Did Perry Cook His Goose With Barbecue Comment?
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"After what he said about our barbecue, he is a dead duck in North Carolina."
A Democrat was celebrating the report that Texas Gov. Rick Perry once made a disparaging remark about our favorite food. According to a news report that quoted one of my favorite books, "Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue" by John Shelton Reed and Dale Volberg Reed, Perry ate Eastern North Carolina barbecue in 1992 and said, "I've had road kill that tasted better than that."
Sure enough, after the North Carolina barbecue road kill story started circulating, Perry's campaign, which had been sailing along at a pace that made Perry look like the sure nominee, took a nosedive.
The news reports said his debate performance was sub-par. His opponents attacked his -decision to require girls in Texas to be vaccinated against a -sexually transmitted virus associated with vaginal cancer. They jumped on his advocacy for tuition support for illegal immigrants attending college in Texas. Then Herman Cain crushed him (37 percent to 15) in the Florida straw poll, and Mitt Romney did the same in Michigan (50 percent to 17).
"Don't mess with Texas," Perry says. Maybe he will have to learn, "Don't mess with North Carolinians and their barbecue."
If he wants some background about the political implications of "messing" with our barbecue, he can talk to our former attorney general and secretary of state, Rufus Edmisten. According to "Holy Smoke," Edmisten "learned a painful lesson" when he was running for governor more than 25 years ago. At the time, somebody heard him saying, "I've eaten enough barbecue. I am not going to eat any more. I'm taking my stand and that is it."
Today, Edmisten can laugh about his mistake. "Holy Smoke" quotes him, "I'd be eating barbecue three times a day for a solid year, and I got up one night and, in a very, very lax moment - the devil made me do it - I made a horrible statement. I said, 'I'm through with barbecue.' Well, you would have thought I made a speech against my mother, against apple pie, cherry pie, the whole mess."
It was not a joke during the campaign. On Sept. 20, 1983, a Wilmington Morning Star editorial, titled "Swine cooks the Rufus goose," took him to task thus: "If his opponents have the sense God gave a yam, they will mount Mr. Edmisten on a spit and roast him patiently on hickory coals until he is done, and then they will pick his bones."
Now, another North Carolina commentator, Jeffrey Weeks, makes a similar suggestion in response to Perry's "road kill" comment. "If Rick Perry wants to bring his campaign to the Carolinas we, of course, won't reject him. We'll welcome him with good ol' Southern hospitality. We'll even show him how to cook real barbecue not with a cow (Lord have mercy) but with a pig. And I know just the pig we'll roast. 'Governor' Perry."
So is Perry's campaign mortally wounded? Is it "toast"-or, as Weeks suggests, "roast"?
Not so fast.
A couple of weeks ago former White House press secretary Robert Gibbs surprised me with his comments about Perry. Although he declined to speculate about which possible Republican presidential candidate would be easier or harder to beat, he cautioned not to underrate Perry. Gibbs thinks that Perry could be a strong candidate in the general election, notwithstanding his seemingly over-the-top positions on Social Security and North Carolina barbecue.
What Perry has, according to Gibbs, that the other Republican candidates lack, is "that he is comfortable in his boots - like Ronald Reagan."
If Gibbs is right, Perry will not be thrown off course by his -campaign's recent downturns, and this time next year, he will be a formidable challenger to President Obama.
D.G. Martin hosts UNC-TV's "North Carolina Bookwatch," which airs Fridays at 9:30 p.m and Sundays at 5 p.m. This week's (Sunday, Oct. 2) guest is Marjorie Hudson, author of "Accidental Birds of the Carolinas: Stories about newcomers and natives, and the healing power of the rural South."
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Comments
F250 1 year, 7 months ago
Why should Mr. Perry worry. Everyone knows North Carolina thinks like he does.
Our North Carolina illeagle population get to college with your subsidized taxes just like Perry's Texas illeagles get it.
Hembloche 1 year, 7 months ago
sure hope someone takes those ill eagles to a vet...
Courseaire 1 year, 7 months ago
Now we no why their indanger.
TreadLightly 1 year, 7 months ago
Spending 12th grade to marriage in Memphis, home of Leonard's BBQ, I recuse myself.
Being raised in Texas before that, I would ask just one question about NC BBQ technique. How does it do on goat meat?
nothingspecial 1 year, 7 months ago
They had to dig down deep to find that BBQ remark from Perry that was made in 1992 and yet made it to the front page of the Releigh paper! Wonder if there might have been a little bit of a political intent there!?! Sorry too but although NC BBQ is good, none anywhere can hold a candle to Texas smoked brisket, like at Rudy's, Salt lick, or County Line.
Jaayy 1 year, 7 months ago
Rick Perry prefers sipping champagne with Donald Trump in New York while they attend Fashion Week together, to sharing barbecue with North Carolina voters.
teufelhunden 1 year, 7 months ago
I just don't like Q myself.
Courseaire 1 year, 7 months ago
In order of preference: Champaign. Texas BBQ and anything over NC BBQ (even a skunk road kill). At least we know Perry has good taste.
Arestorer 1 year, 7 months ago
Mmmm,,BBQ Goose..
skylinefirepest 1 year, 7 months ago
Best "q" around is at the Pik "n" Pig at the airport in Carthage.
JeremyG 1 year, 7 months ago
He cooked his goose by being an extremist, dominionist, and apparently now a racist (see ranch name).
CNMT 1 year, 7 months ago
I have to agree - Texas BBQ is by far better (in my opinion) than any North Carolina BBQ I have had. Too much vinegar in the sauce in North Carolina.....give me some good Brisket, Ribs, etc with traditional BBQ sauce anyday! Guess the 20 plus years I lived in Texas spoiled me! As to Perry's comments, I seem to remember another Texas politician who ruined his chance for the Governor's Mansion by making a crude comment - Clayton Williams once made a comment about rape that didn't set well with most people (myself included). Between that and not shaking hands with the Ann Richards (his opponent and if I remember correctly the current Gov of Texas at the time) he ruined his chance of ever getting elected to public office.
Sean 1 year, 7 months ago
Perry is an unusual individual. I don't know what his relation is to the New Apostolic Reformation, but I don't think I want anyone with even a casual relation to it in any position in the national government.
BTW Texas BBQ Smokes that dry stringy stuff they call BBQ around here!
But seriously, He is a scary politician; he wants to be President, and that is it. His platform? What platform.. Whatever he needs to say to get to be pres, he will say. I would vote for just about anyone before him.