Perry’s New TV Ad Perry Takes On Obama’s ‘War on Religion,’ Gays in Military
EmailIn an overt attempt to appeal to conservatives who disagree with the social policies adopted by the Obama administration, Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s latest TV ad accuses President Obama of launching a “war on religion” and criticizes the policy of gay men and women serving openly in the military.
“I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a Christian, but you don’t need to be in the pew every Sunday to know that there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school,” Perry, wearing a tan jacket and blue shirt while walking and looking directly toward the camera, says in the ad. “As president, I’ll end Obama’s war on religion, and I’ll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage. Faith made America strong. It can make her strong again.”
The 30-second ad, called “Strong,” is the Perry campaign’s second effort in the past week to play up its candidate’s conservative credentials. In a move to court social conservatives and evangelicals in Iowa last week, Perry released an ad called “Faith,” that touted his religious commitment by proclaiming, “I’m not ashamed to talk about my faith.”
“When you run for president, you get a bunch of questions about your faith,” Perry said in the ad. “Now some liberals say that faith is a sign of weakness. Well, they’re wrong. I think we all need God’s help.”
Bill Burton, senior strategist for Priorities USA, a pro-Obama group, called Perry’s latest ad “astonishingly intolerant” and termed the TV spot a “war on gays.”
The ad also serves as an example of the Perry campaign’s efforts to differentiate the Texas governor from the president on social values. On Tuesday, Perry railed against Obama for his decision to use foreign aid to promote and protect the human rights of the gay and lesbian community abroad.
“Promoting special rights for gays in foreign countries is not in America’s interests and not worth a dime of taxpayers’ money,” Perry said in a statement. “”This is just the most recent example of an administration at war with people of faith in this country. Investing tax dollars promoting a lifestyle many [Americans] of faith find so deeply objectionable is wrong. President Obama has again mistaken America’s tolerance for different lifestyles with an endorsement of those lifestyles. I will not make that mistake.”
In an ABC News/Yahoo interview last month, Perry said he would be “comfortable” returning to the military policy of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”
“I think ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ worked very well,” Perry said in an ABC News/Yahoo interview with Christiane Amanpour. “I think the idea that the president of the United States wanted to make a political statement using our men and women in the military as the tool for that was irresponsible.”
It is not known at this time when or where this ad will begin running.
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Hmm… well I would like to hear comments from GOProud and the Log Cabin Republicans regarding Perry’s positions and stance. Its beyond my comprehesion how such groups can support such candidates. However, there is the Republican Muslim Conservatives group and that REALLY blows my mind!!! Ms. Saenz, could comments from these groups please?
Posted by: MyTakeOnThis61 | December 7, 2011, 11:34 am 11:34 am
Poor Rick. Desperation is an ugly motivator. Why is it none of these wannabe’s ever know when it’s time to hang it up?
Posted by: Searambler | December 7, 2011, 11:36 am 11:36 am
Shut UP Rick. This is one of the MANY reasons why many people are so turned OFF with religion. It’s NOT the actual religion, but the problem IS the FANATICS IN those religions that are making it so unappealing to people. You’re a Christian and that’s great, now practice YOUR religion and leave EVERYONE else to be what they are. Like so many on the right, you want Government OUT of everyone’s lives until we look into our PERSONAL LIVES that YOU all want to be in charge of!!! Mind your own damn business.
Posted by: demNme5 | December 7, 2011, 12:05 pm 12:05 pm
Ah yes, another Republican that only wants to be President to a specific group of Americans. The others are not worthy. Republicans interpret the Constitution with the same bias as they do their Bible. Does Perry want to be President or Pope? Republicans seem to be running for head preacherman instead of President of ALL the People of the United States. Maybe Perry will ban all other religions except Republican Christianity.
Posted by: afmcalax | December 7, 2011, 12:22 pm 12:22 pm
I’m curious what Rick’s comments are on the fact that the general American public thinks he’s a racist bigot. Traditional American values are outdated. If you want to become president try not to ostracize a large part of the American community.
Posted by: Mandy | December 7, 2011, 12:25 pm 12:25 pm
I was born and raised in Texas and I now see that the rest of the country is finally finding out what people in Texas have known for quite some time…Rick Perry is an idiot!
Posted by: Devo | December 7, 2011, 12:30 pm 12:30 pm
demnme5 wrote:”Shut UP Rick. This is one of the MANY reasons why many people are so turned OFF with religion.”
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DEMOCRATS are the most tolerant people in the world…. as long as you agree with everything THEY believe. Otherwise you are the enemy. Your “tolerant” post makes that crystal clear.
Posted by: Michelle Shu Jas | December 7, 2011, 12:32 pm 12:32 pm
Rick, “conservative” and “Christian” are mutually exclusive because Jesus was a liberal, so you are no Christian. A man who said it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kigdon of Heaven would not side with you.
Posted by: Greggw | December 7, 2011, 12:34 pm 12:34 pm
What war on religion, we have two Mormons running, and the Christian extremists control the Republican Party. Perry, Newt and Santorum are playing for the Jewish vote. Doesn’t sound like much of a war to me? If it is, it’s obvious religion is winning. Don’t any of these republican candidates think before they speak? They’re embarrassing us all as Americans.
