The GOP presidential candidate race is heating up, and Gov. Rick Perry is stoking the flames as high as he can. In fact, Perry is ready to debate the other Republican hopefuls in front of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Sept. 7.
If that sounds odd, it should — Perry isn’t known for wanting to actually speak with his opponents.
Some may have forgotten that Perry absolutely refused to debate his opponent Bill White in the Texas governor’s race in 2010, but he staunchly stood behind his decision.
Perry’s excuse was that as long as White withheld some personal tax returns from the public, he would refrain from debating.
What is odd is less than a year later, Perry is as gung-ho about debating as a politician could be.
“I was honored to receive and am delighted to accept your invitation to participate in the Republican debate,” Perry said in his acceptance letter.
“Our current economic climate reminds many Americans of the disastrous economic policies of the late 1970s and of the need to elect a leader who will get America working again – just as President Reagan did in the 1980s.”
Where did this tenacity come from? Could it be that Perry is simply trying to act as if he truly cares about relating his policies to the general public, or is he simply playing the same political games as usual?
If Perry was the CEO of a powerful corporation, or even a celebrity coming out of rehab, refusing the public spotlight would be understandable.
But when you are a public official and you refuse to speak with your opponents in a public setting, something is wrong. When you then fold completely the other way and act delighted to take the public setting, people should stand up and take notice.
It comes down to a simple saying. Fool us once, Perry, and shame on us. Fool us twice, though, and we can only point the fingers at ourselves.
