Gene Lyons: The Bully the GOP Has Been Waiting For

[flpoljunkie]

WEDNESDAY, AUG 17, 2011

The bully the GOP has been waiting for
The cowboy archetype runs so deep in American culture that even George W. Bush couldn't ruin it
BY GENE LYONS


AP/LM Otero
Rick Perry

Now that he’s declared his candidacy, odds are Republicans will nominate Texas Gov. Rick Perry for president. They won’t be able to help themselves. If Hollywood put out a casting call for an anti-Obama, Perry would get the role.

Democrats have been chortling about running against yet another swaggering Texas governor. Mother Jones blogger Kevin Drum explains why Perry can’t win:

"He's too Texan...Even in the Republican Party, not everyone is from the South and not everyone is bowled over by a Texas drawl. Perry is, by a fair amount, more Texan than George W. Bush, and an awful lot of people are still suffering from Bush fatigue."

I think this is wrong. The cowboy archetype runs so deep in American culture that even George W. Bush couldn’t ruin it. Besides, the Connecticut rancher was a trust fund poser who rode bicycles, not horses. Deep down, everybody knew that. Now that he’s no longer president, Republicans no longer have to pretend they believe the brush-cutting charade.

Perry, though, strongly resembles the Tommy Lee Jones of "Lonesome Dove." Never mind that while an authentic Texas roughneck, Tommy Lee was Al Gore’s Harvard roommate. It’s the symbolism that matters. Perry also has what appears to be a genuine mean streak. More than anything, Republicans who see a waffling centrist like President Obama as a "socialist" dictator yearn to punish somebody.

more...

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/08/17/lyons_rick_perry/index.html

[Jackpine Radical]

1. It will be an interesting clash between the Kingmakers and

the Republican Ignorati.

GWB wasn't your ordinary Texan. He had roots deep in the Party establishment via Poppy and, for that matter, Prescott & the Walkers, etc. Perry does not.

[Tippy]

2. But what about Rove's attack on Perry....I just read about it...If one were to believe the article

Rove hated Perry and does not want him in the WH....

http://news.yahoo.com/perry-war-bushies-033100264.html

[flpoljunkie]

3. You can bet Rove will be supporting him, though, if he wins the nomination.

[Cosmocat]

4. Don't matter ...

Lyons is spot on, not so much about the "cowboy" thing, but close. Perry is mean and all in on their hateful regressive platform, and is an alpha male. He is the meeting point between Romnmey (ex governor) and Bachmann, combining Romney actual credibility as a candidate vs Bachmann's not being very credible with Bachmanns mean, total belief in their craziness vs Romney's palpable way of just saying it to say it ...

There is history between Rove and Perry, and they genuinely don't like one another at this point. But, people over estimate the overall power Rove has. He is a key player in that party, but not the end all be all. Frankly, his chipping at Perry now is pretty obvious his knowing Perry is the front runner and likely candidate, and his not wanting to not be on the inside with the final candidate.