AND THEN THE RACE WILL CHANGE – AT 8:27 A.M. ET:  If there's an 800-pound gorilla in the room in GOP politics it's Governor Rick Perry of Texas.  The conventional wisdom, which I believe is correct, is that a Perry entrance into the presidential contest will shake things up considerably.   We won't have long to wait.  From The Hill:

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who has been flirting with a presidential run in 2012, said Friday that he'll make an announcement in three to four weeks.

He said during a forum with Republican governors in Aspen, Colo., that his decision-making has been a “thoughtful process” and that presidential aspirations had not been on his radar two months ago, according to the Aspen Daily News.

Perry, who has taken several high-profile meetings with potential supporters over the past month, said, "I'm basically asking people, 'Do you think there's room in this presidential election for a full-throated, unapologetic fiscal conservative? And if you do think there's room, are you going to help?'"

Those are the right questions.  As we noted here yesterday, Perry is very sharp, one of the sharpest politicians I've seen in recent years. 

Perry also picked up an unexpected statement of support following remarks he made about gay marriage.

The group GOProud reacted to Perry calling New York’s decision to legalize gay marriage “fine by me.”

Perry said gay marriage is an issue for the states to decide. “That is their call,” he said of New York. “If you believe in the 10th Amendment, stay out of their business."

GOProud sent out an alert to supporters on Saturday calling Perry “absolutely right. Thank you for staying true to your conservative principles by supporting states’ rights,” it said.

When a Texas conservative can stay conservative, yet get the support of a GOP gay group, you've got to admire the guy's ability to maneuver.  Perry understands there's a route to the presidency and a candidate had better study that route carefully.  That route consists of an entire nation, not four or five comfortable states.  Getting hung up on side social issues that are being resolved state by state is not the way to go.

We await Perry's announcement.  If it's positive, we'll then see how he does as he comes to bat.

July 24, 2011