeed, when the nation has suffered its first ever bond downgrade, an event in which Bachmann stood out as a leader against the deal that sealed said downgrade, what could they do?  To ask her anything about relevant issues would be to deliver up to her a tacit endorsement.  So instead they opted for questions revolving around her views of “wifely submissiveness”.  One wonders at the assertion by an MSM reporter that the victory of Bachmann “clouds.  The headlines:  “Despite Bachmann Win, Race Now Perry vs. Romney”.  “ROMNEY”??!  Well, that’s what the media wants us to believe.

But other things were revealed last weekend as well.  We can note that in second place is none other than Congressman Ron Paul, the veteran Libertarian who consistently holds his positions on issues, even when all alone, and consistently draws favorable votes among active Republicans.  Who is it who keeps telling Conservatives that they need to move to the Left?  Oh, yeah.  RINOs, Democrats and the media.  Between them, the two frontrunners garnered nearly 50% of the total vote.  The other candidates who presented themselves as “conservative” rounded out the top half of all vote-getters while RINOs Huntsman and media favorite Mitt Romney, along with Newt Gingrich, tainted by his dalliance with the “global warming” crowd, dragged themselves across the finish line nearly last, save for very dark horse Thaddeus McCotter.

Mitt Romney must endure the humiliation of being out-polled by someone not even on the ballot, newly announced Texas governor, Rick Perry.  Also present but for inscrutable reasons, was Sarah Palin, who stirs the pot wherever she goes but declines to jump in. 

As a Conservative myself, I must confess to my own view of all this.  Clearly, Bachmann, despite the taunting of the moderators, showed them how it is done.  She kept her cool and commanding demeanor while, like gnats, the questioners attempted to just annoy.  Ron Paul showed that he’s still got it and that he’s still standing by the values that have won him a significant following.  Pawlenty looked small and mean-spirited, and as he has not really contributed to the grand discussion much he won’t be missed much. Herman Cain and Rick Santorum both beat the RINOs and livened things up.  I still like McCotter, too – although this might not be his year!

The real story is two-fold.  Obviously, Bachmann is staying front and center and will continue to lead in the polls as well as in Congress.  Her integrity in Congress, in fact, is her greatest asset in this election campaign.  People are looking for someone they can trust, someone with a strong record – as opposed to the present occupant of the White House, and someone who understands basic finance.  You can’t spend what you don’t have – if you do you will find your bonds downgraded and your currency devalued.  As more Americans experience just what this means in their lives and those of their children, Bachmann’s message will ring louder and truer by the hour.  She will continue to be a force.

The other part of the story is that a candidate who has been staying on the sidelines throughout this campaign managed to eat “frontrunner” Mitt Romney’s lunch on Saturday.  Rick Perry, not on the ballot, found enough support through write-in votes to knock him out of position, as well as Huntsman and Gingrich.  There is definitely a story here. 

My mother, always astute in political matters, tells me that Perry will be hard to beat because, as she says, “he makes a great speech”.  I would never count out a great speechmaker either.  It is truly a gift and one worth honing for any person who wants to lead a free people.  So he’s got that.  And a good tailor. . .  and he looks good in front of a crowd.  He definitely bears closer examination as someone who might be perceived as a strong Conservative capable of “leading us out of the wilderness” and back to smaller, saner, Constitutional government.

This is a mixed bag, however.  Perry is considered and calls himself a “Conservative” who believes in smaller government, gun rights, creationist theory and other key viewpoints important to American Conservatives.  And he has indeed made some fine speeches to that effect.  But his actions raise questions.  As Governor, Perry issued an executive order that girls in Texas receive Gardasil, an (expensive)HIV preventative vaccine, despite cases of dangerous side effects, effectiveness issues and moral questions – both as to the message implicit in the action regarding permissiveness and as to the cronyism charges, in that the drug’s manufacturer had several significant political connections with Perry.  It was left to the state legislature to repeal it.  There have been other questions raised regarding the scheme for the Trans-Texas Corridor, which mingled public and private financing and accrued to the benefit of private investors while adversely impacting private land ownership.  On the other hand, he has stood unwaveringly for Second Amendment rights, social issues such as “intelligent design” instruction in schools, but then he advocated a voucher system and then turned on it and opposed it.  It is difficult to get a clear reading just where Perry stands.

