Mitt Romney/Rick Perry 2012

by Benie Quigley

For The Hill on 3/14/12

Another nice mess you’ve got us in now, Ollie! Santorum has taken the Deep South! Mitt Romney might now have to form a deal in order to avoid a brokered convention, a leading Gingrich surrogate told The Hill.

What kind of a deal? Newt Gingrich as Vice President? As he said earlier, he is willing to serve his country in that capacity. But would Gingrich on the ticket increase Romney’s electability? Only in that 51st state, the dark side of the moon. Gingrich brings too much baggage. He got to this position he is in now by a strange twist of fate. It was all really a book promotion that got out of hand. But they were saying this not long ago about Ron Paul who no longer has the leverage. Romney would have to deal with him. Ron Paul as VP or maybe his son, Rand, as surrogate. So maybe Gingrich can bite the bullet as well and put principle before ego and present as a deal to Romney his closest surrogate on the issues, Texas Governor Rick Perry.

It would incorporate much of the new thinking that has come into this campaign. Perry literally wrote the book on state sovereignty and the devolution of power to the states. Romney said repeatedly he would follow this initiative as president. And Steve Forbes says Perry’s tax ideas are the best. As a manager, he is a match for Romney, for anyone.

Romney likes Perry and admires his work as governor and has said so in the early part of the campaign before Perry entered. And a Romney/Perry ticket – a Massachusetts/Texas ticket - would fit the tradition of harmony and equilibrium between the regions.

America is recklessly accelerating toward economic disaster. And Rick Perry, Texas governor for the past decade, is uniquely qualified to offer a firsthand perspective on why the United States – the most successful civilization in human history – is being threatened with economic collapse. Gingrich says so in the introduction to Perry’s book, Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America from Washington.