Political Pundits Predict a Perry Plunge in the Polls

It was the best of times and the worst of times for Texas Governor Rick Perry during the CNN/Tea Party Express Debate in Tampa the other night.

With eight conservative Tea Party candidates seeking the Republican nomination for president, the clear front runners were Texas Gov. Rick Perry and professional politician, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. But after Perry's performance at this debate, Democrats and President Obama have reason to hope.

Perry's popularity is wearing thin. A month ago he was the Texas golden boy, a new Republican rock star, who said he could fix America. But the more the public learns about him, the more his star quality fades. He actually makes the last Texas governor to be elected president appear more personable and intellectual.

The Texas governor may have created jobs in his free-market, business-friendly state, but the jobs are minimum wage with no benefits. The unemployment rates in Texas may be at 8% compared to the nations 9.1%, but Texas along with Mississippi, has the country's largest number of workers working at or below minimum wage without health insurance.

Most of the new jobs have not been created in Texas. New companies bring along their own employees as there is a shortage of highly educated workers in Texas. Texas rates # 43 in the number of high school graduates out of 50 states. In June the Governor approved $4 billion in cuts to public education, and cut financial aid to 43,000 college students. He opted out of Obama's "Race to the Top."

Florida voters had a chance in the recent debate to get a closer look at Gov. Perry. His stubborn attack on Social Security as a fading Ponzi scheme, and advocating cuts in Medicare raised concern for seniors. However, it was rival candidate, Michele Bachmann who stole the show. She put Perry on the hot seat when she brought up the sensitive health issue of the Governor and the Gardasil vaccine.

In 2006 Governor Perry issued a mandate requiring that all preteen girls receive the Gardasil vaccine to protect them from the sexually transmitted HPV virus which causes cervical cancer. After complaints from outraged parents, the mandate was soon vetoed by the Texas legislature. Perry admitted he had made a mistake.

He explained he made a pro-life and a public health decision, as if thousands of 11 year old girls were dying on the streets of Texas. His judgement and motivations will continue to dog him as he campaigns.

The Gardasil vaccine, manufactured by the Merck pharmaceutical company is available to anyone who wants it. There are ethical concerns such as why the Texas government should be involved, and why only young girls should be singled out as Merck's study group. The virus is also spread by boys and gay men. Also some conservatives feared young girls would become "promiscuous" if they were vaccinated..

The Merck connection with Gardasil continues to raise questions. Perry's wife Anita was a long time Merck lobbyist along with Mike Toomes, Perry's chief of staff. Interestingly, an annoyed Perry blew off questions about Merck's campaign contributions, saying he could not be bought for $5000.

He also said parents could opt out of vaccinating their daughters, but neglected to say the process was difficult.

For awhile it looked as if presidential hopeful, Michele Bachmann had scored a few points in the debate, but soon afterwards, she seized defeat from the jaws of victory, when she said that the Gardasil vaccine could cause mental "retardation."

The National Vaccine Information center and the American Medical Association both say that more information about the long term effects of Gardasil is needed.

Perry got into even more trouble, when he strayed away from the Tea Party's position on in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants and erecting a border fence to keep Mexicans away. Led by Michele Bachmann, the Texas Governor was loudly booed.

It remains to be seen which candidates will be left standing by next spring's Florida Republican Primary. From the looks of the debate this week, most of this group hopefully will be long gone.

Sources:

CNN/ Tea Party Express Debate

St. Pete Times

http://www.leftofcollegestation.com/2011/07/rick-perrys-real-job-creation-record.html

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/06/04/rick_perrys_gardasil_problem_110089-2.html

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-18/obama-s-education-secretary-says-perry-s-schools-i...