Texas's Longest Serving Governor Will Be...on Dancing with the Stars

[Skiprr]

http://abc13.com/1484182/

Um...don't exactly know how I feel about this.

Joining Gov. Perry will also be gray-matter challenged Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte. I expect (hope) he'll be voted off quickly.

Also on the show will be the youngest member of the Final Five, the U.S. Women's Gymnastics Team, Laurie Hernandez. Others include retired NFL wide receiver Calvin Johnson, F1 driver James Hinchcliffe, model Amber Rose, Marilu Henner, "Vanilla Ice," and singer Jana Kramer.

Guess I'll have to watch, at least a few episodes, because of Gov. Perry. Oh, and Jana Kramer.

[RossA]

Probably trying to stay in the news until he runs against Ted Cruz.

[mojo84]

I guess he is thinking "reality TV" worked for someone else so he is giving it a try.

[rotor]

Money going to charity.

[TexasTornado]

I doubt Ryan will go as quick as you think. Not sure many women like him for his grey matter. Just saying.

[Abraham]

Hhmmm, I'd rather watch "Barnyard Builders" doncha know...that's as terpsichorean as I get.

[Crossfire]

I think this is a new low for Rick Perry. I really thought he had more class than that. Not that there is anything wrong with DWTS... for former has been actors and athletes.

[ELB]

I'm cool with it. And I don't see why this doesn't have "class."

As far as I can see the competitions are straight up honest efforts, not rigged, it gets his name out in front of a lot of people who wouldn't have thought about him, he donates whatever prize money he wins to veterans' causes, and being 66, if he gets through this respectably whether he wins or not he will have effectively dealt with any health or age questions for his next campaign. Republicans and conservatives have for too long either ceded various cultural elements to the left or hidden their affiliations. There have been some notable exceptions, like Charlton Heston, Fred Thompson, and Nick Searcy, but not enough. Conservatives need to crash the cultural party in multiple ways. I will not be happy if he runs against Ted Cruz, but that's a battle for another day, and given that DWTS is a national program, I'm thinking Rick Perry is seeking national exposure for other reasons.

It's a darn sight better than setting up a foundation to take bribes.

[TexasTornado]

I'm cool with it. And I don't see why this doesn't have "class."

As far as I can see the competitions are straight up honest efforts, not rigged, it gets his name out in front of a lot of people who wouldn't have thought about him, he donates whatever prize money he wins to veterans' causes, and being 66, if he gets through this respectably whether he wins or not he will have effectively dealt with any health or age questions for his next campaign. Republicans and conservatives have for too long either ceded various cultural elements to the left or hidden their affiliations. There have been some notable exceptions, like Charlton Heston, Fred Thompson, and Nick Searcy, but not enough. Conservatives need to crash the cultural party in multiple ways. I will not be happy if he runs against Ted Cruz, but that's a battle for another day, and given that DWTS is a national program, I'm thinking Rick Perry is seeking national exposure for other reasons.

It's a darn sight better than setting up a foundation to take bribes.

I think it's great. It shows that he's not stuffy and that he can meet the people on a different level than most politicians. I'd have to disagree on the not being happy to see him take on Ted Cruz tho. That guy irritates the snot out of me so I'd definately be cheering Perry on.

[Oldgringo]

That sounds like a half dozen more reasons why I don't/won't watch that soft porn. Good Grief!

[RPBrown]

Maybe his wife pushed him into it to learn to dance

[TexasTornado]

Maybe his wife pushed him into it to learn to dance

If only more men would learn without being bullied into it. Heck, make it a trade, go the shooting range followed by dance lessons, dinner and a night cap

[twomillenium]

Let Perry dance, if he doesn't forget the steps in the middle of the performance. As far as wanting to run against Cruz, I hope he realizes the only voters he will probably attract are the liberals who think they are conservative. Cruz, by being a strict constitutionalist does tend to irritate liberals more so than most politicians do.
Now, I would definitely support Perry over Cornyn, but Perry over Cruz would be a step in the wrong direction.

