SCOUT’S HONOR: The Eagle Scout and onetime Air Force captain has a simple reason for running. “My wife said, ‘It’s time to do your duty.'”

[Photo: Ben Baker] The Eagle Scout and onetime Air Force captain has a simple reason for running. “My wife said, ‘It’s time to do your duty.'”[Photo: Ben Baker]

But Can He Win Over America?

If a week is a year in politics, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been through a decade since he entered the race to be the GOP presidential nominee on Aug. 13. At first he was heralded as the great right hope of the Republican Party, but after missteps in debates and comments on hot-button issues—Social Security, immigration—he faltered in the polls. Perry is undeterred—the American people, he says, need his blend of straight talk, job-creation savvy, and hand-on-the-heart patriotism. He took a break from his hectic campaign schedule last week to sit down for an interview with PARADE contributing writer Lynn Sherr in New York.



LYNN SHERR: So, what happened to you in the early debates?

RICK PERRY: “A debate is an eight-ring circus, and you have a minute to talk. Sometimes it can be hard to explain your position on a host of issues. I readily admit I’m not the slickest politician nor the smoothest debater.”

Do you feel as if the other candidates have been ganging up on you in the debates?

“When you come into the fray and you’re leading in the polls, you’re going to get attacked by everyone. I get it. I’m a big boy, and I know how to play that game.”

Your critics say you’re not electable. Your response?

“Well, I disregard that. Americans are looking for somebody to stand up and tell them the truth, and I have a record to back it up. Ultimately, if I can explain my heart, my jobs record, and my philosophy to Americans, I’m pretty confident that I’ll win.”

Let’s talk about immigration. You signed a law allowing some children of undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. What did you hope to accomplish?

The reason we have to deal with these issues in the first place is because of the total disregard by the federal government of its duty to secure the border. After you realize that, ask, “How should each state in their sovereign right decide what to do?” In Texas, we said in 2001 that anyone who’s lived here for three years, who is doing their schoolwork and qualifies to go to a public university, and who is pursuing citizenship can pay an in-state tuition. Our legislature decided overwhelmingly that these individuals get educated and enter the workforce, rather than kick them to the curb, so to speak. But this is a state-by-state issue, and I respect those that disagree with me.

Governor Romney has accused you of flip-flopping on Social Security. You denounced it as a Ponzi scheme but recently you’ve said, “Everybody who is getting benefits now will be protected.”

I’ve called it what it is. I think, for young and mid-career people, it is a Ponzi scheme.

So which readers do you think should start figuring out other ways to cover their retirement?

I think 45-to-50-year-olds realize that if we don’t fix the way it’s structured, they’ve got a pretty good idea their chance to have a retirement funded by Social Security will be limited.

Read Rick Perry’s positions on 5 key issues

You blasted President Obama’s policy toward Israel on the same day he was addressing the U.N., and you took some flak for it. Why did you do it?

The president has been sending mixed messages for over two years to Israel, our oldest ally in democracy in the Middle East. I have no regrets about bringing to the attention of the American people that we have a president who, due to his wavering, muddled policy, has brought us to the point where the Palestinians feel comfortable going directly to the U.N. to ask for recognition.

What are the three most important foreign policy issues facing the U.S. today?

Having a strong economy so that we have the economic ability to have an impactful foreign policy. We must be able to keep up with our research and -development capabilities in the military. And our very important foreign policy position must be that our friends know we’ll be there for them, whether it’s Israel in the Middle East or Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, or India in the sphere of influence where China is located.

Let’s switch topics. Governor, you’re a very successful fund-raiser. But it’s been reported that nearly half of the major donors during your governorship ended up receiving business contracts, political appointments, or tax breaks. The word that’s been applied to you is “cronyism.” How do you respond?

That’s the same old, tired criticism which comes when people don’t want to talk about the real issues, like how do we create jobs.

But is there any truth to it?

No. Decisions in Texas are generally legislative, with the lieutenant governor, speaker, and governor making them together. There were no unilateral decisions from my office dealing with those issues. And I’ll go back to my record. I’ve been elected three times as governor. The people obviously have confidence in me.

TOP GUN: Above: The former air force pilot visits the Texas National Guard in 1999. Below: Perry was elected to the prestigious position of “yell leader” at Texas A&M in 1971.





Americans will be reading this story in PARADE on a Sunday. What’s a typical Sunday for you when you’re not busy campaigning?



Prior to having my back fixed [on July 1], my perfect Sunday was to get up, go running, have a cup of coffee, go to Lake Hills Church for a 9:30 service, and then take a nap. [laughs] Those days are over—well, the running part is. Now I swim.

What denomination is your church?

It’s loosely affiliated with the Baptist Church. It’s evangelical and hip. When you start your service with Lynyrd Skynyrd, you know it’s nontraditional.

I hear that you’re also a real Beethoven fan.

