Perry then mentioned that he still has an AFL-CIO membership. Reminding the audience that he used to be a Democrat, Perry said that he had joined the AFL-CIO and had maintained his membership, joking that the union may not like it when they receive his dues payment.
Perry continued, saying that he kept his union membership because he felt that the economic and job creation issues were critical to political success for conservatives, and he was not willing to cede those votes. “When you reach out the Teamsters and you talk about job creation, when you talk to a young Hispanic family…about why their future looks so bright…about where their children are going to go to college, because of policies that you as Republicans put in place in this state,” then that is a winning message.
Republicans should not focus on the social issues that can divide people, but instead hit the issues that “touch people’s hearts…regardless of where you’re from or what your political affiliation may have used to have been.” Perry advocated emphasizing Republican policies that make Americans think about “a future where my family has a better future,” communicated in a passionate, compassionate way. “That ought to be our goal, to talk to people reasonably” about these issues, said Perry.
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