Perrymania

Here's some of the latest news about Rick Perry...plus some exclusive photos and videos from Perry's announcement at the RedState Gathering earlier this month...

"How am I doing? Best week EVER!"

BOOM. Perry's been in the race for less than two weeks, and look at that, there's a new frontrunner in the GOP Presidential race:

GALLUP | Perry Zooms to Front of Pack for 2012 GOP Nomination

Shortly after announcing his official candidacy, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has emerged as rank-and-file Republicans' current favorite for their party's 2012 presidential nomination. Twenty-nine percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents nationwide say they are most likely to support Perry, with Mitt Romney next, at 17%.

(Click image to enlarge)

For those of you who like all the nerdy details, the full article has lots of interesting tidbits about Perry's performance with various voter subgroups and the polling trends over the summer.

But the real question is, who has better hair?

As I wrote last week, Texas' economic success isn't just a coincidence. Despite what Democrats seem to believe, jobs aren't hatched from unicorn eggs. Here's an interesting Forbes op-ed on the issue:

Forbes | Yes, Rick Perry Deserves Credit for the Texas Economy

Make no mistake, many states are well positioned to realize the same energy production benefits [as Texas]...Going forward, the question is which leaders in which states have the political courage to stand up to environmental activist groups and their media allies who routinely vilify energy production? 

...Which brings us back to Perry. The Texas economy is reaping the benefits of energy production not just because Texas, like many other states, has access to abundant oil and natural gas reserves. Rather, the Texas economy is reaping the benefits of energy production because Rick Perry and other state government officials are encouraging rather than stifling energy production. 

...[T]he success of the Texas economy has been driven by wise policy decisions rather than blind luck, and Rick Perry deserves a Texas-sized share of the credit.

Image from Gateway Pundit

I'm so awesome one flag is not enough.

While I'd like to see how he performs in the debate before officially signing up for Team Perry, I was very impressed when I saw Perry at the RedState Gathering in Charleston, SC earlier this month. You've probably seen his announcement speech by now (if not, here's a link to the video).

Here's a short interview I got with RedState editor Erick Erickson right after Perry's announcement:


YouTube | Erick Erickson discussing Rick Perry announcement at the RedState Gathering

What was not as widely reported was that after Perry made his announcement (and got through all the swarming media people), he went to the ballroom at the hotel that had been used as an overflow room during his announcement and gave another speech. I managed to get a video but someone bumped me and I accidentally blocked the microphone for a little bit (you can still hear it but may need to turn up the volume, sorry!):

YouTube | Rick Perry - Speech after his presidential announcement

Perry spent a lot of time afterwards greeting as many people as possible, taking photos and signing autographs. Lucky me managed to score both a signed Perry sign and a photo with him.

Wouldn't it be cool to see that signature on a bill repealing ObamaCare?

Keep up the good work, Governor, and you've got my vote.

Yesterday, Perry gave his first national radio interview since the RedState Gathering to Laura Ingraham:

YouTube | IngrahamAngle | The Laura Ingraham Show; GOP frontrunner Rick Perry

Finally, in the grand tradition of Chuck Norris, there's a ridiculously clever (and also cleverly ridiculous) Twitter account called @RickPerryFacts that you really need to check out:

Apple might not have Jobs anymore, but Rick Perry's Texas still does.Thu Aug 25 00:52:02 via Mobile WebRick Perry Facts
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RT @Newsweek: In six words, What are your thoughts on Texas Gov. Rick Perry? // Won Connect Four in 3 moves.Thu Aug 18 00:06:10 via SocialOomphRick Perry Facts
rickperryfacts

BREAKING- Rick Perry discovered Ben Bernanke buys picante sauce made in New York City. And also prints too much money.Tue Aug 16 16:05:10 via webRick Perry Facts
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