Former 2012 Republican Presidential Candidate
Current Governor of Texas
Rick Perry
James Richard Perry is the longest serving Texan Governor in history, having served three elected terms and a single half term in office, after former President George Bush vacated his seat to assume the presidency in 2001.
The former Air Force captain, who once entertained thoughts of becoming a veterinarian, has never hid his preference to remain as Governor of the Lone Star State, claiming it to be "the best job in the world." However, the sparse field of candidates in the Republican nomination race, as well as pressure from the evangelical segment of the grassroots, has forced Perry to reevaluate the matter.
Perry, a dogmatic nationalist and a noted social and fiscal conservative, strategically threw his Stetson into the ring hours before the the Iowa Straw Poll, and with that, turned the focus of the national Press Corps into his direction. He is widely expected to instantly challenge Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann at the top of the leaderboard.
Of course, the question remains whether Perry is capable of reinventing his image to the independents and disgruntled Democrats in time for the election. His hard stance on several explosive issues, such as abortion, firearms, immigration, same-sex marriages and capital punishment, is bound to provoke a reaction outside of the conservative circles. There is also a fear that his perceived similarity with former President Bush would prove to be a millstone around his neck, with anti-Bush sentiments still prevalent among a significant segment of the populace.
Despite this however, Perry’s image of the archetypal Republican conservative may very well turn out to be his strongest selling point yet, especially to the increasingly perturbed heartland Republicans fearing an Obama second term.
