You hear Rick Perry musing that evolution is a theory, that the Chairman of the Federal Reserve may commit treason, that climate change is a hoax, that Social Security and Medicare are unconstitutional...you think these are tremendous gaffes by a stupid politician that is out of his league, right?
You're absolutely wrong. Rick Perry is smart, and getting smarter by the day. He's running the exact same campaign that I've been hoping Palin would run. (Fingers still crossed, babe! I'm behind you all the way!)
I have a general rule about Washington conventional wisdom: its bullshit. Sometimes it is correct, but mostly its wrong. Washington pundits think of their own ideal candidate, project that person, and then figure out ways in which said candidate does not fit the ideal. Right now, that person is missing from the Republican field, because none of them fit the mold of a socially tolerant but economically conservative plutocrat who also has tea party credentials and executive experience. That's who they really want. A Chris Christie with Rick Perry's looks and Mitt Romney's money.
Rick Perry is absolutely doing everything he's supposed to do to win this primary. He's not talking about much in the way of specifics at the moment. Instead, he's building his organization. I knew from day one that Rick Perry would use his perch as head of the Republican Governor's Organization to not only raise money for his campaign, but also as position of leverage. You see, the RGA was the primary fundraising vehicle for the 2010 cycle because none of the big GOP money wanted to invest in Michael Steele. So, Haley Barbour stepped in with his extensive network of contacts due to his long time career as a corporate lobbyist and former RNC Chairman.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry is moving aggressively to assemble a presidential campaign team in Florida and, according to at least one knowledgeable Republican source, is receiving political advice from Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour.
Poised to join Perry’s Florida team is the experienced, Tallahassee-based Republican political consultant Randy Enwright, according to a Sunshine State GOP operative. Enwright previously advised President George W. Bush, who served as Texas governor before ascending to the White House, and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. The operative predicted that many Sunshine State Republicans who had signed on with Barbour’s since-aborted presidential campaign would end up on Perry’s team.
“My sense is that [the Perry campaign] is pulling together a pretty good operation down here. They’re taking Florida pretty seriously,” the operative told Roll Call in a telephone interview. “Governor Perry’s had conversations with a lot of people down here.”
You don't know who Randy Enwright is, but I do. He's a party operative who is "loyal to all Bushes." Remember that huge fiasco in Florida in the 2000 election? Yeah. Go ahead and put Randy Enwright right in the middle of all that. He was Karl Rove's go-to guy for Florida for Bush/Cheney 00 and 04. He was also senior strategist for Jeb. Mitt Romney may be announcing a few obscure state senators for his Florida team, but if Randy Enwright is going with Perry you can expect most of Florida's dominant Republican Party to go with him.
So, Rick Perry is dropping little bomblets in the media, right? You think they're gaffes, but they aren't. They are free media. You may think people who've never heard of him will think "That guys a cowboy. He's crazy. He's a moron!." etc. They will, and that's fine for now. But the people at whom these bomblets are targeted, Republican activist foot soldiers who will knock the doors and organize the events, hear them loud and clear. It gives them the vapors. They love it and they've been waiting for a candidate with real muscle who will come out and say it. What he is doing is gathering volunteers because he knows he will have enough of a treasury to wage the paid air war later. Activist Evangelicals and Teabaggers. Party activists and campaign operatives. Fundraising. That's what he wants first. Just like the Obama Campaign's first initial move was among college students and young minority professionals. First thing you do in presidential campaigns is BUILD. Then, and only after building, do you WORK.
You probably think that because Rove and the Bushes have the knives out for Perry that it will stop him. Ha! You can rest assured he knew that before he jumped in. They've always had the knives out for him. Perry's two re-election campaigns for governor both had primary challenges, the last one form a sitting Senator. But he's got a lot of cash to tap. Just yesterday I was reading up on a man named Michael Linn, founder and CEO of Linn Energy, a Texas oil operation. Mr. Linn had no problem giving Rick Perry $150,000 at the end of June. Think he did that because he expects Perry to stick around in Texas? I don't think so. Did I mention Lee Bass of the famed Big Oil Bass Family stuck in $25,000 on the same day? There are more like this. Think these people are investing their money in a moron? I don't think so.
This is looking very much like the Obama Clinton epic battle of 2008. And if it comes out that way, we'd better be ready to destroy Rick Perry because despite the Washington Conventional Wisdom, he's actually the strongest general election candidate.