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Yes, Rick Perry might seem a little, well, out there with some of his public statements. But the Texas governor has something that our current commanded-in-chief lacks: Overt machismo.
And this cannot be underestimated. Macho men have a long history of winning elections. George W. Bush played the macho guy well, always clearing brush on his Texas ranch and challenging terrorists with tough-guy statements (“Bring ’em on,” “Smoke ’em out”). Vladimir Putin is so macho his vacations include tiger hunting, judo tournaments and riding horses. Shirtless. Teddy Roosevelt, one of America’s great presidents, was a boxer, big game hunter and war hero.
Remember, it doesn’t really matter so much if Perry is actually a tough guy. It matters more if he’s perceived as a tough guy.
So, please ignore that stint Perry had in college when he was part of a club that was much too similar to being a male cheerleader. Instead, focus on his youth as an Eagle Scout, his service in the Air Force, his propensity for shooting guns and his A+ rating from the NRA. Focus on how he threatened to treat Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke “ugly” if he comes to Texas and how he’s challenging Obama’s patriotism for nerver serving in the military.
Evidence of Perry’s machismo is surging on the internets. The Twitter feed @RickPerryFacts is a constant stream of Chuck Norris-esque statements about Perry. They’re funny, but I also can’t help but think they don’t speak to a yearning of some part of the human psyche: A basic desire for a strong, tough-guy leader.
Now, this Twitter feed has been active for quite some time, but with Perry’s emergence as a top presidential contender, they’ve stepped it up a notch.
Here are 10 recent tweets from @RickPerryFacts about govenor’s machismo:
• Each night before they go to sleep, Barack Obama makes Michelle check under the bed for Rick Perry. #RickPerryFacts
• Popeye opens a can of Rick Perry before a fight. #RickPerryFacts
• Atheists believe in rick perry #RickPerryFacts
• Obama lists him as his emergency contact. #RickPerryFacts
• Rick Perry once played in Texas without having a fiddle in his band. #RickPerryFacts
• Remember how bad Y2K was supposed to be? Remember how nothing bad happened at midnight? Yeah, thank Rick Perry for that one. #RickPerryFacts
• Rick Perry once won the Indianapolis 500 in a rickshaw pulled by a small gerbil. #rickperryfacts #rickperry
• If Rick Perry had starred in the movie “300”, the film would have been called “1”.
• As President, Rick Perry will protect the Secret Service.
Perry Vaults to Frontrunner Status in South Carolina
Roll Call Politics
Texas Gov. Rick Perry has grabbed frontrunner status in South Carolina, ending several months of what had been a muddled race in this key Republican presidential primary state.
Perry launched his campaign just over a week ago in Charleston, electrifying South Carolina conservatives who have been hungering for a candidate with Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann’s fire who they also deem electable and experienced. And while Republicans in the Palmetto State caution that Perry has months of vetting ahead of him and that the contest is still up for grabs, there is a general consensus that the late-entering Texas governor has the inside track.
“Perry has definitely been a game-changer,” said Barry Wynn, a Spartanburg businessman and former state GOP chairman who is aligned with Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.). “I think voters here had their heads telling them to be for [former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt] Romney but their hearts were somewhere else. Now they can get their head and heart at the same point, and that creates more passion and energy.”
Wild Thing’s comment……
LOL I thought you all might get a kick out of the first part of this post. I remember all the Chuck Norris one liners that were being passed around a few years ago. hahaha And now to see this of Perry is so great.
“Each night before they go to sleep, Barack Obama makes Michelle check under the bed for Rick Perry. “
LMAO this one really has me laughing.
And regarding the second part of this post about the polls and the candidates.
After a week and a half we have Perry leading in Iowa, NC, SC, and CO, and also leading by double digits in 2 national polls. We’ll see if he can keep this up, but he’s off to a great start!
Even with the rash of MSM hit pieces on Perry in the last week. The left is afraid…they know Perry will mop the floor with Obama.
He’s certainly easy to get to know and like. Thats for sure.
Mark, I agree, he is very open. When I lived in Dallas those 5 years I noticed a lot of that kind of thing, people were open and friendly right from my first day there.