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| Rick Perry: Could he be the next US president? | Rick Perry: Could he be the next US president? |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| By Tom Geoghegan BBC News, Washington DC | By Tom Geoghegan BBC News, Washington DC |
| To his supporters, he's the man who fixed Texas and can answer the country's economic prayers. Could Rick Perry, who has announced his intention to enter the presidential race, overcome his doubters and end up in the White House? | To his supporters, he's the man who fixed Texas and can answer the country's economic prayers. Could Rick Perry, who has announced his intention to enter the presidential race, overcome his doubters and end up in the White House? |
| If there was a factory producing Republican presidential candidates to order, it would probably have conveyor belts full of Rick Perry prototypes. | If there was a factory producing Republican presidential candidates to order, it would probably have conveyor belts full of Rick Perry prototypes. |
| The Texas governor ticks many of the boxes on the party's wishlist. He's a socially conservative Christian with a record of cutting spending, who can boast that he restored to health the finances of the second largest state in the US, without raising taxes. | The Texas governor ticks many of the boxes on the party's wishlist. He's a socially conservative Christian with a record of cutting spending, who can boast that he restored to health the finances of the second largest state in the US, without raising taxes. |
| Like the Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney, he married his childhood sweetheart and has the kind of chiselled looks made for Mount Rushmore. | Like the Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney, he married his childhood sweetheart and has the kind of chiselled looks made for Mount Rushmore. |
| But unlike the Massachusetts millionaire, he has a personal narrative that millions of Americans can relate to - a humble childhood growing up on a Texan cotton farm. | But unlike the Massachusetts millionaire, he has a personal narrative that millions of Americans can relate to - a humble childhood growing up on a Texan cotton farm. |
| Mr Perry also shares one important quality with his other main Republican rival, Michele Bachmann, who topped a straw poll in the crucial state of Iowa at the weekend. They can both fire up an audience, as he demonstrated a week ago at a prayer rally in Houston which left some of the 30,000 worshippers in tears. | |
| Plus, he's got Texan donors with large pockets backing him and a CV that includes five years of military service. | Plus, he's got Texan donors with large pockets backing him and a CV that includes five years of military service. |
| After months of speculation, he finally threw his (cowboy) hat into the ring on Saturday. | After months of speculation, he finally threw his (cowboy) hat into the ring on Saturday. |
| "The change we seek will never emanate out of Washington," he said at his campaign launch in South Carolina. | "The change we seek will never emanate out of Washington," he said at his campaign launch in South Carolina. |
| "It will come from the windswept prairies of middle America; the farms and factories across this great land; the hearts and minds of God-fearing Americans... We do not have to accept our current circumstances. We will change them. We're Americans. That's what we do. We roll up our sleeves. We get to work. We make things better." | "It will come from the windswept prairies of middle America; the farms and factories across this great land; the hearts and minds of God-fearing Americans... We do not have to accept our current circumstances. We will change them. We're Americans. That's what we do. We roll up our sleeves. We get to work. We make things better." |
| Although his small government mantra is shared by the other candidates, Perry can produce evidence that he walks it and talks it, pointing to his 10 years in charge in Texas, where he closed the state's budget deficit and continues to implement huge and controversial cuts to spending. | Although his small government mantra is shared by the other candidates, Perry can produce evidence that he walks it and talks it, pointing to his 10 years in charge in Texas, where he closed the state's budget deficit and continues to implement huge and controversial cuts to spending. |
| His entry into the race comes as the economic recovery looks particularly vulnerable, with even Mr Obama's Democrat supporters openly questioning his leadership. | His entry into the race comes as the economic recovery looks particularly vulnerable, with even Mr Obama's Democrat supporters openly questioning his leadership. |
| For months, many Republicans have waited for Perry to enter a field of candidates that has failed to ignite enthusiasm across the party base. But his critics consider him too conservative to win a general election. | For months, many Republicans have waited for Perry to enter a field of candidates that has failed to ignite enthusiasm across the party base. But his critics consider him too conservative to win a general election. |
| So what is really like? | So what is really like? |
| Charismatic, attractive and forceful, says Wayne Slater of the Dallas Morning News, who has followed him for 21 years and met him hundreds of times. | Charismatic, attractive and forceful, says Wayne Slater of the Dallas Morning News, who has followed him for 21 years and met him hundreds of times. |
| "The Republicans call him a 'full spectrum' Republican," he says. "This means he can appeal to Christian conservatives, can appeal to populist-minded Tea Party voters and as he pitches his business record in Texas, can potentially appeal to the party's establishment wing which at the moment seems to line up a bit to Romney. | "The Republicans call him a 'full spectrum' Republican," he says. "This means he can appeal to Christian conservatives, can appeal to populist-minded Tea Party voters and as he pitches his business record in Texas, can potentially appeal to the party's establishment wing which at the moment seems to line up a bit to Romney. |
| "So the Perry people believe he's the one candidate in the race who is the most complete candidate, at least for Republican primary voters." | "So the Perry people believe he's the one candidate in the race who is the most complete candidate, at least for Republican primary voters." |