I played piano for seven years. But I broke my arm really bad unloading horses when I was 16, so I had to stop. Had it not been for the accident, I’d probably be playing piano in a little bar here in New York.

At the Sept. 12 debate, you described your wife as “beautiful, thoughtful, incredible.” Tell me what she’s like as a person.

She’s very smart and loyal. She’s not predisposed to be a public figure since she saw how her father, a small-town doctor, had to be shared with all these other people. She’s also a great patriot.

What do you feel is most misunderstood about you?

That everyone from Texas is alike.

Not true?

[laughs] Not at all. We’re an incredibly diverse state.

Tell me the differences between you and George W. Bush.

You don’t have enough pages. We grew up differently. We have different value sets.



Read a Texan’s perspective on Rick Perry

You were once a Democrat, correct?

Right. I never met a Republican until I was 25.

Have you ever voted for a Democratic candidate for president?

Yes, ma’am. In 1976, I voted for Jimmy Carter, because I was in the air force, and I came from an agricultural family. A peanut farmer from Georgia had to be better than anyone else on the Democrats’ side. He was the last Democrat I voted for for president—in fact the only Democratic -president I ever voted for. Holy mackerel, what a mistake.

In 1988, you supported Al Gore’s presidential campaign. Why?

In that group, he was by far the most conservative Democrat. But between Ronald Reagan and seeing what the Democrat Party was becoming, I came to the conclusion in 1989 that I needed to become a Republican.

Have you seen the film An Inconvenient Truth?

No, ma’am.

Have you read the book?

No. I generally don’t watch or read a lot of fiction.

Many believe global warming caused the wildfires in your state. What do you think?

Historically in Texas, we’ve always had substantial periods of drought. World temperatures have also been changing for millennia. I truly believe the science is not settled on the issue of man-made global warming.

I find it interesting that you went to college to be a veterinarian.

And organic chemistry made a pilot out of me. [laughs] After 16 hours of organic chemistry, they pointed out to me that I probably didn’t want to be a veterinarian.

So would it be fair to say that you and science don’t get along so well?

No. After I graduated college, I had a year of the most technical aerodynamics and physics that you need to be an air force pilot. They weren’t cream-puff studies. I have a pretty good handle on science from that perspective.

Some of our recent presidents have admitted to experimenting with drugs. What about you?

No, ma’am. Not unless you call caffeine a drug. Or cold beer or whiskey.

In the past, you’ve said that “unless my family is at gunpoint, I will not go to Washington, D.C.” If you’re elected, do you plan to govern from Texas?

Look, millions of Americans who’ve served the country didn’t want to go where they were sent, but it was their duty. I don’t consider this any different.

Governor, how would you make the White House more like Texas?

We’d have Blue Bell ice cream and Hill Country barbecue.





Who’s your closest friend?

My wife.

And your closest guy friend?

Probably my son. Prior to my son growing up, it was my father. When I came home in 1976 after serving in the Air Force, I moved back in with my parents. As part of the Air Force, I’d lived all over the world. I was an aircraft commander. On my 27th birthday, I looked around and I was back in the same room at my parents that I’d left eight or nine years before as an 18-year-old boy. It was quite a shocking experience. My father and I went through a very difficult period of adjustment. He still thought I was the boy who had left at 18. I didn’t think he was the smartest guy in the world because he hadn’t been to college and I had. It took us about a year to realize that not only had I grown up and was a mature, capable young man but that my father had gotten incredibly wise in those nine years. [laughs]

Who’s your hero?

My father.

What about a hero who’s not a family member?

I’m a huge fan of Winston Churchill. He represents perseverance and how when you know what you believe in, you stand up for it day in and day out. I actually asked for the bust of Winston Churchill that was removed from the White House, if I could take it. His daughter wrote to me, the British are so—I just love ‘em to death because of how formal they are in certain ways. She wrote me this wonderful letter and said, “I really appreciate your asking to have the bust of my grand”—I think it was her grandfather. But she said, “It’s property of the British Empire and you’ll have to ask them.” So I asked them and they said, “We’ve got it at the Embassy, and we’re going to keep it. I told them I’ve got busts of George Washington, Sam Houston, Abraham Lincoln, and Ronald Reagan. I’ve got four busts in my office. I was like, “Man, if I could get Winston Churchill, I’d have what may have been the five most influential men in history.

You have a son, Griffin, 28, and a daughter Sydney, 25. What was their reaction when you told them you wanted to run for president?

We had a family conference. My son was there with his wife, they’ve been married 18 months. There’s a young man, a Navy SEAL that Anita and I took care of for about two-and-a-half years. He basically adopted us. His name is Marcus Luttrell [co-author of the book Lone Survivor]. He was in the family meeting too. It was Anita, myself, Griffin, his wife Meredith, Sydney, Marcus, and his wife. Seven of us sat down, and we had a conversation. Everybody gets a black bean. If there’s even one black bean, then the deal’s off.