While Perry asserts his credentials (post-Gore) as an anti-climate change figure, debunking the global warming fake science, no state has greater numbers of windmills than Texas.  The result? Threatened power brown-outs during a prostrating heat wave.  The windmills aren’t working.

There is one area which is somewhat revealing, however, and that is his political associations.  Officially a Democrat until recently (1989) Perry was the Texas coordinator for the Al Gore presidential campaign.  When he “saw the light” and became a “Republican”, it was to endorse not a Conservative, but George W. Bush.  Indeed, if there is one leader from our past whom he resembles and seems to emulate, that would be Bush.  In 2008 he again turned to the “Progressive” flank of the Republican Party to support a candidate, first Rudi Giuliani and then settling on John McCain.  There were some very strong Conservative contenders in that race and one wonders why Perry, a brand-new Conservative who had just “seen the light” did not find it in his heart to encourage a Conservative candidate.  McCain was anathema to the Right, and he has proven them to be correct in their assessment since his return to the Senate.

One is left with a conflicting picture of Rick Perry.  He seems on one hand to be an advocate for smaller government, yet he becomes involved in situations which give the appearance of crony capitalism, even to the point of using the Executive Order to impose his policy on young schoolgirls.  He seems to be at once an advocate for a more sane educational policy but then rejects his own proposal on school vouchers.  He seems to be the upstanding Eagle Scout who adheres to traditional values but behind the clouds are many questions.  He might be all that he seems, but just what is that?  Anyone is free to convert to Conservatism and in fact, we encourage this, but when do we know it is genuine?  What of the strange war Perry conducted against the judicial career of Stephen Wayne Smith?  He has blocked this conservative judge at every turn, encouraging others to run against him and marshalling support for his opponents.  Smith is, evidently, a very strong advocate for true civil rights and against quotas and other artificial gimmicks used to favor non-white populations.  There is no apparent reason, no history which should disqualify the man, yet Perry, it seems would stop at almost nothing to short-circuit his service on the bench.  Why?  There might be a good reason but we haven’t heard it so far.  Maybe no one has asked. 

He has made statements regarding secession which no one takes that seriously, but why make them?  Is bombast a good reason? 

Perry can bring a great deal of interest to this race and undoubtedly he is very articulate in expressing the frustration, bordering on rage, palpable in the American electorate these days.  He does seem intuitive in this regard and very effective in aligning himself with this spirit of dissatisfaction.  But how real is it?  What does he really mean?  We know from his administration in Texas that should he become President he would be a hands-on guy, not off on Martha’s Vineyard.  That’s good if he’s doing good work; bad if he is on a power trip.  This is the riddle with Rick Perry.  It is a mystery.  Just who and what is Rick Perry?  In many respects, Perry reminds one of Donald Trump, in that he zeroes in on the hot points with the public, castigates the popular villains and is somewhat mysterious as to his real agenda and real beliefs.  He resembles Newt Gingrich in that he seems to be a loose cannon, all over the map. 

And why, if he is truly a Conservative, does he not at this stage in the race, choose to support one of the front runners?  Clearly, any Conservative who finds value in Perry will find it in greater and more stable quantity and quality in Michele Bachmann, whose positions have been constant and firm.  There is really little reason for a Rick Perry candidacy.  He would seem irrelevant . . . that is, unless you are one of the herd who believe that Americans will never elect a WOMAN.  It does appear, however, that the compact Conservative dynamo that is Michele Bachmann is looking very good for the nomination.  She is no mystery.  She is just exactly what she says she is and what she looks like and what she votes like.  A thoughtful, courageous leader who is ready with a vision to restore America.  A “Conservative” worthy of the name will support her candidacy rather than try to launch a new campaign of his own.

If you want to revert to George W. Bush, your guy is Perry.  If you want a return to Reagan principles, support Bachmann.

Sally Morris is a member of Americans for Constitutional Government and the executive committee of the Valley Tea Party Conservative Coalition.