The Wallace Trap

A Catastrophic Trap

So now we get to witness Rick Perry, the Texas "miracle" (2) in action. A few years ago another Texas governor exploded all over us, when George W. stepped into action. We are still getting over that one!

Then, as now, Republicans were "energized" by the new and exciting person on the national stage. The George W. phenomenon was more moderate and had more national appeal. After all, George W. might wear a cowboy hat, and wear cowboy boots, but he was a Yale Graduate with a MBA from Harvard. And, there was that story about his old man.

But Perry is, well, he is down home Texas. He has been able to be re-elected many times as Texas' governor, and he has created more jobs that Roosevelt. At least that is what the hype is saying.

He is "bigger than life". He brags, he tells stories, he is cute, he is "original" and above all he is very conservative. He has called for the end of everything from the Federal Reserve, calling Chairman Ben Bernacke a "traitor" to ending social security.

He is for ending the federal government in Texas particularly, not just hinting at, but actually calling for Texas to secede from the Union. He said it, now he is denying he said it, but he said it. That is treason by the way.

All this is "red meat" to right wing conservatives. Perry also appeals to the anger in many people, who watch as their jobs, and security are eroded.

The United States has 1 in 10 unemployed right now, many long term. President Obama is depicted as ineffectual, even though his leadership did actually end the recession that threatened to plunge everyone into a Great Depression.

We now have a 10% Depression, with the rest of us holding our breaths.

It would seem to be rich soil for a Texas wing-nut, who appeals to the anger, the frustration and has charisma.

There is a trap here; and it is probably unfair, but bringing up the past performances of the only two previous Texas Presidents is important.

Bush and Johnson, by most historical standards, have shall we say "inconsistent" performance evaluations by historians. Johnson did sign the Civil Rights Act and Medicare, and did lead us into the Great Society; but also fatally led us into the Vietnam War. G.W. did lead us into a housing boom, and the rich certainly got a lot richer, but he also led us into Iraq and Afghanistan. And there is that 2007-08 economic dip!

Is it Texas that is the trap?

I would argue yes. I know many Texans. There is a bravado, a swagger to many of them. I don't know if its size of the state, or what, (maybe the football teams), but Texas seems to breed a confidence that is infectious. There is nothing wrong with the confidence, there is a lot wrong with the arrogance.

And therein lies the catastrophic trap. It is the arrogance that "the way we do it in Texas" is somehow superior, somehow better, than the other 49 states. There is some of that in Californians. Ronald Reagan has a swagger to him, that somehow the "can do" spirit of California was superior, magical; etc. It wasn't!

If we are so angry and upset by the economy that we buy the crap that Perry is dishing out, then we are headed for a catastrophe. The facts are Perry did NOT create more jobs than anyone else, the oil industry did that. And, the facts are that many of the jobs that were created were minimum wage. Texas has a high rate of poverty, its educational system in a wreck, and there is that pesky drought that is killing agriculture. (Of course Global Warming according to Perry is a myth, Prayer is the answer).

If we want to emulate someone, we should go to Silicon Valley in California and look at Google or Apple Computer. These companies have created real wealth and jobs, not phony minimum wagers at Taco Bell like in Texas. This economic "miracle" is based on education, government and private sector cooperation, and a dedication to a "green" environment.

But the bragging and bravado go on. Perry recently said that the Chairman of Federal Reserve, that Perry wants to abolish (a one way ticket back to 1930), "would not be treated very well in Texas". Oh really, what would the Texans do, lynch him.

And that leads us into what Perry would really like to do to President Obama, which leads us to the racism that fairly drips out of Perry's mouth every time he opens it.

Texas was in the Confederacy after all, and Perry called for secession. Texas fought for slavery, Obama is an African-American; does anyone want to connect the dots.

Perry is George Wallace on steroids. If you listen to Perry you hear echoes of Wallace when he famously ran for President in 1968. Perry is a former Democrat turned Republican as was Wallace, Perry is a Governor as was Wallace; Perry is a charlatan as was Wallace.

To make such a charlatan into our President would be a catastrophic trap, and would be one more nail in our national coffin!