COMMENTARY | CBS News reports Gov. Rick Perry of Texas told Republican leaders at a conference in Michigan that he's "authentic." He claims it's a stark contrast to his opponents such as Mitt Romney who seem polished but flip-flop on issues.
Even though Perry is authentic and tells it like it is, he won't stand a chance against President Barack Obama as he seeks re-election. The reason is simple. Republicans and independents don't want another governor of Texas in the White House after the last time one was elected. President George W. Bush got the United States involved in two costly wars, raised the national debt, destroyed the economy in 2008 and increased the size of the government .
Even though Perry claims to be even more conservative than Bush, independent voters are the ones who need to be swayed in order to win a nationwide election. What works in Texas won't work all across the country.
Case in point is Rep. Michele Bachmann's campaign. Business Insider reports Bachmann sent out an email to supporters trying to solicit funds for the third quarter. At the end, she sent a postscript stating she is running for president. No one needed to be reminded of this fact except perhaps Bachmann. She raised a record $5.4 million in one quarter for just her House re-election campaign in 2010. However, she needs to have a more widespread appeal and much more money to run for president.
Bachmann doesn't have the clout of being a business person who can have her own money to devote to a campaign. She works for voters and will need voters to give money in order to win against her opponents.
Romney has the advantage of money left over from his 2008 primary run. He's had much more time to raise money and has a strong network of supporters nationwide. Both Bachmann and Perry need to work for a fundraising network that Romney already has.
Recent polls bear out how Perry would do against Obama in a head-to-head matchup. Real Clear Politics reports Obama leads Perry by an average of 8.2 percentage points. The average is a culmination of six polls taken from early to mid-September. The highest margin was 11 points and the smallest five. Obama garnered an average of 49.5 percent of likely voters whereas Perry gets an average of only 41.3.
Despite low presidential approval ratings, Obama is still seen as more electable than Perry. Maybe it's because many voters feel the country will be even worse with Perry in office thanks to his predecessor. When it comes to Perry vs. Obama, the current commander-in-chief seems to be the lesser of two evils for likely voters.
It doesn't help that Republicans are fractured. Ultra-conservative tea party candidates may draw votes away from mainstream candidates in primary elections. If more controversial candidates go against Obama it will be even worse for the GOP during the general election.
William Browning is a research librarian specializing in U.S. politics. Born in St. Louis, Browning is active in local politics and served as a campaign volunteer for President Barack Obama and Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill.
