Fred Thompson 2.0. (Reuters)
After years of living the crazy right-wing lifestyle,
this stat is just brutal for Texas Gov. Rick Perry:
Part of Cain's rise is because Republican voters are comfortable with where he stands ideologically. 71% say his views are 'about right.' That compares to only 53% for Perry and 51% for Romney. Romney's problem is almost all with people who think he's too liberal- 31% of primary voters. Concerns with Perry are more divided- 17% think he's too liberal, but 14% think he's too conservative.
Mitt Romney's flip flopping ways make it hard to paint himself as a conservative, but Perry should not have had that problem. Yet 17 percent think he's "too liberal"? That's a triumph for his opponents, and further evidence that lacking hatred for brown people is a deal-breaker for a significant portion of the GOP base.
But what about those who say he's "too conservative"? Is that even possible in GOP primary politics? Apparently so, and odds are that it has to do with his attacks on Social Security and Medicare. Clearly, there are Republicans who still value government programs for the elderly.