In the run up to the 2016 presidential election, we’re seeing a lot of familiar faces.
One unforgettable 2012 candidate is the ex-Governor of Texas, Rick Perry.
Only this time he’s got glasses.
So what’s new with the second-time candidate?
Who is Rick Perry?
Well, surprisingly Perry started his political career as a Democrat.
He even worked on Al Gore’s presidential campaign.
But in 1989, he switched parties and eventually went on to become Texas’s Lieutenant Governor.
In 2000, when George W. Bush became President, Rick Perry took over his old position and
went on to be the longest serving governor in Texas history.
In 2012 Perry ran for the Presidency, and he polled well at the start of his campaign.
However, a number of memorable debate gaffes, including one where he could not recall a
central point of his campaign, led to him dropping out early.
Since then, Perry has been indicted by a grand jury for abusing his position as Texas Governor.
The felony indictment alleged that he had threatened to veto 7.5 million dollars in
district attorney funding.
This was done in order to coerce the DA into resigning after her drunk driving arrest.
So what does Perry believe in?
Well, although he has repeatedly championed Texas’s job growth as a fiscal conservative,
he has also voted in multiple tax hikes, and more than doubled the state’s debt.
He has also been criticized for only allocating business grants to companies who had donated
to his campaigns or the Republican Governors Association.
He is against all abortions, even in cases of rape or incest.
Like many Republicans, he is vehemently opposed to Obamacare.
Although during his governorship, Texas became the state with the highest proportion of uninsured
residents, including children and those in poverty.
In 2007, Perry passed an executive order forcing all girls to receive the HPV vaccine.
But he faced scrutiny when it was discovered that the vaccine’s manufacturer was a major
donor to Perry’s campaigns.
He has supported anti-sodomy laws criminalizing homosexuality.
He even compared it to alcoholism, suggesting that gay people should simply abstain from
having sex.
He is also well known for his hard-line stances on the death penalty and gun rights.
In 2002 he vetoed a bill that would have banned the execution of mentally ill prisoners.
Perry also ended Texas’s policy to automatically arrest for marijuana possession, but has opposed
bringing medical marijuana to his state.
Texas under Rick Perry’s governorship has been called a “model for conservatism in
the country”, and the state’s job growth will certainly play in his favor.
However, considering the unfavorable way his last campaign ended, the country’s shifting
social politics, and his recent indictment, Perry will certainly have a tough time convincing
voters that he’s the right choice this time around.
Have you ever wondered how powerful the State of Texas would be on its own?
So have we.
Check out our video right here to learn all about what we learned.
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