Gov. Rick Perry entered the 2012 presidential race with the gusto only someone nicknamed “Governor Good-Hair” could muster. His southern charm promised to propel him to the top of a cast of candidates who seemed either too moderate to recieve a nomination or too wealthy to be tailored into someone approachable. His star has fallen since — even in the Lonestar State.
A recent Public Policy Survey shows that Perry is trailing two other presidential candidates in his home state. Mitt Romney is in the lead with 24 percent of the vote, while Newt Gingrich holds a close second at 23 percent — Perry is tanking at 18 percent.
To put things in perspective, Perry was leading the pack in Texas four months ago at a solid 49 percent. Perry’s star isn’t just falling — it’s plummeting.
His inability to carry his home state should signal to him that it is time to drop out of the race, stop embarassing his state and head home for an intense image-building campaign.
Even if he does that, it is unlikely that he will be able to rebuild his image enough to win another term as governor.
This is mainly because of on his inability to perform adequately in national debates, his bizarre off-stage conduct, and “oops” — we at The Daily Cougar can’t seem to remember the third reason.
If Perry wants to regain the confidence of Texas voters, he needs become an expert in foreign affairs, know who our foreign allies are and prove that he can memorize and recite lists that include more than two bullets. This is not asking a lot of him.
But even if Perry does these things, it is unlikely that Texans will want him back. It might be time for someone else to serve as governor of our state. Perry should count his losses, make this his last term and stop validating every Texas stereotype on the national stage.
