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    Rick Perry Crushes GOP Competition in First National Poll

    Two Days After a Commitment was All it Took for Republican Voters to Show a Marked Preference for a Candidate

    This story comes from the Yahoo! Contributor Network, where individuals publish their unique perspectives on some of the world’s most popular websites.
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    Rick Perry made a comment recently that it might have taken him a while to get into the GOP presidential race, but once he committed, he was there to win. And it did not take long for the Republican electorate to respond to his up-tempo, shoot-from-the-hip, Texas swagger, either. Just two days after Michele Bachmann solidified herself as a true competitor for the 2012 Republican nomination in Iowa, and just two and a half days after Perry told a South Carolina audience he was running for president, he topped a survey from Rasmussen Reports, beating his nearest rival by double digits.

    In a poll of prospective Republican primary voters taken on Monday, August 15, the Texas governor polled 29 percent support. His candidacy was preferred by 11 points over previous frontrunner and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and 16 percent over Ames Straw Poll winner Rep. Michele Bachmann. Ron Paul, who took second place at the straw poll but who seems to be having a difficult time being taken seriously by the national news media, pulled in 9 percent of those surveyed.

    Succinctly: In the first national poll since declaring his candidacy, Rick Perry not only came out on top among the field of contenders, he dominated his competition.

    There were still 16 percent of the respondents who remain undecided. Still...

    Perhaps all it took was commitment. Just before Memorial Day, Perry told a group of reporters in Austin that he would "think about" running for president. He then spent about a month denying rumors he was running or even thinking about running. But the GOP field of presidential contenders seemed to falter and reach a static stage where national polls reflected disinterest and as many as a third Republican voters undecided over who they would like to see as the 2012 GOP nominee. As talk continued to swirl, donors began to be courted, and even Perry began to show interest. Days before the Ames Straw Poll, his camp let it be known that he would announce his candidacy on the same day as the Iowa poll.

    Two weeks prior to the straw poll, Perry, who was still playing the maybe-maybe not game, trailed Romney by 4 percent (22 to 18 percent) in a similar Rasmussen Reports survey. The difference in two weeks, a declaration, and a couple of speeches turned out to be 21 points and seeing his chief rival, Romney, relegated to the same number he held. The bonus, of course, was seeing Bachmann, whose core support group contains predominantly the same demographic of working class evangelicals, post 3 points less than she polled two weeks before her big win in Iowa.

    Not only has Gov. Perry shown that he is now in it to win it, but it appears as if many Republican voters are in agreement that he should.

     

    36 comments

    • Yes  •  8 mths ago
      Oh no, not another Texas governor! We put one in the White House and look at what happened! Do we really want another Texas governor who thinks he can fix the country? Can America be wrong twice? Perry says he cares about the Tea Party, but the only tea he will care about is his Texas Tea (Big Oil). Americans, wake up!
    • Angry Bob  •  8 mths ago
      God spoke to me recently. I was shocked in that he'd never spoken to me before, at least not this clearly.

      You see, we in Texas have been suffering through the worst drought and heat wave in recorded Texas history this year. Our crops are dead in the fields. Cattle have been taken to market early lest they die of starvation or dehydration. Horses drop dead daily. Fish are turning belly up in our overheated reservoirs. Crop losses are estimated a more then $5 Billion and rising rapidly. Surface water is disappearing at an alarming rate. A high pressure area has stalled above Texas and there are no signs of relief in the near future.

      I asked God why he had forsaken us and he said;

      "I have not forsaken you, I am punishing Texas for unleashing the evil that is "Rick Perry" onto my favorite nation. Heretofore, I've left Texas alone, but the sins have accumulated to such a degree that I must take action. Through the demagoguery of Rick Perry, the false Christians of Texas have chosen to unleash their message of hate onto the world. I have always tolerated the extremist views of these of my children even though they ignore my message of peace, love and charity. But now they threaten to use government to spread their message of hate and intolerance and their abhorrence of charity onto the innocent and intellectually vulnerable of my great nation. They've been blinded to the evil imparted by the false prophet Perry onto his own people through his actions as Governor of Texas. I ask you:

      Would any child of God reduce funding for public schools just to spread it around to his cronies?

      Would any child of God promote a scam to buy dead peasant insurance policies on retired Texas teachers and then bundle the policies into securities to be sold to unsuspecting investors?

