Papering Over Their Differences
December 11th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
Well, Rudy Giuliani is officially a candidate for president on the Texas ballot — or at least he should be — after Gov. Rick Perry turned in Giuliani’s filing paperwork this afternoon at a staged media event.
There wasn’t much suspense. Perry had already endorsed the former New York City mayor in October. Much of the Austin press corps squished into a small room at the Texas Republican Party headquarters to watch Perry hand over a stack of papers to party officials and listen to the governor’s explanations of why Giuliani should be president.
They do make an odd couple: the twanging Texas governor, a self-described social conservative who once used a suburban Fort Worth mega-church as a backdrop to sign the state’s constitutional ban on gay marriage — even though it didn’t require his signature. Then there’s the quick-talking, crazed-giggling, New Yorker, who’s pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-gay rights, and occasionally chooses politically curious ways to, um, dress himself.
But on a deeper level, Perry’s support of Giuliani makes sense. Perry this afternoon listed three reasons he’s backing Giuliani. The first two, while questionable, aren’t surprising: “experienced leadership” (read: 9-11) and his electability. Lastly, Perry said, “He’s a genuine fiscal conservative. He cut taxes 23 times….He understands you can’t tax yourself to prosperity.”
In New York, Giuliani was also a furious privatizer of every government service that wasn’t nailed down, which has made him a favorite among the right wing, small-government think-tank set. Giuliani personifies three of the main characteristics of Republican rule in Texas during Perry’s governorship: an authoritarian view of government power, a love of tax cuts for the wealthy, and an insistence on privatizing services. This is a man with whom they can do business.
That may explain why Perry didn’t support a social conservative such as former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. “I think the world of Mike Huckabee,” Perry said today when asked about the fast-rising GOP contender. “He’s a great friend.” But he added that Giuliani was the most qualified to be president, and the most likely to win.
Some in the chattering class have speculated Perry is simply fishing for the vice presidential nomination. Asked about that today, Perry again said he’s not interested. “This is the best job.”
Given the recent polling that shows Giuliani’s support is dropping, the issue may turn out to be moot.
December 12th, 2007 at 9:40 am
Random thoughts about a mutual horrific fear of the ‘Mitt$ter and the pRick$ter’?
Romney’s Scare to Bear
His most intimate despair, I declare -
Someone will dare to mess up his HAIR?
Hubert Wilson