Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a candidate for president of the United States, should by now be the front runner, perhaps even over Mitt Romney, the former Mass governor. Indeed, for a time, Perry was the front runner.
The fall of Perry in the polls since his surge just after his announcement for president has been ascribed to a series of poor debate performances. However there are two major issues that have irked conservative voters concerning Perry. In addition Perry's campaign has been snake bit by a press report that interjected the ugly issue of race into his campaign and character.
What is the Texas Dream Act?
The Texas Dream Act is a law signed by Gov. Perry in 2001 that allowed certain children of illegal aliens to attempt Texas institutions of higher education at in-state tuition rates. A student has to have lived in Texas for a certain number of years, has to have attended and graduated from a Texas high school or gotten a GED, and has to have applied to the Immigration and Naturalization Service for legal status. The act passed by overwhelming margins and was considered non controversial at the time.
However, since 2001, illegal immigration has become a burning issue in American politics, particularly for conservative voters. The Texas Dream Act is seen by many as a magnet for illegal aliens, who might use it to take their children to the United States in order to get a better education. Perry did not help matters when he suggested that those who did not support the act lacked a heart.
What was the HPV Vaccination Program?
In February, 2007, Perry issued an executive order requiring that Texas girls receive the HPV vaccination which protects against the human papilloma virus, thought to lead to cervical cancer. Perry was criticized for, in effect, using government power to override parental authority, since the girls being vaccinated were still minors. That the girls were still minors and were getting protection from a sexually transmitted disease was another flash point among conservative Texans. There was also the matter of an alleged relationship between Perry and Merck, the manufacturer of the drug. The Texas Legislature passed a law undoing the order.
What was N Word Rock?
A hunting camp used by Perry and his family was called by a name that no one in polite society uses again. It was marked by a rock by the gate to the hunting area. Perry claimed that his father had the name on the rock painted over as soon as possible. There are those who dispute that story, suggesting at least racial insensitivity on the part of Perry. Herman Cain, the Godfather's Pizza CEO and rival for the president of Perry's, made that suggestion.
Texas resident Mark Whittington writes about state issues for the Yahoo! Contributor Network .
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