[wetibbe]

I tried to give Rick Perry a fair shake and contemplate his various positions on immigration. I wanted to be fair and objective.

I like his military record. I also like his refusal to flip flop on issues that come back to bite him. But that's about all that there is to like. His record as Governor has produced statistics that are abysmal. Education, poverty place him close to last place in the USA. Job creation was and is largely illegal aliens.

Perry was a Democrat and he remains a Democrat philosophically even though he has joined the Republican party.

I understand his position on the fence. A double fence with trenches and concertina barbed, or razor, wire isn't practical nor desirable in SOME remote and mountainous areas.

Work visas for foreigners are already available. In fact agricultural visas are available in unlimited numbers. But the rules are - advertise for Americans and if none are found to fill the jobs, then process the immigrants. Get proper documentation, E-verify,pay taxes. First everyone will lie and cheat. And second the farmers, businesses don't like it.

So to understand Perry, he has a dual philosophy, hard on criminals and soft on Mexican laborers and other border jumpers. He wants troops on the border, the border secured, but also wants triage, letting the workers who haven't committed a crime to filter through. He just wants open borders. He wants the Dream Act.

He, mistakenly, plays to the desires of Texans who vote for him but fails miserably when exposed to the entire Continental United States.

But he's now a non-issue. His poll numbers are plummeting like a rock and he has no chance of being elected. It's over for him. He's toast.

I think that after the November 8 th National elections we will begin to see the candidates drop out little by little as their money dries up and they realize that they must face reality and throw in the towel.