"Our work is before us. It cannot be passed to future legislatures and must not be passed to future generations. May we boldly seize the moment with singular unity. And may we build a Texas of unlimited possibility"
About this Quote
A politician’s favorite magic trick is to make urgency feel like virtue, and Rick Perry pulls it off with a frontier grin. “Our work is before us” opens like a sermon and lands like a deadline: the problems are tangible, immediate, and conveniently framed as solvable if everyone lines up behind today’s agenda. The repetition of “passed” works as a moral cudgel. It’s not just policy procrastination he’s condemning; it’s an implied cowardice. If you don’t act now, you’re not merely indecisive-you’re stealing from your kids.
The subtext is generational guilt paired with institutional impatience. “Future legislatures” are cast as an easy excuse, a bureaucratic purgatory where responsibility goes to die. By warning against that deferral, Perry is also insulating his program from critique: debate becomes delay, and delay becomes betrayal. “Singular unity” is the tell. Unity sounds inclusive, but “singular” narrows the terms-one direction, one coalition, one definition of Texas. It’s a call for consensus that quietly discourages dissent, especially in a state where political identity is often worn like a belt buckle.
“Unlimited possibility” is the closing brand promise, a phrase with the buoyancy of boosterism and the vagueness of a campaign ad. It evokes Texas exceptionalism-the idea that the state’s destiny is expansion, growth, winning. The context is classic gubernatorial rhetoric: rally the base, claim the mantle of stewardship, and turn legislative priorities into a generational test of character.
The subtext is generational guilt paired with institutional impatience. “Future legislatures” are cast as an easy excuse, a bureaucratic purgatory where responsibility goes to die. By warning against that deferral, Perry is also insulating his program from critique: debate becomes delay, and delay becomes betrayal. “Singular unity” is the tell. Unity sounds inclusive, but “singular” narrows the terms-one direction, one coalition, one definition of Texas. It’s a call for consensus that quietly discourages dissent, especially in a state where political identity is often worn like a belt buckle.
“Unlimited possibility” is the closing brand promise, a phrase with the buoyancy of boosterism and the vagueness of a campaign ad. It evokes Texas exceptionalism-the idea that the state’s destiny is expansion, growth, winning. The context is classic gubernatorial rhetoric: rally the base, claim the mantle of stewardship, and turn legislative priorities into a generational test of character.
Quote Details
| Topic | Vision & Strategy |
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