Posted by: tmferretti | December 7, 2011, 12:47 pm 12:47 pm
DEMOCRATS are the most tolerant people in the world…. as long as you agree with everything THEY believe. Otherwise you are the enemy. Your “tolerant” post makes that crystal clear. Posted by: Michelle Shu Jas | December 7, 2011, 12:32 pm.
LOL! Michelle, you are a moron. And Perry is an idiot. Yes, I am INTOLERANT of the constant non-stop hatred, stupidity and hypocrisy of the Right Wing. The Party of Hatred and Bigotry, who always wraps themselves up in the Flag and their bible while trying to force their narrow-minded, judgmental, bigoted and hateful agenda onto the entire country. The Republican Party of today is a pale shadow of what it used to be. At least they used to have morals, and they used to believe in things like personal responsibility and compassion. And they weren’t so damn hypocritical about EVERYTHING. Today they’re nothing but a bunch of dull-witted zealots, gleefully doing the dirty work for the Koch brothers and their other corporate overlords. The ‘useful idiots’ of the Republican Party in America today. Truly, truly pathetic………….
Posted by: Searambler | December 7, 2011, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm
Don’t any of these republican candidates think before they speak? They’re embarrassing us all as Americans. Posted by: tmferretti | December 7, 2011, 12:47 pm.
No, they don’t. And yes, they are…………….
Posted by: Searambler | December 7, 2011, 12:53 pm 12:53 pm
The Republican Party is bound and determined to hand the 2012 election to the Democrats.
Posted by: lazyeight | December 7, 2011, 12:54 pm 12:54 pm
Perry is dumber than Dubya…..
Posted by: realist | December 7, 2011, 1:04 pm 1:04 pm
Searambler @ 12:52 pm
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Dude… open the flaps up for a while on your OWS tent…. the fumes are getting to ya….
Posted by: Michelle Shu Jas | December 7, 2011, 1:18 pm 1:18 pm
“I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a Christian, but you don’t need to be in the pew every Sunday to know that there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military” ~~~~~~ Why would this mean there was something wrong with our country? I’d think it would mean there’s something right…that our military would seek and retain men and women with talent and aptitude without an eye toward discriminating against them on the basis of the gender of the partner they sleep with at night. Can you imagine the following question being asked in any civilian job interview: “Job Candidate, you’re resume is impeccable, and you’ve got all the requisite experience and great references, but before I can hire you, I need to know…do you sleep with a male or female?”
“our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school” —– Yeah, right. I call BS.
Posted by: Minorkey1 | December 7, 2011, 1:20 pm 1:20 pm
Quick fact check. Kids can openly celebrate Christmas, and can openly pray in school. It’s the school who can’t organize a Christmas celebration or lead students in prayer.
Facts, not a problem for the GOP.
Posted by: David | December 7, 2011, 1:27 pm 1:27 pm
:Dude… open the flaps up for a while on your OWS tent…. the fumes are getting to ya….
POSTED BY: MICHELLE SHU JAS | DECEMBER 7, 2011, 1:18 PM 1:18 PM
No, Michelle, the only fumes that are getting to us are the ones from all the hot air Perry The Blowhard is spewing our way. But thank you oh so very much for your Christian-spirited concern about the flaps on our OWS tents. I’ll make a deal with you… we’ll open our flaps when you and your bigoted GOP ilk decide to shut yours!!
Posted by: Robert | December 7, 2011, 1:32 pm 1:32 pm
It only serves to get the conservative vote, that’s it. So really it isn’t relevant in mainstream. People make such a big deal out of nothing. He gets the nomination, which probably most liberals want, he isn’t going to win the general election. But am sorry, the ad just reminds me so much of president Bush, he has too many of same mannerisms and his political stances. Are they distantly related?
Posted by: phantomniter | December 7, 2011, 1:36 pm 1:36 pm
Precisely David, children are entitled to openly pray and celebrate Christmas and that is a fact. Christmas tree at the white house, hmm.
Posted by: phantomniter | December 7, 2011, 1:39 pm 1:39 pm
robert wrote:”we’ll open our flaps when you and your bigoted GOP ilk decide to shut yours!!”
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You know, on second thought………just keep those flaps on your OWS tent shut. We’ll all be a lot better off.
Posted by: Michelle Shu Jas | December 7, 2011, 1:52 pm 1:52 pm
Nobody questions Rick Perry’s sincerity when he speaks. One may not agree with him on a given topic- and I do disagree with him on some things- but when he states his position, there’s no doubt he’s calling it as he sees it. Considering the weasely-ness of Gingrich and Romney, this should be Perry’s greatest selling point.
Posted by: nancy sabet | December 7, 2011, 2:31 pm 2:31 pm
Michelle Shu Jas | December 7, 2011, 1:18 pm post:
LOL! Listen, babe, I’m at my store right now. I don’t have time to occupy anything but my business.
Posted by: Searambler | December 7, 2011, 3:13 pm 3:13 pm
“our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school”
Christmas should be celebrated at home and in church. Not school.
