LETTER: Does Rick Perry have the right stuff?

Clearly not the public speaker that Barak Obama is, Perry made up for it with his passion for the core issues of the “Religious Right:” Life, Marriage, Liberty, Free Enterprise, and Limited Government.

But it was the promises he made that sealed the deal.  

First, he said he would repeal Obamacare, even using an Executive Order if necessary.  

Second, he promised to choose a younger, pro-life Vice-President. Third, he said he would make sure that only strict Constitutionalists were appointed to the Supreme Court, lower courts, and heads of various departments and agencies. Finally, he brought the crowd to a frenzy by promising to support Israel every day of his Administration.

But, we haven’t even had the first primary yet. Can Rick Perry and his wife handle the rigors of a strenuous Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina Primary schedule? Anita, his wife of 29 years, certainly said they were up for the challenge. Perry is no political novice either. He is on his third term as Governor - the longest in Texas history. He was previously Lt. Governor and prior to that Agricultural Commissioner - a span of 26 years in elected office.
The Texas success story is also in his favor.  

Without the incredible job growth in Texas, the United States would have been in the negative numbers. Texas’ economy is booming amidst a serious national recession. As a result, nearly 1500 people a day move to the state to find jobs and security for their families, according to the Governor.  
Further, Texas Attorney Kelly Shackelford of the Liberty Institute took the podium to inform the group that Rick Perry was the most successful pro-life Governor in America based on actual legislation passed. In fact, Perry and company defunded Planned Parenthood by taking away $34 million from the Texas chapter.

Having gone to the meeting without much knowledge of Perry’s values and achievements, I came away deeply impressed.  No doubt his core beliefs and effectiveness as a Governor has set him apart as an attractive candidate for value voters.  

Whether he can endure the storm of a presidential campaign, only time will tell.  But I think he has the right stuff, and so do a lot of others.

Sincerely,
Jody Hice
2010 candidate
US Congress, 7th Disrict