Current Texas Governor Rick Perry will, in all likelihood, be President of the United States in January of 2013.
Having already said that on Fox News and the nationally syndicated Mancow Radio Experience, I guess it's time for me to now put into print what I see forming in front of me.
So I did.
I did this in December 2006 too. I was the first pundit to predict that Barack Obama would be President, and I said that would be especially true if John McCain were his opponent. The story of how my prediction turned into our nation's current nightmare is documented in my new best selling book, "No He Can't: How Barack Obama is Dismantling Hope and Change."
For me the field of 2012 felt odd and disjointed as Governors Huckabee and Palin were long in making their minds up. Even now we still don't know the mind of the former Alaskan governor. But polling data was clear from February 2010 to April 2011 that if President Obama had been forced to face Gov. Huckabee he would lose.
The rest of the current field is interesting, but essentially so much alike, in so many ways, there are contrasts, but at times, hard to see.
Enter the candidate who has not even announced yet, the three term Governor from Texas, Rick Perry.
As I did in my 2006 piece, which was read by Rush Limbaugh the day after publication, let me give you five reasons Governor Perry would win.
1. HE CREATED MORE JOBS THAN OBAMA:
Of all the issues that will face the nation in 2012, the one that weighs even now most on the minds of those around household dinner tables is where they will find the next month's paycheck. In my book I detail the deterioration and the inexplicable refusal of solutions that will work by the Obama administration. President Obama was hired to make the economy better, to lower unemployment, to see Americans grow wealth, and at every level he has failed. It's bad enough that one out of ten workers can't find work. But the most damning statistic is that one out of five families is working as hard as they possibly can, but still can't pay their bills. Meanwhile over that same period of time Governor Perry has overseen job growth in Texas that sits at 47% of all jobs created in the entirety of the United States -- just during the two and half years Obama's been in office.
2. HE RESPECTS THE IMPORTANCE OF SMALL BUSINESSES:
While President Obama has been loading up the tax burden, fees, fines, and penalties for small businesses with Obamacare, the threat of raised taxes, and pipe-dreams like "cap and trade," Governor Perry has reduced trivial regulation and made Texas such a dynamic environment to grow business that corporations are relocating from the troubled states of California and New York, just to set up shop, provide better service, and pay their workers better wages. Gov. Perry was even invited to the California Assembly only months ago to chat with lawmakers about how to create small business growth. One of those Assemblymen has been so inspired he started the "draft Perry" movement.
3. HE UNDERSTANDS THE ISSUE OF STATE SOVEREIGNTY:
Governor Perry has been famous for not exactly playing ball with the folks Washington, D.C. He has tried to use everything from humor to a serious demeanor in his opportunities for dialogue with President Obama and his administration to convince them of the problems that can happen when the federal government oversteps, overreaches, and over spends. He has refused federal monies for programs his state did not need. Even when Texas was experiencing massive wildfires his behavior was counter-intuitive for most politicians. He did not immediately turn to Washington with his hand out. Yet when his state's resources had been depleted he did come forward and ask for federal disaster aid in fighting the blazes. He's still waiting for an answer to his multiple requests for help from the administration. As an aside, let me say that the administration's silence on the Texas wildfires looks like pure politics.
4. HE HAS CORE CONVICTIONS:
While jogging recently Governor Perry allowed his pet labrador to run with him for his daily six miles. While on the jog, he and his pet were accosted by a menacing coyote. After remaining still and waiting to see what the wild coyote would do, the Governor pulled a .380 Ruger and shot the coyote dead, when it had become apparent the coyote was after his pup. Upon returning to the Governor's office he was queried about his "heartless" actions towards "innocent" animals. After answering more than one question on the matter, and in a mildly exasperated manner he replied, "Don't go after my dog!" In other words while the press was confused about his value system, he saw it in very simple to understand terms. He resonates with the average American voter. There is such a thing as right and wrong, and not everything needs a Presidential blue ribbon panel commission to determine if it is or not.
5. HE APPEALS TO ALL THREE CATEGORIES OF CONSERVATIVES:
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the first Republican candidate to bring together the conservatives across the economic, social values, and strong military spectrums. Governor Rick Perry has already demonstrated his ability to do the same. His economic abilities have already been cited. But he also just passed, "loser pays," in Texas. Trivial lawsuits will automatically diminish because those bringing them will have little incentive to try to shake down an organization merely attempting to wear them out. He also saw the sonogram law passed, pleasing pro-family advocates, which allows a legal abortion in Texas only after the mother of the unborn child is able to see her child with her own eyes first. He also pushed for passage of a voter I.D. law which will go a very long way to insure the integrity of the voting process in future elections in the state. His shared values of faith, his belief in the decency of America, and his lack of apology for sticking to his beliefs contrast very well with a current President who is best described in my new book as "ruthlessly pragmatic."
Obviously there is much ground yet to cover before the elections of 2012. But Governor Rick Perry of Texas appears to this New Yorker to have the moxy, the methods, and material success in office to challenge the President on his rather lackluster "credentials" from the last two years--which is all he had to begin with.
I also love the fact that he wasn't even interested in the race until recently. Maybe it's a good thing not to have people who lust for power live to achieve it.
He's not even in the race yet, and this column is not an endorsement, it's a prediction. As a nationally syndicated talk show host, I am committed to having all of the candidates seeking the GOP nomination on my program. Friday, former Gov. Tim Pawlenty joined me. And I will ask each of them the very same important questions of our economy, our national security and our future.
All that being said, if this economy keeps feeling like a dead coyote on an empty Texas highway, all bets are off.