      Would any child of God promote a scam to use eminent domain to rob Texas ranchers and farmers of their land only to turn it over to private investors to build an unnecessary toll road through the heart of Texas?

      Would any child of God run up a $27Billion dollar deficit just before he's about to leave office and then fail to invest that money for the benefit of his constituents, but instead distribute it to his cronies?

      Would any child of God command that all Texas school girls submit to HPV vaccine as a condition of attending the sixth grade, just to pander to a crony who happens to be a lobbyist for the only drug company producing the vaccine, and require the parents of those children to foot the bill to the tune of $250.00 per child?

      Would any child of God allow thirty two percent of the children of Texas live in poverty without attempting to take some action to relieve the suffering, or deliberately place barriers to relief for the twenty-three percent of his constituents who live below the poverty line?

      Would any child of God fail to recognize that eighteen percent of the children in his state do not have health insurance?

      Would any child of God claim "success" at an 8.2% unemployment rate just because it isn't as bad as that of another state and then take no action to try and improve that number?

      Would any true child of God try to exploit his supposed faith by staging a high profile "prayer" event exploiting the faithful just to launch a political campaign?

      Would any child of God knowingly allow a falsely convicted man be executed merely because he thinks the person is a ‘bad, bad man’, ignoring the evidence that exonerated him from the crime for which he was convicted?

      I say unto you, recall the "evil doer". Force him abandon this unholy crusade for personal glory and wealth or ye shall suffer further consequences. The heat wave and drought are just the early warnings of what I have in store for Texas should you persist in inflicting the false prophet onto my favorite nation.

      When God had finished I wept for I know his message will fall on ears plugged by the determination to see evil inflicted on our nation in the name of God.
      • Leka 8 mths ago
        man that is really intense : 0
    • oo  •  8 mths ago
      Rich Perry was not born in the United States! He was born in west Texas.
    • Angry Bob  •  9 mths ago
      God spoke to me recently. I was shocked in that he'd never spoken to me before, at least not this clearly.

      You see, we in Texas have been suffering through the worst drought and heat wave in recorded Texas history this year. Our crops are dead in the fields. Cattle have been taken to market early lest they die of starvation or dehydration. Horses drop dead daily. Fish are turning belly up in our overheated reservoirs. Crop losses are estimated a more then $5 Billion and rising rapidly. Surface water is disappearing at an alarming rate. A high pressure area has stalled above Texas and there are no signs of relief in the near future.

      I asked God why he had forsaken us and he said;

      "I have not forsaken you, I am punishing Texas for unleashing the evil that is "Rick Perry" onto my favorite nation. Heretofore, I've left Texas alone, but the sins have accumulated to such a degree that I must take action. Through the demagoguery of Rick Perry, the false Christians of Texas have chosen to unleash their message of hate onto the world. I have always tolerated the extremist views of these of my children even though they ignore my message of peace, love and charity. But now they threaten to use government to spread their message of hate and intolerance and their abhorrence of charity onto the innocent and intellectually vulnerable of my great nation. They've been blinded to the evil imparted by the false prophet Perry onto his own people through his actions as Governor of Texas. I ask you:

      Would any child of God reduce funding for public schools just to spread it around to his cronies?

      Would any child of God promote a scam to buy dead peasant insurance policies on retired Texas teachers and then bundle the policies into securities to be sold to unsuspecting investors?

      Would any child of God promote a scam to use eminent domain to rob Texas ranchers and farmers of their land only to turn it over to private investors to build an unnecessary toll road through the heart of Texas?

      Would any child of God run up a $27Billion dollar deficit just before he's about to leave office and then fail to invest that money for the benefit of his constituents, but instead distribute it to his cronies?

      Would any child of God command that all Texas school girls submit to HPV vaccine as a condition of attending the sixth grade, just to pander to a crony who happens to be a lobbyist for the only drug company producing the vaccine, and require the parents of those children to foot the bill to the tune of $250.00 per child?

      Would any child of God allow thirty two percent of the children of Texas live in poverty without attempting to take some action to relieve the suffering, or deliberately place barriers to relief for the twenty-three percent of his constituents who live below the poverty line?

      Would any child of God fail to recognize that eighteen percent of the children in his state do not have health insurance?

      Would any child of God claim "success" at an 8.2% unemployment rate just because it isn't as bad as that of another state and then take no action to try and improve that number?

      Would any true child of God try to exploit his supposed faith by staging a high profile "prayer" event exploiting the faithful just to launch a political campaign?

