Texas Gov. Rick Perry launched his long-anticipated presidential campaign on Saturday, instantly shaking up the race for the Republican nomination. In a year when conservatives complain that Mitt Romney is too moderate, and centrists consider Michele Bachmann a Tea Party extremist, Perry boasts a resume that offers something to both crowds. Is Perry the "superhero" Republicans have been waiting for to take on President Obama?
No way. He is too extreme: "Perry may come out of the gate strong," says Kevin Drum at Mother Jones, "but he might not wear well once the national spotlight is on him." His overt, "fire-and-brimstone" Christianity won't go over well outside the Bible Belt. And some of his more outrageous declarations — "Social Security is a Ponzi scheme," Texas might secede from the union — are too extreme, even for most Republicans. He'd never survive a general election.
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