The difference between Rick Perry and Mitt Romney – Post-Reagan Library Debate

Since my initial post about the contrast of Rick Perry and Mitt Romney was quite popular I thought I’d describe their differences during their first debate together.

First, as most outlets are reporting, this debate proved that Rick Perry was the one to watch as most of the questions and attacks were directed to him. You could chalk that up to being the newest entrant but I don’t think that would be the case if he were polling where other candidates stand.

Both Perry and Romney had good performances and their delivery was well received. Being the front-runner, Perry attempted to cut off attacks before they were launched. One example was his ideas for border security after some of his opponents had labeled him soft on illegal immigration. Before his opponents could mention his name he headed it off by supporting ‘boots on the ground’ along with Predator drones securing the border – definitely a step-up over the wall other candidates have proposed. And Perry should know; he’s been governor of a border state for 10 years.

But unlike his plans for border security, Mr. Perry still needs to flesh out his plan for the economy. If he sticks with his strategy of ‘less is more’ than he’ll need to connect the dots between less government action equaling a better economy. His experience and record has gotten him this far but he has to develop a tangible strategy for voters to support since all indications are it will be the main issue all the way up to election day.

This is in contrast to Mr. Romney who has unveiled a very detailed, 59-point plan to get the economy going. You can even get it in Kindle form. And while Politico reports that its standard Republican ideals, at least Romney can go into a debate with the knowledge that he has a plan in place from day one, something Perry can’t say just yet.

From watching previous Perry debates, you can bet he will make the necessary adjustments to his style for Round Two – more definitive answers to better visualize for viewers what a Perry Presidency would look like. If he can convert the hope (to borrow a word from a previous election) to solid support in the party, he’ll cruise. For Romney, his campaign will live and die by the strategy of promoting his electability versus Obama. If they can paint Perry as too far right than he’ll have the advantage.

With over four months until the first official test, both will have plenty of time to stake their claim.

Why Rick Perry is not George W. Bush

Most Americans are getting their first impression of Rick Perry after he jumped in the GOP nomination race Saturday. Perry’s thick accent, service in the military and current position as governor of Texas have brought back memories of previous Texas governor, George W. Bush. This seems to be a popular comparison and, while on the surface that may be true, their background and politics are quite different.

For starters, George Bush came from an affluent family and attended the best schools in the country. He spent time owning a baseball team, working the oil fields and advising his father’s presidential campaign. Perry, meanwhile, grew up on a ranch in west Texas, joined the Air Force, then came back to the family ranch to farm cotton before getting into politics. One came from a privileged background with one political office to his name while the other came from humble beginnings and made a career out of politics.

As for their politics, let’s look at their philosophies on the budget. George W. Bush can be partially blamed for starting the U.S. on the road to default with his billions added to the deficit through tax cuts and defense spending. Perry has pledged to balance the budget and…

“…stop spending the money, unless I run out of ink in a veto pen.”

Giddy up.

Next up would be social issues. For this example we’ll look at gay marriage. During the 2004 election cycle, Bush made it known that he supported a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in all 50 states. The issue was a major part of Bush’s re-election campaign and rallied social conservatives. Perry is just as Christian, we all heard of the prayer rally, but he still advocates such issues as gay marriage being relegated to the states via the tenth amendment.

These are just the main contrasts but they are significant. To anyone who thinks a Perry presidency would be a third term of George W. Bush would be mistaken.

Rick Perry’s presidential announcement strategy

With Rick Perry’s handlers confirming the obvious, he not only draws attention to his now official campaign but he steals the thunder of the GOP debate this evening and any attention gained by their participants. Additionally, with his speech on Saturday in South Carolina kicking off his campaign, he steals any thunder gained from the Ames Straw Poll winner.

It’s clear Perry’s organization knows what they’re doing, at least initially. They held out until the Texas legislature concluded so he could avoid any charges of bolting but still have enough time to make inroads in Iowa. Additionally, his entrance is not nearly as anticlimactic as Newt Gingrich’s YouTube video or Jon Huntsman failed attempt to emulate Ronald Reagan. Even before the official announcement he was polling near the top and, with this announcement, should get a decent short-term boost.

