index 270, What does Rick Perry have?

We’ve looked at the arguments for the presidential candidacies of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). Turning to former Texas governor Rick Perry, one might conclude he is the most underestimated candidate. Pundits who rank candidates tend to put him in the bottom tier of contenders. Like generals, however, pundits tend to fight the last campaign, and in the case of Perry that means affixing a dunce cap to his head and writing him off. He certainly has a tiny margin for error, but I tend to think voters care less about past mistakes and more about what they see before them. So what does Perry have to show them? 1. People do like a comeback story. His rotten performance ushered in a “new” Perry, more humble and studious. 2. He is a grown up. In a field of freshman senators, a couple media figures (Ben Carson and Mike Huckabee) and a rising but less experienced star from the ranks of governors (Scott Walker of Wisconsin) Perry unarguably has the advantage of 14 years as governor, a background including the border crisis and other situations demanding crisis management and the experience of having run for president once before. In a New Hampshire round table, he reiterated the argument: “Americans are going to want someone who has been tested, someone who’s got results in their background and we’re not going to choose another young, untested United States senator. I don’t think that is where Americans are going to want to go.” Again he stressed, “Rhetoric is fine. Nobody loves a barn burning speech any more than I do, but if you don’t have the record to back that up — if you’re not road-tested — then I think there is always a concern.” 3. He is the only candidate with military experience. Oddly, he rarely mentioned this in the 2012 race. He is not making that mistake this time around. “I think it’s important to understand that, and having that very real life experience of knowing what these conflicts do in terms of treasure and blood,” he said in New Hampshire. “Somehow, we thought we could stop [the Islamic State] with some simple bombing missions but that was just not the case, and now we’re left with some really, less than desirable opportunities to stop ISIS. It’s going to require our personnel to be engaged on the ground and I would suggest having experience, having a track record of dealing with issues and having experienced people who you trust who also have track records dealing with issues [is an asset].” 4. He has battled the federal government. To the extent voters are angry with Washington politicians and federal meddling, they have a champion in Perry. He battled the feds on everything from Obamacare to Environmental Protection Agency regulations. In his recent clash with the president, he castigated the president for not securing the border, and then took it upon himself to deploy the state’s national guard troops. He’s remained an advocate of state control and state-led reform on education and health care. 5. He’s an excellent retail politician with lots of free time. That is a powerful combination in early primary states where voters expect to be engaged directly and repeatedly. 6. He’s feisty but not obnoxious. Republican voters are itching for a fight and Perry is pugnacious enough to give it to them. He’s been in the trenches fighting the administration, and will not be shy about taking on Hillary Clinton. 7. There is an opening in the field. Mitt Romney did not run. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is the victim of self-inflicted wounds. So if you want an experienced conservative governor who is not a Bush? That’s Perry’s spot. His biggest problem may be Walker, whom Perry will need to show is less prepared on foreign policy and less accomplished than he is. It’s a tall order, but with everyone gunning for Walker, Perry may be the beneficiary. 8.  He can handle the media. He is forceful enough and generally knowledgeable enough to push back on a tough interviewer and, as we saw on a late night appearance, relaxed enough (and sufficiently plugged into popular culture) to come across well in informal settings. He’d be smart to use non-news media to reset his image. 9. He’s a law and order figure. In defending the border and Second Amendment rights and championing prison reform, he has struck an appropriate balance between individual rights and public safety. No one will accuse him of being anti-police or, on the other hand, of defending government excess. 10. He’s led a rags to a not-very-many-riches life. No one will say he started out life with privilege or wealth. He does not have Ivy League degrees, nor does he live an ostentatious life style (he currently lives in a”1,400-square foot, 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo, full of boxes, four dogs”).