Were there any black beans?

No, but Marcus was very hesitant. He’s very protective of my wife. He really didn’t want to see the family go through what you go through in one of these efforts.

But everybody eventually signed off?

Yeah, everybody said, “Great.” Everybody was very positive. He was the one that was hesitant.

Let’s talk a bit more about you. What’s the one sentence that defines you?

He was for freedom. Early in this campaign, I was talking to some people who were fundraisers. One man asked me, “When I go back to my state, what is it I can say about you that describes you?” I said, “You go back and tell them this campaign is about freedom. Freedom from overtaxation, freedom from overlitigation, freedom from overregulation.” It’s stamped in the DNA of the human being to be free.

In 2010, you hinted at the possibility of Texas seceding, although you never said that word.

Actually, I didn’t. Let’s not misrepresent it.

Okay, let’s say you become president and the state of Massachusetts says the same thing, what would you say to them?

You’re going to have to be more specific. Let’s say somebody stands up at an event and says, “Secede.” My response would be that we have a great country. I see no reason that we would ever want to dissolve it, but I do understand why people get frustrated when government does not work the way our Founding Fathers meant for it to. I totally understand why people would shout that out. Do I think it’s a realistic thing? No.

Okay. Here’s an easy one.

Great. Blue.

What?

Oh, I thought you were going to ask my favorite color.

Governor, you made the news last year when you said you were out jogging in Austin with your daughter’s puppy, and you came across a coyote that was threatening your dog. Did you really shoot it like you said you did?

Yes, ma’am. One shot right in the shoulder.

You saw him drop, but did he die?

Yeah, right there.

So how come there’s been so much controversy over it? For example, some people have said it’s simply not possible to jog and carry a gun at the same time.

One guy from upstate New York said [it couldn’t have happened because] “coyotes would run away.” Come to Austin. I’ll show you coyotes that will come and get in your backyard and eat your little puppy.

Governor, do you believe that President Barack Obama was born in the United States?

I have no reason to think otherwise.

That’s not a definitive, “Yes, I believe he”—

Well, I don’t have a definitive answer, because he’s never seen my birth certificate.

But you’ve seen his.

I don’t know. Have I?

You don’t believe what’s been released?

I don’t know. I had dinner with Donald Trump the other night.

And?

That came up.



And he said?

He doesn’t think it’s real.

And you said?

I don’t have any idea. It doesn’t matter. He’s the President of the United States. He’s elected. It’s a distractive issue.

Give me your quick impressions of New York. I know you’ve been to the city before, but obviously this is a different kind of trip since you’re a presidential candidate. What’s your sense of New York this time around?

Well, there’s no difference. Look, this is New York, I’m just another person. This is an incredible city. It’s got a soul like no other city in the world.

That’s probably the nicest thing that anyone from Texas has said about New York.

It’s a beautiful and wonderful place. I came here in 1972, and it was a very dark and ominous and probably unsafe place. I didn’t come back for 20-plus years. When I came back, it was really changed, and I give my tip of the hat to Rudy Giuliani for that.

Do you think Donald Trump going to support your candidacy?

You’ll have to ask him, but I’d certainly like to have the Donald’s support. He is a job-creating machine, and that’s what I’m all about.

Governor, can you briefly sum up why you should be president?

It’s about getting America back to work. If we don’t have policies in place, tax-wise, regulatory-wise, to take the burden off the small business men and women in this country and give them confidence that there is going to be an environment where they can risk their capital and have a return on the investment, then America is going to be in trouble. It’s going to be in trouble for a lot of reasons. We’re not going to be able to have the resources to keep up with a very aggressive China. We’re not going to be able to have foreign policy in a host of different areas. But, most importantly, we’re not going to have a way to get Americans back to work, where they can have the dignity of taking care of their families. And that—

And you can do that?

Absolutely, we’ve got a 10-year record of doing it in Texas. I look forward to implementing those tax and regulatory restraints that allow the small business man and woman to flourish.

Inside Rick Perry’s Life

In the Perrys’ fridge:

Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, whole milk, orange juice, Texas steak, red wine.

On their bedside table:

A pile of books (in late September, he was reading Henry Kissinger’s On China). A few pairs of reading glasses. A drinking glass, a coaster, and pennies and nickels from his pockets.

In the Governor’s morning mug:

Black coffee, sometimes with Splenda.

On TV:

College football on the weekends. (Past shows he and Anita have liked: Band of Brothers, Lost, Friday Night Lights.)

On his iPod:

Beethoven, Clay Walker, Pink Floyd.

In his DVD player:

Immortal Beloved, his favorite movie.

At the door of the Perrys’ home:

Lucy, a red short-haired dachshund, and Rory (short for Aurora Pancake), a black Lab.



