Perry takes his case to New Hampshire

Union Leader:

The man who appears to be on the verge of shaking up the Republican presidential race is proud of his fiscal and economic record, but is equally outspoken and “unapologetic” about his social conservatism and deep Christian faith.

“I can no sooner separate my public life from my values — I can't do that,” Texas Gov. James Richard “Rick” Perry told the New Hampshire Sunday News.

“But am I (not) going to say that if you don't believe this particular way, you're wrong?

“Far be it from me,” he said. “The idea that I have an idea about who's going to go to heaven and who's not, I don't. That is way above my capability.”

Perry, who has been governor since George W. Bush resigned to become President in 2000 and was elected three times to full terms — unprecedented in Texas history — has been the hot “non-candidate” for about the past month.

While not polled in New Hampshire yet, he polled within a few percentage points of front-runner Mitt Romney nationally last week.

In a telephone interview, Perry, who chairs the Republican Governors Association, described himself as “a full-throated unapologetic fiscal conservative” and “an unapologetic social conservative” who is “pro-life” and “pro-traditional marriage.”

But while Texas has written into its constitution that marriage is defined as being between one man and one woman, he said New York's recent decision to implement same-sex marriage “is New York's prerogative.”

Perry said that if he runs, he would “absolutely” engage in the person-to-person type of campaign Granite Staters are accustomed to and that he gained experience as a candidate for the Texas Legislature and state agriculture commissioner.


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I think he is starting his appeal to New Hampshire voters with this interview. He is a what you see is what you get candidate that maybe able to make an impression in a state that leans toward Romney.