How Trump Foiled Perry’s Comeback

In his bid for the 2012 nomination, Perry faltered in forums, unable to keep stride. He said he had “no regrets”, calling it a privilege and an honor to run for president. “I step aside knowing our party is in good hands, as long as we listen to the grassroots, listen to that cause of conservatism.”.

Of the 17 major Republican candidates, Perry was polling at 13th, with less than one percent support, according to a RealClearPolitics poll average Friday. “He saw the writing on the wall”. While some stuck by him, taking no pay, others bolted for rival campaigns.

“Rick’s a realist”, he said.

There are still 16 Republicans competing in the GOP primary race. Yes, said Perry, who quickly thought about it, and said no, the EPA should survive. He crushed the other anti-establishment candidates.

Perrys allies at three well-funded super PACs found they couldnt share the money theyve raised or coordinate their activities with his campaign. And some angles were new, such as his decision to soften his rugged Texas persona with a pair of stylish glasses.

The courting of Perry supporters began swiftly, with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal tweeting, “Rick Perry is a great friend and has the best record of any governor, anywhere, anytime”. And Donald Trump has sucked up a huge amount of attention and largely frozen the race. But even as Perry turned 65 in March, he clearly felt he had another campaign in him.

The former Texas governor had a lot of baggage, he never was over overcome his “oops” moment from the 2012 campaign, and he is still facing a felony charge for abuse of power from his tenure as governor.

But mainly, many voters just didn’t see him worthy of another shot. Praised him today. Sounding like a typical politician. Not only was Rick Perry a contender, he was the clear front-runner!

While some members of Perry’s team pledged to work as volunteers, and he resumed paying some late last month, he ultimately couldn’t recover from the lack of campaign cash. The headlines that he did garner focused more on gaffes and money woes than actual policy.

Perry made several sly references to Trump, a last warning of sorts to a GOP experiencing its most serious identity crisis in a generation. He blasted the Obama administration, chiding “61/2 years of an expanding welfare state and a contracting freedom state”. He rolled into the room with a phalanx of Texas Rangers, big and tough and sharp.

“We can not indulge nativist appeals that divide the nation further”, Perry said. “If we do that, then our party will be in good hands”.

Republican presidential candidate Sen.

The remaining GOP presidential candidates on Friday extended a warm embrace.

Obviously, it is a candidate’s job to marshal his own support, so Perry’s failure to achieve takeoff is not entirely Trump’s fault. No one would confuse Perry’s record on race with that of a civil rights hero such as Rep. John Lewis (D-GA).

Conservative firebrand Ted Cruz, who spoke in the senate for 21 hours against Obamacare, has put himself forward.

Perry’s plans are unclear.

Most veteran observers of Texas politics agree on at least one thing: Perry is unlikely to ride off into the sunset. “God bless Rick Perry for his continuing commitment to that cause” of conservatism, former Florida governor Jeb Bush, an early frontrunner in the race but now trailing billionaire Donald Trump, wrote on Twitter. “We have two beautiful children, two absolutely adorable, beautiful, smart granddaughters, four dogs, and the absolute best sunset you have ever seen from the back porch of that house”.

“He’s not the type of person that’s going to sit on a rocking chair on the back porch”, Miner said.

The issue was a Texas plan subsidizing tuition to certain in-state students even if their parents had brought them to the country illegally.