Southern Baptist's Richard Land Says Rick Perry is George W. Bush Without Education, Compassion, Intellect & Fancy East-Coast Upbringing

If you haven't figured out a reason not to take Gov. Rick Perry serious as a presidential contender, a recent column penned by the Richard Land president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Commission should remove all doubt. He explained the key differences between George W. Bush and Rick Perry is: Perry is Bush without the education, compassion, intellect, or fancy East Coast-upbringing. Um, that's enough to have people running the other direction. Here's an excerpt from his column:

It is clear to those who know former President George W. Bush that he has great respect and affection for the average man and tremendous appreciation for those who have risen through the meritocracy from humble beginnings. However, as one of those "up from the ranks" individuals, I don't believe George W. Bush or any such son of privilege can as fully identify with the average family that lives from paycheck to paycheck as Perry can. Bush loves and appreciates them, Perry is them.

Their different backgrounds make them different men. Perry is less subtle. While both are men of genuine faith, Perry (life-long evangelical) is going to be more overtly Christian in his faith statements than the former president, who became a Methodist but was raised by New England Episcopalians. Perry is more conservative than Bush. He would be the most conservative president since Calvin Coolidge both fiscally and in foreign policy. He would be less interventionist in the latter and far more frugal than "compassionate" in the former. Perry also has a well-deserved reputation in Texas as being a less-forgiving political opponent than Bush. If you cross Perry, he will get even.

It would be a mistake to underestimate the appeal of this candidate's conservative populism. Perry has never lost an election and while he would be offended if you called him an intellectual, Perry is far more shrewd than people assume. Source

This has to be the craziest thing I have read in a while. I'm sorry, but I think I'll look the other way and run from Rick Perry, especially when a right wing evangelical is singing his virtues. The ghosts of Bush past are still haunting us.