OMG moment at GOP debate

Texas. Gov. Rick Perry criticized a border fence as being unrealistic during Monday night's GOP debate. Instead of a fence or wall, he suggested more boots on the ground and high-tech solutions to reduce illegal immigration.

And here's a shocker. I basically agree with him.

"The idea that you're going to build a wall from Brownsville to El Paso and go left for another 800 miles to Tijuana is just not reality," said Perry.

He's right. A border fence is nothing more than an emotional response to illegal immigration. It's red meat for Tea Party people and other far right-wing fanatics. It's not a real solution.

Fences make some people feel better but rarely do they work. A ladder or tunnel would easily defeat the purpose of a costly and unguarded fence. In addition, a massive fence along the entire border with Mexico is an environmental nightmare for animals needing to migrate.

Even more border police and aerial patrols aren't enough to address the illegal immigration problem, but they are a start. Preventing undocumented people from entering the U.S., regardless of whether they are coming from the south or flying into JFK, requires smarter immigration policies and some societal changes. That's another blog item for another day.

Perry also talked about how providing in-state tuition for illegal aliens who want to better themselves by going to college was something he supported in Texas. He said the alternatives, which may include illegal immigrants not contributing to society, was far worse.

Again, I concur, although this too is a complex issue with no single solution.

Of course, through all of this, Michelle Bachmann's head nearly exploded, which in my view elevated Perry. Bachmann, the Tea Party favorite, was giving the audience what they wanted. And what they wanted was what they always want -- mean-spirited, shallow remarks that show zero vision and would set us back 200 years if implemented. Remember, these are the same people who applauded the number of executions in Texas at the last debate.

For one night, and probably one night only, Perry had moments of sounding rational. I guess that's not hard to do when Bachmann is sharing the stage.

Still, this group of Republicans is awful. Patti Davis, the daughter of Ronald Reagan, is going around to different media outlets blasting these GOP candidates for aligning themselves with her father. She points to what she saw as compassion in her father and says there is no evidence that modern-day Republicans possess an ounce of empathy for anyone. That perception is once again looking like reality as the GOP is lined up to shoot down President Obama's jobs bill, mostly because the bill raises money by eliminating certain deductions for the extremely wealthy -- the people they insist are job creators, even though there is no data to support that.

The lack of compassion and patriotism in these Republicans should disqualify them from ever aligning themselves with any past Republican president because the GOP has simply decayed into something that is so unsavory that even Reagan would condemn them. If Perry was trying to distance himself from that perception on Monday night, well, he has a long way to go, but I am not holding my breath.

Keep this cowboy away from D.C.

Gov. Rick Perry scares me.

Why?

Well, besides being another Republican governor from Texas (the last one in the White House didn't work out too well), he's the only candidate who could actually beat President Obama in 2012. And that would be a disaster for America.

You see, Perry has one very big gun in his arsenal. He can point to data that supports his claim for having created jobs in Texas -- lots of jobs -- during rough times. That one surface fact, without further examination, could lead Americans to believe that Perry is the solution to our biggest problem, which remains high unemployment.

Perry could become a bumper-sticker candidate for bumper-sticker voters, a champion of the unemployed. His supporters won't bother to look at what kind of jobs have been created in Texas. The fact is, many new jobs in Texas have been at or near the minimum wage level. Some have been public jobs, which I thought was against all that is Republican, and have helped artificially inflate the total figure. But Republicans don't like to be bothered with analysis these days, particularly when they smell Democratic blood in the water.

While I made reference to our previous president, Perry is no George W. Bush. He's worse. Far worse. He fits the new GOP mold better than any Bush ever did. He can appeal to Tea Party fanatics and mainstream Republicans. His pathetic macho swagger often crosses the line and hints of violence. Not real presidential stuff. His flaunting of his time in the military is about as classless as it comes, especially when you consider all the politicians (past and present) who have paid a much more costly price through their military service.

My hope is that Perry self destructs from stupid comments on the campaign trail. However, even if he controls his tongue, there is enough in the Perry record that could give Republican voters some doubts.

Under Perry, Texas ranks as one of the worst states in terms of funding education. At least Bush pretended to care about providing a quality education. For the record, Perry has already criticized Bush for funding educational programs. That's truly remarkable, even for this shallow Texan.

Environmentally speaking, Texas has become the new New Jersey. Perry's hands-off-big-business approach to governing has turned sections of the state into toxic pits inhabited by corporate polluters, who in return create crappy jobs for under-educated Texans. This is the cycle of Texas life for many people.

And this is a feather in Perry's cap?

If I believed in the Biblical prophecy relating to the existence of an "anti-Christ," the words "President Perry" would send chills down my spine. In the race for who is the biggest evangelical candidate since Pat Robertson, Perry wins by a Texas mile. Or does he? (Insert spooky music here).

Republican candidates to this point have been laughable. This GOP field is probably the weakest I've seen in my lifetime. By weakest, I mean clownish, crazy-eyed and just idiotic. I bet even "W" is going to have a hard time endorsing any of these people.

Enter Rick Perry with his big Texas smile and forceful hand gestures, shooting from the hip at every opportunity he gets. His emotions are his strength, and they are also his major weakness. I like to think Americans want a president who is passionate but under control. However, I am not sure enough voters will take the time to distinguish between passion and just plain craziness, especially if we're still sitting at over 9 percent unemployment next year.

While Obama left the door wide open for a GOP win in 2012 by not addressing unemployment from day one in the White House, I can't stomach another president who is going to lean on God, Satan or Dick Cheney types to solve our serious problems. Yes, compared with the rest of the field, Perry and his firm handshakes, jobs talk and longevity in an executive office probably looks pretty good to some people. However, that says a lot more about the other candidates than it tells me about the Texas governor who presides over a state that tends to favor boots and twang over substance and progress. Perry knows how to play to that crowd, but will that cowboy "charm" work on the coasts where Bush fatigue still lingers and basic requirements for living differ vastly from Texas?

• Read more about the importance of creating good jobs
• An ugly start to Rick Perry's campaign