Rick Perry & His Wife Anita Are Relationship Role Models (VIDEO)

on January 16, 2012 at 1:05 PM

governor rick perry and anita perry

If there was one thing that became crystal clear during the CafeMom forum this morning in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry and more than 100 moms, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers, it was this: Gov. Perry should NEVER campaign without his wife and the mother of his two children, Anita, by his side.

By himself, Gov. Perry appeared calm and articulate as he answered questions about education, undocumented immigrants, and the economy. But it was his moments with Anita that truly humanized the Governor of Texas and made him seem all the more relatable to all the moms in the audience.

It's rare to see a presidential candidate and his wife get so personal about their relationship and how much they support each other -- but that's just what the Perrys' did as you can see in the following videos.

As soon as Anita took the stage, Gov. Perry offered the audience a few humorous anecdotes about the beginning of their marriage.

As far as relationships go, theirs took a while to get started: They dated for 16 YEARS before they got married, and even then Perry had to "beg, plead, and whine" for her hand. Also, an interesting bit of trivia: Anita was the first woman Perry had ever gone on a date with.

Joking aside, the thing that stood out the most about the Perrys' relationship is how much they support each other. Gov. Perry explained it this way, even getting a little choked up at one point:

Whenever I foul up, she's' always there to share with me how I could have done it differently and reminds me if I had asked her first it wouldn't have happened ... If I'd have to walk away from all this, if she was walking with me, it will all be okay.

Even their body language showed how much the two rely on each other: When Anita joined her husband on stage, the two immediately grabbed each other and held hands for much of the discussion. Probably Gov. Perry's most steadfast supporter, Anita reiterated several times during the forum how much she believes that her husband is the best candidate for President, saying:

As a mother of two children, I want every young person to have the same opportunities that we had growing up. I want our world to be safe. I'm not convinced it's not safe now. I know what my husband can do to keep it safe.

Other highlights included this clip of Perry's message for Eagle Scouts and future Eagle Scouts ...

... and this clip about his love for America and how important the Pledge of Allegiance is to him:

But back to Anita: As any couple who has been together for a while knows all too well, "partnership" in a relationship can be a difficult balance. If what the Perrys' demonstrated today on stage is a true indication of their life together, I'd say they've got it pretty well figured out.

About the author Kim Conte

has shoes that make people stop her on the street and ask "Where did you get those?" but it doesn't work for taxi cabs as she was hit by one ... and lived to tell the tale. She has more freckles than Lohan but way less attitude. And she's a fierce cook with tons of recipes to share -- and wishes she could share some with Bourdain.

Filed Under: 2012 election, politics

Comments (13)

billsfan1104

on Jan 16, 2012 at 1:15 PM

I almost choked on my chili. I am shocked that you gave him any praise. Is theStir changing to being kind and respectful of people no matter the differences??

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Nonmember comment from somebodysmother

on Jan 16, 2012 at 2:02 PM

Yes, anybody who owns a place named "N*****head" is someone worth emulating, as is anybody who'd marry such a person.

His 15 minutes are almost up. Was The Stir trying to buy him an extra 60 seconds with this fluff?

on Jan 16, 2012 at 2:16 PM

somebodysmother, no matter how many times you say doesnt make it true. He never owned a place called n---head. He owns a vacation spot wehre someone painted on a rock a racial epitaph. His family didnt put on there, he didnt put it on there, and it was painted over.

hoticedcoffee

on Jan 16, 2012 at 2:20 PM

Go check your facts, somebodysmother. Clearly you have internet service under that bridge.

Interesting to hear praise about the relationship. He's always struck me as someone who needs a lot of handling, and this statement :

Whenever I foul up, she's' always there to tell me how I could have done it differently and reminds me if I had asked her first it wouldn't have happened ... As long as she is walking with me, it will all be okay.

Sounds like a mama's boy talking about his mama, not a man about his wife. Kinda creepy, in my opinion.

AyaTachihara

on Jan 16, 2012 at 2:40 PM

I am a not so proud resident of the state of Texas and the fact that this moron "represents" us makes me sick. What is wrong with Cafemom? Yeah, let's just give a bigot who needs a reality check a platform to make himself look more sympathetic. This man is a disgrace to politics and to the human race, there is nothing that he, his wife, or anyone else can say that will change that.

on Jan 16, 2012 at 3:08 PM

Hmm... let's see. According to the Washington Post (see full story here http://wapo.st/p5ik4G) : "The name of this particular parcel did not change for years after it became associated with Rick Perry, first as a private citizen, then as a state official and finally as Texas governor. Some locals still call it that. As recently as this summer, the slablike rock — lying flat, the name still faintly visible beneath a coat of white paint — remained by the gated entrance to the camp." This, combined with his inability to remember lists of three; his refusal to authorize the removal of the offensive confederate flag; his blatant homophobia and discrimination against the LGBT community (because, yes, denying homosexuals equal rights -- including the legal right to marry -- counts as discrimination); his denial of climate change; his inability to recall the correct voting age AND the date of the election; his (inexcusable) inability to correctly name a Supreme Court justice and distinguish between the two wholly different countries of Iraq and Iran... I could go on and on. But, by all means, defend the "N*****head" bit. Because proving me wrong on that front totally makes up for what a moron he is on every other point. He makes Sarah Palin look like a Rhodes Scholar.

dreabug23

on Jan 16, 2012 at 3:27 PM

Somebodysmother, you are my hero and new best friend!

elibee

on Jan 16, 2012 at 3:52 PM

Another cowboy come to save the good ol' US of A. His political stances on just about everything are so PREDICTABLE. Please, show us something we haven't seen before!

DebaLa

on Jan 16, 2012 at 5:42 PM

@elibee, how 'bout that he doesn't think the US soldiers that urinated on dead taliban soldiers should not be criminally charged? This is why other countries are "pissed" at us all the time: the rules don't apply to us. Arrogant and ignorant. Tho, I guess I should give Perry credit for not just settling with taking their cameras away for punishment.

navywife0204

on Jan 16, 2012 at 9:54 PM

No way would I ever vote for a man that 1)doesn't think those soldiers should be punished (because they should!) 2) would send our troops BACK to Iraq, and 3) wants to make Abortion illegal in all 50 states. what those guys did was disrepectful, no matter who the dead were.