The difference between Rick Perry and Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney appears to have a firm grasp on the 2012 GOP nomination. In terms of polling and, just as important, money, Romney has no competition among the official nominees. Tim Pawlenty and Michelle Bachmann appear to be going after each other for 2nd (and a possible VP nomination) while the other official nominees aren’t even close. There is no doubt that Romney is the default option among Republicans when they nominate.

Chris Christie  is not currently an ‘official’ nominee, though neither is Rick Perry. But Christie doesn’t seem to have interest in running and is further along from jump starting a campaign than Perry, who has already begun laying the groundwork and is gaining traction without even announcing yet.

So, assuming Perry does announce, and Romney doesn’t do anything to derail his solid lead until then, what are the major differences between them and what will determine the nomination? Many would consider them even in categories such as fund raising, looks, etc. They do, however, diverge on several key issues.

Each one will tout their experience as governor. This trait seems to be popular among Presidents as 17 were Governors at some point in their political career. However, Perry has been a governor for ten compared to Romney’s four. Perry also presides over four times as many people as Romney did. But the major difference in their respective runs will be that Perry’s tenure included the recession the country currently faces while his state has done its best to avoid the turmoil and actually enlarge payrolls. Romney? Not so great. Potential negative aspects of Perry’s tenure will include the low standing Texas has when it comes to education. However, with Romney having to defend his state health care plan, I think the education argument gets drowned out.

While the economy will play an important, if not the most important, role in the 2012 election, what happens if Romney manages to poke holes in it or deflate it altogether? Is there anything Perry can fall back on besides his tenure as governor? In my opinion, not much. He’s a lifelong politician who has little experience in the private sector with the exception of a brief stint in the Air Force. Romney co-created the investment firm Bain Capital which was generating over $4 billion in revenue annually by the time he left. He also headed the organizing committee for Salt Lake City to host the 2002 Winter Olympics. If you’re looking for a variety of non-political experiences, I believe Romney has the edge. Even if Perry wanted to play the ‘Washington outsider’ card, he couldn’t do it any better than Romney. 

There’s also stigmas that both will have to face if they are to become the nominee. The obvious one facing Romney is whether America is ready to elect a follower of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints , i.e. a Mormon. Perry will have to fight the political ghost of George W. Bush and the thought of another Texas governor with an accent telling people what’s best. W had an approval rating hovering around 20% at the lowest when the economy was tanking and people realized the war in Iraq was a mistake. Now, he’s enjoyed a bump in his ratings since leaving office, partly because of the post-presidential bump that all presidents get but the stigma is still there. I think opponents on both sides can do more damage with that material than with one’s Mormon faith much like people first thought Barack Obama’s race would have more of a negative affect than it did.

Lastly, and most importantly, who is more electable in the current political climate? Whoever gets it will have a formidable foe in Obama and needs to be just as dynamic. When comparing personalities, I think Perry has this wrapped up. Take his appearance on the Daily Show from last year where he was enthusiastic and didn’t give traditional political answers. Even appearing on the show as a conservative from Texas was a feat. Additionally, you have to consider the demographic that determines these elections –  the independents. Sure, Obama has the inside track from 2008 but when Perry made recent comments about ‘being ok’ with New York’s gay marriage legislation, that was a big step for a major party presidential nominee let alone a Republican. It falls in line with recent polls that suggest more Americans than ever are ‘ok’ with gay marriage and could be a contributing factor to those independents looking for something different. By contrast, the Romney campaign is about as ‘by-the-book’ as you can get as far as a campaign goes. Regarding gay marriage,

“I separate quite distinctly matters of personal faith from the leadership one has in a political sense,” he said. “You don’t begin to apply the doctrines of a religion to responsibility for guiding a nation or guiding a state.”

Yawn. Maybe the campaign has viewed this thing as wrapped up and has, therefore, not taking many chances as of yet. Maybe that will change when/if Perry gets in the race. But one thing is for sure – he’ll have a significant threat to his nomination should Perry decide to shake things up.

UPDATE WITH POST REAGAN LIBRARY DEBATE ANALYSIS: http://getmoorepolitics.com/2011/09/09/the-difference-between-rick-perry-and-mitt-romney-post-reagan-libary-debate/