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There’s
a lot not to like about Texas Governor and GOP candidate Rick Perry,
but, clearly, two of his redeeming qualities are his disdain for the Bernanke
Fed and, based on the fact that his campaign team is, so far, devoid of
economists, a seeming dislike for the entire dismal set. Prior to last
night’s GOP debate, this story in Forbes discussed the latter.
The
governor relies on the Lone Star State’s economic performance under his
leadership over the last decade to make his case. But where is his economic
plan for the nation? Or, at least, where is the economic team that will
help him craft it?
So
far, apparently, neither exists.
…
As he stands up his campaign, there is evidence Perry is reaching out to
private-sector leaders for economic advice. He brought a handful of
Washington hands who lead small business trade associations down to Austin
last month for a lunch meeting that one participant described as a
“pure policy session” on job growth.
And
it may be that Perry would like to hold off on hiring economic eggheads for
as long as he can.
The governor has cultivated an anti-elitist image, distancing himself from
his predecessor in the Texas governor’s mansion, George W. Bush, by
noting the 43rd president went to Yale, while Perry was a Texas A&M man.
On Fox News, he recently blasted Obama for surrounding himself with academics
who claim prestigious degrees and no real-world experience. “They are
intellectually very, very smart but he does not have wise men and women
around him,” Perry said.
As
for last night’s debate, according to this Housing Wire story, the nation’s chief economist
– Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke – isn’t too popular with this
crowd, both Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney saying they would not reappoint Bernanke
to another term as the Fed chief if they were elected president, Gingrich
saying he’d “fire him tomorrow”.
Based
on Newt’s position in polls, Bernanke can rest easy until the end of
his term.
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