Chad’s Morning Brief Rick Perry Talks Open Carry, Senators as 2016 Candidates, and Has Major Donors
Here is your Morning Brief for February 6, 2015.
Rick Perry Talks Guns and 2016
Former Texas Governor Rick Perry sat down with the Texas Tribune and Washington Post yesterday for a wide ranging interview that included his thoughts on 2016. According to the Washington Post, Perry again cited his experience as Governor as something that sets him apart from others. Perry again took a swipe at those U.S. Senators, without naming names, who might be looking at running for President. When asked how he differs from Senator Ted Cruz, Perry emphasized experience.
“I think it’s one of the selling points, if you will, to the American people as they decide who is going to follow Barack Obama,” Perry said in a joint interview with The Washington Post and the Texas Tribune. “I think they’re going to make a rather radical shift away from a young, untested United States senator whose policies have really failed.”
He added, “They’re going to look for somebody that’s got the executive experience. And my feel, my advice, and my instinct is that they’re going to look for someone who has a substantial track record, someone who’s been tested and someone who has the results of what they put into place.”
Perry’s argument for a seasoned governor to lead his party in the next presidential election is the core of his latest pitch in recent meetings with GOP leaders in Iowa and other early primary states.
As I have written before, I think Perry's argument is a winning one and not just for him. Scott Walker of Wisconsin has a great resume as well and is battle-tested. Of course the man who many believe to be the front-runner in the Republican field is also a former Governor, Jeb Bush.
According to the Texas Tribune, Perry also weighed in on the Open Carry debate in Texas.
Perry said he was “not necessarily all that fond of this open carry concept,” adding that those who carry guns ought to be “appropriately backgrounded, appropriately vetted, appropriately trained.”
“We license people to drive on our highways,” he said. “We give them that privilege. The same is true with our concealed handguns.”
But also, he said he prefers concealed handguns for “a more practical reason.”
“I don’t want the bad guys to know if I’m carrying," he said. "I don’t want to be the first person shot if something’s going down.”
There were some in the media who took this to mean that Perry was anti-Open Carry. I don't see it that way. It might just be that Rick Perry doesn't believe it's a top issue in the state. I understand his point of view. However, I would say that I disagree with his analogy. Driving is not a Constitutional Right. Guns are. I think I know where Perry was aiming on that one, but it just came out wrong in my opinion.
2016 Money War
According to the Washington Post, while many have written off Rick Perry in 2016... at least outside of Texas... Perry has apparently shown that he has the ability to raise money and a lot of it. Perry has reportedly recruited more than 80 donors including many wealthy Texans.
Releasing the names now lays claim to a major pool of fundraisers, making the case that Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker are not the only ones with the capacity to raise big money.
Especially in the pundit class, Perry is often written off because of his 2012 belly-flop. But donors and voters who now see a polished, more prepared and successful former governor don’t necessarily think, “Oh, the 2012 blunder. Forget it.” They will watch him in action, size up his performance in early states (where his retail political skills will serve him well) and determine for themselves whether 2012 was an aberration. Voters who have “Bush fatigue” but nevertheless want someone experienced in a big job, “presidential looking,” up to speed on foreign policy and with solid conservative credentials over a long period of time may well give Perry a serious look.
This could get very interesting.
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These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of The Chad Hasty Show. Tune in mornings 8:30-11am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard on our KFYO YouTube page after the show and online at kfyo.com.
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