As Texas Gov. Rick Perry wraps up his first week as a Republican presidential candidate, he’s apparently not inclined to back off some of his nuttier comments.
Here he is today on biological science:
Rick Perry continued to voice skepticism about evolution during a campaign stop in South Carolina Friday, telling a supporter “God is how we got here.” […]
When a woman in South Carolina congratulated him for his remarks Friday, Perry replied “Well, God is how we got here. God may have done it in the blink of the eye or he may have done it over this long period of time, I don’t know. But I know how it got started.”
And here he is on climate science:
Of his statement that global warming is essentially a hoax, Perry said: “I just happen to believe the Earth’s temperature has been moving up and down for milleniums now.” He claimed that scientists disagree on the cause and continued, “I happen to be one who is skeptical.”
And here’s Perry on reports that congressional Republicans were concerned about his rhetorical excesses about the Fed:
Perry didn’t back away from his statement that the Fed’s quantitative easing policy was nearly “treasonous,” responding: “I’m passionate about the Obama administration’s monetary policy.” […]
“I’m sorry if I offended a congressman but the fact of the matter is I’m representing the American people out here,” Perry said.
Does Perry realize that Ben Bernanke is a Republican, originally appointed by Bush? And that this isn’t the Obama administration’s monetary policy? More to the point, raise your hand if you think Rick Perry knows what a monetary policy is.
Long story short, I think Bruce Bartlett was onto something.
Now, if recent history is any guide, Perry deciding to double down on, well, everything will lead more reporters to swoon. Chris Cillizza, noting the governor’s argument that the Fed would be acting in a “treasonous” way if it tried to boost the economy, described the governor this week as “brash, bold and unapologetic about being so.”
If political reporters see all of Perry’s reckless and controversial comments through an agreed-upon lens — he’s the Texas Tough Guy Cowboy who doesn’t care about niceties — then every time the candidate says something outrageous, media outlets won’t even bother to take him to task. After all, it’ll just be Perry being Perry.
It’s going to be a long campaign.
