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<DIV class=timestamp>September 23, 2011</DIV>
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<H1><NYT_HEADLINE version="1.0" type=" ">State of the Republican
Field</NYT_HEADLINE></H1><NYT_BYLINE></NYT_BYLINE><NYT_TEXT>
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<P>At a few points in their careers as governors, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney
used the powers of state government to help their citizens. Mr. Romney helped
create a health insurance system to cover his state’s uninsured population; Mr.
Perry provided in-state college tuition for some illegal immigrants. At every
presidential debate, however, each attacks the other for these accomplishments,
unaware of how ridiculous they sound. </P>
<P>Thursday night’s Republican debate was a particular cacophony of illogic as
all of the candidates pandered to a base that is frighteningly unrepresentative
of most Americans who want their elected officials to work for the greater good.
Mr. Romney blasted the tuition break for luring “illegal aliens” to the
University of Texas. “That shouldn’t be allowed,” he said. “It makes no sense at
all.” (In fact, 13 states have decided it makes a great deal of sense, knowing
the value of well-educated residents.) </P>
<P>Mr. Perry, defending his policy, suddenly became the soul of compassion. “If
you say that we should not educate children who have come into our state for no
other reason than they’ve been brought there by no fault of their own,” he said,
“I don’t think you have a heart.” Mr. Perry’s big heart may be genuine, but it
also likely has something to do with his state’s large Hispanic voting
population. </P>
<P>That heart seemed to shrink drastically as he struggled to explain why 26
percent of his state has no health insurance, the <A
title="Kaiser state health facts"
href="http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparecat.jsp?cat=3">highest rate in the
country</A>. (The lowest rate, 5 percent, is in Massachusetts, because of Mr.
Romney’s program, which Mr. Perry dismissed Friday as “<A title="NYT report"
href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/romneycare-cost-massachusetts-jobs-perry-tells-conservatives/">misguided</A>.”)
Though a questioner suggested it was because the Texas eligibility rules for
Medicaid were unusually tough, Mr. Perry inexplicably blamed the lack of a
Medicaid waiver from Washington. </P>
<P>All of the candidates seem to think that voters will not notice — or not be
up on the facts — when they defend their use of government in one breath and
then opportunistically denounce their opponent’s use in the next. </P>
<P>In the area of foreign policy, Mr. Perry let loose one of the most incoherent
and frightening statements of the primary season — in response to a question
about what he would do if the Taliban gained control of Pakistan’s nuclear
weapons. His answer is difficult to parse, but he seemed to say that would never
happen on his watch because unlike President Obama he would have sold F-16
fighters to India — Pakistan’s nuclear rival — to assist the United States in
keeping control of Pakistan’s arsenal. </P>
<P>Actually, India was pitched hard (but not for that reason) and earlier this
year <A title="NYT report"
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/29/business/global/29india.html">chose not
to buy F-16s</A>. Even if Mr. Perry had gotten that point right, his answer
sounds more like a sequel to Dr. Strangelove than a thoughtful response from a
potential president. That, however, seems to be asking too much from this field
of candidates. </P><NYT_CORRECTION_BOTTOM>
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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Verdana>________________________________</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Verdana>Wayne A. Fox<BR><A
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