Perry’s endorsements through the looking glass

Endorsements are starting to roll in, at least on the Republican side, as the primaries for the Texas gubernatorial race draws nearer. These endorsements help paint a picture of the candidates, and what they stand for. Despite the fanfare surrounding former Vice President Dick Cheney's support of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson, it is Governor Rick Perry who is seeking an unprecedented third elected term. It is more important to know which of the conservative power-players are throwing their support behind the tea party attending, succession threatening, tuition raising incumbent.

First up on the endorsement list is President of the Texans for Life Coalition, Kyleen Wright, while Wright works as a pro-life activist, she is also very vocal about the fact that abstinence only education is necessary. She has said that she is grateful to have such a "loyal friend" in Perry, who vetoed legislation that would have allowed an evil organization like Planned Parenthood to take away parents' rights to control the sex-ed information available in schools, and in their communities.

The next endorsement comes from the President of the Conservative Republicans of Texas, Steven Hotze. This endorsement is really heartwarming as Hotze and Perry only just patched up their relationship after Hotze publicly accused Perry of being too soft on illegal immigration. Perry supports strategic fencing of the Texas border.  Hotze has also recently expressed his concern that President Obama has followed through on his promise to support a militant homosexual agenda because, according to Hotze, Obama is "hell-bent on continuing to push against the morals and will of not only the U.S. Congress, but the majority of Americans." This is clearly the other majority of Americans, not the majority that elected Obama a year ago. 

Next, is Reverend Rick Scarborough, founder of Vision America, and author of such works as "Enough is Enough," and "Liberalism Kills Kids." Scarborough is concerned about the "destructive demands of the movement to normalize homosexuality," and for over a decade has run an organization trying to convince pastors to get back into politics in order help to restore conservative Christian values (church) back into politics (state). He also rallies against anti-hate crime legislation, he supports the impeachment of liberal judges, because it would scare other judges into "doing what they were put there to do," and has publicly expressed concern that Obama is not really an American citizen.

The biggest name on the list of crazy people for Perry is, runner up of Ms. Alaska 1984 herself, Sarah Palin. She supports Rick Perry, because "He walks the walk of a true conservative. And he sticks by his guns," and we all know how she feels about guns. She is a pro-life, ultraconservative Republican poster girl who is convinced that health care reform will lead to government run "death panels" that will decide if unproductive members of society, like the elderly, live or die. 

If paling around with these homo phobic, anti-choice extremists is not enough to turn you off to a Perry 2010 victory, consider his track record with education. Perry deregulated tuition, which has led to an over 58 percent increase in tuition costs. It was under Perry that the six drop rule passed, and also under him that the bill to make textbooks tax free failed. He has been nothing but detrimental to higher education in Texas.

Unfortunately, Perry does not seem to have any plan to ‘go rogue' and step down from office. As the incumbent, he is likely to end up on the ballot. It is important that students understand that the governor has an even more direct impact on issues like deregulated tuition, the six drop rule, and whether or not textbooks will become tax free. It is important to look into the endorsements candidates are receiving, and what platforms they are running on, so that when Election Day rolls around there is someone on the ballot students can support. It should not just be Perry and his friends. They are all mad there.