His assertion that America’s “porous” border with Mexico demanded increased security received an almost ecstatic response. “The situation on our border is not a partisan issue,” the former governor said. “Trans-national gangs are exploiting the border crisis, trafficking in drugs, weapons and people.”
Potential Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry brought attendees of a conservative-themed conference in Riverside to their feet by calling for “moral clarity” in national defense, federal deregulation, reformation of the tax code, and increased energy and border security.
“People want real hope and real leadership … after a season of division,” Perry told the crowd of around 1,000 gathered for the second annual Unite Inland Empire conference. “There’s nothing wrong with America today that can’t be fixed with new leadership.”
The former Texas governor delivered a half-hour keynote address highlighting what sounded like a rough-sketch platform for a presidential run, though he didn’t definitively declare his intent to commit to a 2016 campaign.
“It may come as a surprise to a few of you here that I’ve been thinking a little bit about running,” Perry said to laughter. “The choice we face is whether our country can endure a future that looks like the recent past. We need to get to work to revive the `American Dream.”‘
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