Politics
Herman Cain Wins Florida GOP Straw Poll
Perry’s strident defense of cheaper in-state tuition rates for illegal immigrants put him on the wrong side of the Republican Party’s conservative base. His rivals worked to exploit his opposition to a fence along the U.S.-Mexican border and his support of a mandatory vaccine for girls against a sexually transmitted disease.
One national immigration group says Perry is finished, and conservatives are slamming his support of education benefits for illegal immigrants.
The campaign dismisses the criticism. After all, supporters say, he entered the presidential race just six weeks ago.
Things looked rosier then. Perry arrived to great fanfare and seemed poised to steal significant support from his top rival, Romney. Many influential Republican activists saw Perry, with his executive experience and good jobs record, as an attractive alternative to Romney, who has struggled to win over conservatives who make up a sizeable portion of the party base.
Since then, the Texan has campaigned repeatedly in New Hampshire and Iowa, states that host the nation’s first presidential voting contests in roughly four months.
And unaligned Republicans in those states, including some who backed Romney four years ago and are looking for an alternative, have watched Perry closely this month to see if the early buzz would become lasting campaign strength. But his debate performances, including bobbled attempts Thursday night in Florida at painting Romney as a flip-flopper, did not impress some influential activists.
Besides accusing Romney of being a flip-flopper, Perry suggested that those who oppose Texas’ immigration law are heartless and he gave a wobbly response to a question on Pakistan, making him seem unprepared.
Activists have discovered policy differences as they get to know Perry better.
He has drawn sharp criticism for requiring 6th-grade girls in Texas to be vaccinated against a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cancer, a position that frustrates libertarians and social conservatives alike. And on immigration, Perry’s opposition to a border fence and support for education benefits for illegal immigrants who came to the country as children have been unpleasantly eye-opening to some in Iowa.
“Immigration and the vaccines are just tough sells,” said former state Republican chairman Richard Schwarm, a Romney supporter in 2008 who has not yet committed to a candidate. “There are a lot of things people like about him, but those issues cause people a lot of problems.”
Some national groups have been less diplomatic.
“Rick Perry is finished,” said Americans for Legal Immigration’s campaign arm in a statement Friday.
Perry also raised eyebrows for coming in a surprising fourth in a New Hampshire poll this week, getting just 8 percent and ranking well behind Romney while also trailing Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman.
The campaign hopes for a boost at the end of the month when it releases its quarterly fundraising totals, Perry’s first such report. He is known as a prolific fundraiser and has devoted considerable energy to filling his campaign coffers. A strong showing could help quiet questions.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
