Talk about a change in course for presidential candidate Rick Perry. He came in with splash but as of recent, his lead seems to have rippled away. So what does this mean for the Texas governor, does he still have a chance to make the nomination?
Ray Sullivan, his communications director, certainly seems to think so, "The polls go up and down, but when it comes to jobs, conservative record, policy initiatives and resources, Perry is well-positioned to win." And let's be honest it is still very early in the race and we still do not have a clear Republican candidate at the head of the pack. Even some independent analysts can agree that Perry may have a chance, but not without a lot of hard work.
Perry's strategy includes raising $17million, lots of tv and social media advertisement, emphasizing his economic plan and utilizing debates and public appearances to his advantage. Republican strategist Mary Matalin also mentions the need for "boots on the ground," as in actual people going door to door, making calls, and general tasks needed to spread Perry's message (a tactic that the Obama camp has made incredible use of). Perry has already starting putting out ad campaigns in Iowa in preparation for the caucuses and added seven new strategists to his team in Austin.
Although analysts like Matalin believe in the possibility for Perry to bounce back, there is still a lot of skepticism from people like George Strake, a supporter of Perry who helped him raise money, due his performances in the debates and his inability to answer tough questions on his immigration policy. At this point, Perry seems to be falling off the horse coming in at only 6 and 10% in in recent polls but it seems the general consensus is like everything else in the presidential race, who knows. There are references to John Connally, a governor who ran in the '60s but fell out and then there are reminders to John McCain who also seemed at one point to be falling out of the race but then made it end of as the Republican pick.
Perry has the money, which as we now know seems to be almost without exception one of the most important factors in winning the election, and he also is a "better" Republican than Mitt Romney. Perry admits he is not the best debater, but then again how many of our past presidents were not the most eloquent (i.e. George W. who we voted in twice..). Personally, I think Perry still has a chance, but then again, at this point in the race I would say that about almost anyone. Hermain Cain seems to be getting nuttier every time he opens his mouth and yet he is doing quite fine which I believe is a testament to how up-in-the-air the Republican candidacy is right now. It really is anyone's game, it will all come down to who plays it the best.
