PPP:Social Security hurting Perry

[bigdarryl]

http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2011/09/americans-strongly-disagree-with-the-statements-rick-perry-made-about-social-security-in-last-weeks-republican-presidential-d.html

[thereismore]

1. If the repigs want a contender against Obama, Romney is it. I hope Perry get the nom. nt

[tblue]

2. They're all awful, but this dude freaks me out.

He's W x 10. I didn't ever really think of W as truly mean-spirited. Lazy, ignorant, simplistic, dishonest, insecure, and a puppet, yes. Wrong on everything, spoiled and entitled and a phony, of course. But he wasn't a bloodthirsty sadist like Perry, who really has the makings of a monster.

[MissDeeds]

3. I agree

He is W x 10. Everything he says is nuts - and watch his mannerisms! Pure 'shrub'. I'll be very worried if he gets the nomination.

:scared:

[bornskeptic]

4. Pretty convincing evidence that the GOP nominee will be Romney.

That's unfortunate, as he may be fairly competetive. Obama would breeze by any of the other GOP dreamers, other, of course, than Huntsman, who has no shot at the nomination.

[Honeycombe8]

5. I wouldn't underestimate Perry's chances in a general election. Most people...

don't pay careful attention to the candidates. He's never lost an election. All a lot of people would notice about him is...he's a southener....he's religious....he's strong and outspoken....he's angry...he's a bully....he's far right....he hates taxes and deadbeats.....for many, that would be enough to get their vote.

Romney will have trouble getting the southern states. They just can't stand the thought of a Mormon being the nominee or in the White House.

But if Romney becomes the nominee....more Independents would vote for him than for Perry, I agree.

[southmost]

6. i doubt the republican 'elites' and PTB would let Perry

be the presidential candidate, I bet they have an incriminating dossier on Perry, just in case Romney isn't the clear winner

[Cosmocat]

7. it is hurting him in a general election ...

the article states it is showing mostly in the general election horserace poll - NOW.

It is not hurting him much in the primary polls, and they already are making the turn he needs to make on it - "unlike others, Perry has the guts to take on REFORM of SS."

The Rs are not going to elect Romney just because he is the best bet to beat BO. SOME, but not the party as a whole, are thinking like that.

There is a lot of beltway blowback on Perry, but the vibes with the people who actually are going to ELECT their nominee remain very much in Perry's court. Funny, we usually see the negative spin on candidates with Ds. Scarboro was all over Perry negatively today. The establishment and the "liberal press" don't want Perry, but they have helped to germate the frankenstein that is the "base" of the party, and they may not be able to control it as easy as they do the mushy middle.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

8. Perry's position on Social Security as a "Ponzi Scheme" is strange IMHO

After all, the program has been around and worked fine for lots of Americans for over 70 years now. I imagine that there are quite a few people on Social Security right now sitting at home scratching their heads over his comments. Tossing out phrases like "Ponzi Scheme" might attract some attention but I have a hard time believing that most people would ever actually agree that the program that is currently funding their RSDI benefits with few (if any) problems is really a fraudulent scheme being run by the federal government.

:shrug::wtf:

[Sheepshank]

9. Totally not buying the meme that Perry is a scary candidate, because Bush won in 2004

To repeat the threat that the entire RW population is insane enough to vote for Perry because they were duped into voting for Bush is not a good "if"/"then" comparison. They simply do not come across as the same type of person. Bush never did present this type of extemism during the campaigning.

BUT, I do like to see the comparisons in one manner...such as not wanting another Texan etc. What happens during the comparison stage between Perry and Bush is eventually, the contrasting gets talked about. Perry is batshit crazy, narcissistic, hurtfull to the nation and an egomaniac.

Indies would have a hard time voting for Perry and fence sitting Dems would avoid him like the plague.

Perry would be wonderful as the GOP nominee.

ETA: this quote from the article indicated in the OP says it perfectly:
In fact it appears that Perry's rhetoric on Social Security could already be causing him problems. When PPP did a national poll three weeks ago Barack Obama led Perry by only 6 points at 49-43. Now that gap has widened to 11 points at 52-41. The main movement has come with Democratic voters. On the previous poll Obama had only a 68 point lead with the party base at 81-13 but now it's 80 points at 89-9. We know there are a lot of Democratic voters disenchanted with Obama right now but if the GOP puts forward someone like Perry who's willing to go after one of the Holy Grails of the party's orthodoxy like Social Security it might scare those voters back into the fold.