1. Perry’s claims of creating a million jobs don’t stand up to scrutiny.
Because the number of jobs in Texas rose from 9,537,900 in December 2000 to 10,619,800 in July 2011, Perry claims to be responsible for creating 1.08 million jobs since he became governor.
Even if we grant that he is personally responsible for creating these jobs, a deeper examination of these numbers shows that they provide nothing to crow about:
- From December 2000 to July 2011, there was an increase of 11.3% in the number of jobs in Texas;
- During the decade Perry has been governor, the Texas population grew 20.6%, nearly twice the rate that jobs were created;
- The net result is that the unemployment rate increased from its all-time low of 4.2% in January 2001 (the month after Perry became governor) to its current level of 8.5% (which is the highest it has been since the record of 9.3% was set in November 1986).
Conclusion:
With Perry, there’s a lot to be nervous about. Even if his “provocative language” appeals to conservatives in the Republican Party, they may just find out that he doesn’t have the ability to generate traction in a general election campaign, in which he would need to impress more than just the great state of Texas.
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