      Would any child of God knowingly allow a falsely convicted man be executed merely because he thinks the person is a ‘bad, bad man’, ignoring the evidence that exonerated him from the crime for which he was convicted?

      I say unto you, recall the "evil doer". Force him abandon this unholy crusade for personal glory and wealth or ye shall suffer further consequences. The heat wave and drought are just the early warnings of what I have in store for Texas should you persist in inflicting the false prophet onto my favorite nation.

      When God had finished I wept for I know his message will fall on ears plugged by the determination to see evil inflicted on our nation in the name of God.
    • A Yahoo! User  •  9 mths ago
      Stop the executions and pardon the innocent on death row in Texas. Free David L. Wood, cleared by DNA yet sits on death row.
    • Stephanie  •  9 mths ago
      we just dont even have a chance, we really just dont have a real say in who wins, sorry guys, this man seems like a real loser, i stand for freedom, REAL freedom, people are truly brainwashed
    • VinceB  •  9 mths ago
      Happy, happy, joy, joy!
      Now the circus get even wilder!!!
    • MICHAEL D  •  9 mths ago
      We Republicans finally have our champion to beat Mr Hollywood President,,,, We can take this country back from the people that want hand outs and programs and freebees,,, Rick Perry will give working class and business people a break from paying all the bills of the people that wanna sit on their butts with their hands out. We need some one to fight for American and not make us bow to the rest of the world
      • VinceB 9 mths ago
        Yeah, the CEOs that sit on their butts in their offices, sending jobs overseas and taking govt. handouts in the form of NOT PAYING TAXES!!!
      • Leka 8 mths ago
        mike you need to really look in to perry
    • Air Force Vet  •  9 mths ago
      Besides the front runners...RON PAUL, RON PAUL, and RON PAUL...who else do we have left to vote for?...michele bachmann (sarah palin in disguise), mitt romney (founder of obamacare), rick perry(gw 2)?
    • Air Force Vet  •  9 mths ago
      rick perry...who took 1st place in a poll that I took recently...came in 2nd against george bush and 3rd against Obama...GO RON PAUL!
    • Air Force Vet  •  9 mths ago
      I am proud to be an American...and proud to have served this country for over 20 years...but I am not proud of the politicians who have brought this country to its knees! RON PAUL has served in the Air Force...just like me...and believes in his oath of office SERIOUSLY...just like me!...RON PAUL has my vote...SERIOUSLY!
    • Air Force Vet  •  9 mths ago
      But the Lamestream media won't tell you that!
    • Air Force Vet  •  9 mths ago
      RON PAUL is running for President...and HE really is crushing everyone else!
    • Air Force Vet  •  9 mths ago
      I am not even running for office...and I crushed rick perry in a national poll!
    • GERALD  •  9 mths ago
      Whats funny is that anyone who opposes a conservative candidate instantly makes personal attacks and calling names while at the same time not naming a single issue that they fail in. I think it shows a weak case and an inability to intelligently debate issues.
    • A Yahoo! User  •  9 mths ago
      rick perry is a dumba/s/s texan teawhackadoo. Anyone sarah failin palin supports isn't getting my vote.
    • Jamaican Goddess  •  9 mths ago
      Sorry fi maga dog an' him tun 'roun' bite yuh!
    • Rick Perry is not in Texa ...  •  9 mths ago
      This poll was taken before RIck Perry made a fool of himself at the Eggs and Politics meeting on Tueday and before he made his statements that global warming does not exist.
    • MrHyde  •  9 mths ago
      God loves my #$%$..Rick Perry
    • Otisha  •  9 mths ago
      Rick Perry is still riding the magic carpet George bush laid for him. I'm from Texas, I know what this guy stands for, BIG BUSINESS and OIL. That's the real reason Texas has done better than other states in this economy.
      • Mojo 8 mths ago
        I think right NOW might just be the right time to be for big business and oil. 10% unemployment is a bad deal for Americans. Obama's policies make him VERY unpopular with all business people. They won't start hiring until he is GONE. They have that power and will use and they will back Perry.
      • Mungentuya 8 mths ago
        Mojo, the big businesses will back Perry because they'll have him in there back pocket.. Perry will NEVER work for the American public as a whole unless it suits his interests. Look up the Trans Texas Corridor mess, and who was going to run it for Texas. Here's a hint.... the money wouldn't have gone back to Texas.
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