[The Annoyed Man]

I echo ELB's sentiments about there being nothing wrong with being on the show. I do actually watch it on a semi-regular basis, and I am entertained. There's nothing wrong with dance as either an art form or as entertainment......whether one is dancing to entertain, or being entertained by dance. And the whole "sissy stigma" is a bunch of crap. Back in the 1970s, when I (yes me, the crusty bearded old one) was taking ballet classes, I found out for myself just how difficult dance is, and the degree of athleticism it demands from the people who study it. At the time, there was a study done by (IIRC) the American College of Orthopeadic Surgeons which compared the fitness levels of various kinds of athletes/performers as groups, to try and determine which groups had the greatest fitness demands placed upon them. The "no-brainier" assumption for most people would have been something like either NFL athletes, or Olympians. It turns out that the two most fit categories of athletes in their studies were professional motocross racers, and professional ballet dancers. How many people reading my words right now are in such great shape that they can not only lift their wives over their heads, but then hold them up there in the air while they themselves dance around the room?

I was a mere tyro and took the classes because (a) I'm interested in dance as a spectator, and (b) it was one of the few interests my ex-wife and I could do together because she was not very tolerant of my other main interest — which was, at the time, martial arts. I found out just how hard dance really is, and so I have an appreciation for both those who perform it at the highest levels, and for those who have the courage to tackle it as an amateur avocation — especially in such a public forum as a TV show where they open themselves up for a certain amount of ridicule from people of smaller minds. Criticizing someone who shows up to compete on that show is like criticizing the person who has no chance of winning for having showed up at the Olympic trials and at least trying. That kind of courage is to be admired, not scoffed at. So for these amateurs to show up on DWTS, particularly when their own lack of ability is made more apparent by being paired with such brilliant professionals, takes a certain amount of personal courage. And even the pros - even for the "lower disciplines" like ballroom dancing - are pretty severely winded at the end of a routine. So for an amateur, it is grueling work, no matter how far down the totem pole they are found.

Laugh if you want. I'm actually little envious of them, and I would give anything to still be physically able to tackle dance if that's what I wanted to do. God bless Rick Perry for having the courage and the stamina to try — no matter what you think about him politically, or about the snowflake mentality of the judges, or any of that stuff. And I will say this too: despite the flamingly purple passion for the LGBTQ agenda possessed by the judges, out on the dance floor where it counts, they have been absolutely impartial in judging performances, regardless of the competitor's personal social or political background..... ....because they are being judged as dancers, and nothing else. In that light, they are a meritocracy. For example, they could have used the show to savage Sarah Palin's daughter (forgotten her name) when she competed, but they didn't. They dispensed almost nothing but praise.....because she was good at what she did on the show.

I probably see about half the episodes in any given season, but I think it is good entertainment, and I have no problem with Rick Perry being a contestant.

[Skiprr]

Back in the 1970s, when I (yes me, the crusty bearded old one) was taking ballet classes, I found out for myself just how difficult dance is, and the degree of athleticism it demands from the people who study it.

Bit of Texas firearm industry trivia:

A gentleman many of you have likely met or seen at major events like the NRA national meetings or state- and national-level IDPA, USPSA, and 3-gun competitions, founded a successful firearms accessory company whose name you undoubtedly know. He got into the business because he absolutely is a shooter, and has also been an advanced defensive shooting instructor (I had the privilege of having him assist John Farnam in a couple of classes I took years ago in Victoria). He saw a niche in the firearm market that needed filling, and has done very well. I don't think you can pick up any gun magazine and not see an ad for, or mention of, his company. In fact, his company name is right there on the cover of the Fall 2016 IDPA Tactical Journal.

Am I doing a good enough job of not completely giving it away?

Point being, guess how he earned his living in an earlier stage of his career, as far back as the mid-'80s? Yep: professional ballet dancer. He was a principle with the Houston Ballet, has performed from here to New York, and even danced leading roles in Don Quixote, Mahler's Song of the Earth (he danced the American premier of that one), and others.

Nothing to do with Gov. Perry on Dancing with the Stars, but just a reinforcement of TAM's comment.