| And he has a clear and potent message about the most important issue, says Mr Slater - "I fixed Texas and can fix the US." | And he has a clear and potent message about the most important issue, says Mr Slater - "I fixed Texas and can fix the US." |
| According to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data reported in the Wall Street Journal, 37% of new jobs created since the end of the recession in June 2009 have been in Texas. | According to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data reported in the Wall Street Journal, 37% of new jobs created since the end of the recession in June 2009 have been in Texas. |
| But there are different ways you can look at his record. Technically, the state budget is balanced but there are billions of dollars of unpaid bills, says Mr Slater, while many of the new jobs are low-wage. More people are uninsured than any other state in the country and the de-regulation of business which is attractive for investment has increased pollution. | But there are different ways you can look at his record. Technically, the state budget is balanced but there are billions of dollars of unpaid bills, says Mr Slater, while many of the new jobs are low-wage. More people are uninsured than any other state in the country and the de-regulation of business which is attractive for investment has increased pollution. |
| "But in politics if you are explaining, you are losing. And Perry is able to offer a crystal-clear anecdotal observation - 'We have created jobs and businesses have moved to Texas. I can do the same nationally.' | "But in politics if you are explaining, you are losing. And Perry is able to offer a crystal-clear anecdotal observation - 'We have created jobs and businesses have moved to Texas. I can do the same nationally.' |
| "To puncture that with an elaborate explanation, as his opponents will, will probably fall flat with many voters." | "To puncture that with an elaborate explanation, as his opponents will, will probably fall flat with many voters." |
| Some analysts wonder whether the US is ready for another Texan president, so soon after George W Bush, who ended his second term deeply unpopular, even in his own party. | Some analysts wonder whether the US is ready for another Texan president, so soon after George W Bush, who ended his second term deeply unpopular, even in his own party. |
| "It's not just Bush fatigue but he will seem a bit of a caricature to some voters," says Mr Slater. But the question this year is that, with an electorate anxious for someone to steady our economic problems, could they overlook this if he presents himself successfully as the guy who can do it?" | "It's not just Bush fatigue but he will seem a bit of a caricature to some voters," says Mr Slater. But the question this year is that, with an electorate anxious for someone to steady our economic problems, could they overlook this if he presents himself successfully as the guy who can do it?" |
| There are several reasons why the independent voters who usually decide elections may pause for thought before backing the 61-year-old Methodist. | |
| In Texas, he vetoed a ban on putting to death people found to be "mentally retarded" and there have been more than 200 executions during his governorship. | |
| On one occasion he made comments that seemed to endorse the movement in Texas to break away from the union. And he once said that he shot a coyote while out jogging, using a semi-automatic Ruger handgun that he was carrying at the time. | |
| He is ultra-conservative, says Peter Fenn, a Democratic strategist, and it's a sign of desperation with the current lacklustre field of candidates that they are suddenly looking to Rick Perry. | |
| "Right now this is all about Republicans looking for their knight on a white horse and Perry is a reaction to that and to 'none of the above'." | "Right now this is all about Republicans looking for their knight on a white horse and Perry is a reaction to that and to 'none of the above'." |
| Mr Perry could be like Rudy Giuliani in 2007, who peaked the moment he announced he was running, says Mr Fenn, and Mitt Romney is still the most likely Republican nominee. | |
| Shaun Bowler, professor in political science at the University of California Riverside, detects a difficulty for Mr Perry in reconciling hardline social conservatism with small government conservatism | Shaun Bowler, professor in political science at the University of California Riverside, detects a difficulty for Mr Perry in reconciling hardline social conservatism with small government conservatism |
| "Those are the two trends that don't always fit well together. Social conservatives often want more - not less - regulation and government intervention on stem cells and scientific research, insisting on intelligent design in the school curriculum, banning gay marriage and so on. | "Those are the two trends that don't always fit well together. Social conservatives often want more - not less - regulation and government intervention on stem cells and scientific research, insisting on intelligent design in the school curriculum, banning gay marriage and so on. |
| "Small government people tend to see a lot of that as matters for local governments or citizens themselves. They tend to be a little more libertarian minded. | "Small government people tend to see a lot of that as matters for local governments or citizens themselves. They tend to be a little more libertarian minded. |
| "In the middle are some conservatives who are more moderate on both those issue dimensions and don't seem comfortable with either extreme." | "In the middle are some conservatives who are more moderate on both those issue dimensions and don't seem comfortable with either extreme." |
| He will face obstacles in appealing to America's political centre if he does win the Republican primary. | He will face obstacles in appealing to America's political centre if he does win the Republican primary. |
| But Mr Slater says the White House would be foolish to dismiss him as an extremist. | But Mr Slater says the White House would be foolish to dismiss him as an extremist. |
| "Rick Perry has been underestimated ever since he was a young legislator running for Texas and he's never lost an election. | "Rick Perry has been underestimated ever since he was a young legislator running for Texas and he's never lost an election. |
| "If Obama underestimates this guy, it will be at his peril." | "If Obama underestimates this guy, it will be at his peril." |