Posted by: im2b' | December 7, 2011, 3:21 pm 3:21 pm
searambler wrote:”LOL! Listen, babe, I’m at my store right now. I don’t have time to occupy anything but my business.”
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From the sounds of your post at 12:52 pm, you like to be in everyone else’s business.
Posted by: Michelle Shu Jas | December 7, 2011, 3:22 pm 3:22 pm
You know, on second thought………just keep those flaps on your OWS tent shut. We’ll all be a lot better off.
POSTED BY: MICHELLE SHU JAS | DECEMBER 7, 2011, 1:52 PM 1:52 PM
Poor Michelle… she’s still so worried about those OWS tents. And yet, I note that she did NOT take the time to deny being a bigot. I guess if you support the bigots, and side with the bigots, then that makes you a bigot. Poor little bigot Michelle…
@Nancy Sabet: I do agree with you on your point of Perry’s sincerity. So yes, you know what you’re getting when it comes to Rick Perry. But you know you’re getting a lemon when you buy an Edsel, and you know you’re getting a fake when you buy a cubic zirconia. Why would I ever want to buy any of those things? So, if sincerity in presentation is his only selling point, I’ll take my money elsewhere, thank you, and leave him on a shelf.
Posted by: Robert | December 7, 2011, 3:27 pm 3:27 pm
robert wrote:”And yet, I note that she did NOT take the time to deny being a bigot”
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Coming from an oBama Stooge it doesn’t count for anything.
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“But you know you’re getting a lemon when you buy an Edsel, and you know you’re getting a fake when you buy a cubic zirconia.”
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So what’s your excuse for buying Hope-n-Change…. hook, line, and sinker? I’d be careful about bragging on my purchasing criteria….
Posted by: Michelle Shu Jas | December 7, 2011, 3:58 pm 3:58 pm
From the sounds of your post at 12:52 pm, you like to be in everyone else’s business. Posted by: Michelle Shu Jas | December 7, 2011, 3:22 pm.
LOL! Funny. I own a small business, a store. And I have no more tolerance for idiots on the Right – anti-factual, anti-intellectual, bigoted, ignorant, and hypocritical. You don’t like my posts, feel free to ignore them. I’m done trying to play nice with people who are not nice. Yes, I respond to hate, with hate. It’s the only language spoken on the Right today………….
Posted by: Searambler | December 7, 2011, 4:20 pm 4:20 pm
Michelle wrote, “Coming from an oBama Stooge it doesn’t count for anything.”
Ahhhhh. There’s that conservative Right Wing love we’ve missed for so long……….
Posted by: Searambler | December 7, 2011, 4:23 pm 4:23 pm
Seriously?!? What an idiot. How is he even a possibility for the presidency??
Posted by: Leah | December 8, 2011, 1:25 am 1:25 am
The so called “war on religion” started a little before Obama’s time. It’s called the Constitution and the Separation of Church and State. THAT’S what this country was founded on. Not the bible-toting stuff that you like to talk about.
On the other hand, keep it up Rick. You’re already almost unelectable.. The more you say stuff like this, the less chance I’ll have to leave this country if you end up in the White House.
Posted by: HanoverHarry | December 9, 2011, 6:11 pm 6:11 pm
Umm Rick, you DO know that the music in your ad is by a GAY American composer?
Don’t you?
I mean otherwise you’d look just plain stupid.
Posted by: Music Lover | December 10, 2011, 2:02 am 2:02 am
This guy should crawl back underneath the rock that he came out from under.
Posted by: bassman2092 | December 10, 2011, 8:16 pm 8:16 pm
Perry and the rest of the Republiclowns are asses! They are habitual liars! There is no way that any of them are qualified to be President of a Kindergarden class, much less of the U.S.A. We cannot afford to allow any of them to be Commander-in-Chief of our armed Forces, and especially to have access to nuclear weapons! If they want another war so bad, let them get a gun, go to the next country they want to invade, and fund their own little excursion! Do not send us taxpayers the bill for their excuses to make huge profits at our expense! And if they don’t want gays going with them,thats all right! I know they don’t like te idea of someone they see as inferior showing them up as the cowards they are!
Posted by: Richard Villars | December 15, 2011, 8:07 am 8:07 am
hmmm … Faith built this country says Rick … and yet even that far back they knew how important it was to separate church and state. War on Religion? Now there is a campaign buzz phrase if I ever heard one. There is no war on religion. Believe what you want I say. Just don’t limit my freedoms based on your religion. Two pastors recently seen on Oprah’s new show Best Life states that being gay is a gift from God. He also stated that people needed to adjust some thinking and understand that God made all people in his image and all people are good. Why is is so necessary to hate like this? How do gays serving openly and living in loving relationships hurt anyone? It kind of gets back to “mind your own busniess” doesn’t it? Rick … stop pandering for votes … its sick. I don’t think you have a shot at it anyone. This must have been a last desperate attempt. Now we need to just rid ourselves of the rest of these yahoos. Look out Newt … reasoning is on its way to getcha!
Posted by: Michael | December 28, 2011, 10:37 am 10:37 am