Florida can take the blame -- or credit -- for ensuring Rick Perry never sits in the Oval Office. The former Texas governor pulled the plug on his presidential bid on Friday afternoon but, in retrospect, his White House ambitions went south after losing the RPOF’s Presidency 5 straw poll back in September 2011.
Perry, the longest serving governor in Texas history, entered the 2012 Republican presidential contest late but he quickly rocketed to the top of the polls. Trying to offer a conservative alternative to Mitt Romney, Perry reeled in the support of some prominent Florida Republicans including Dean Cannon. But after getting flanked on the right on immigration and other issues and a series of bad debate performances, Perry quickly lost momentum.
Heading into Presidency 5, Perry was the favorite to win but, after another weak debate performance, he was upset by businessman Herman Cain in the straw poll. Perry moved from highlighting his economic record to talking social issues and it didn’t work as religious conservatives in Iowa preferred Rick Santorum. After taking 10 percent in Iowa and 1 percent in New Hampshire, Perry dropped out of the race. The Presidency 5 loss loomed large in retrospect. Despite all the hype and strength behind him, Perry had flopped on the debate stage and conservatives backed other candidates. The same thing essentially played out across the last months of 2011, dooming Perry’s chances.
After choosing not to run again for governor in 2014, Perry started campaigning again for the Republican presidential nomination. Perry was a far better candidate this time out, stressing his economic record and even highlighting his service in the Air Force. But the damage had already been done as voters already had a poor impression of Perry from his last presidential effort. Perry -- who had been a strong fundraiser in Texas and in his first presidential bid -- couldn’t raise enough cash and had to start closing offices in key states and lay off staffers.
Perry simply seemed an afterthought in the large Republican primary field. Picking a fight with Donald Trump didn’t help Perry. In the first round of debates, Perry was paired with lower tier candidates and he was outshone by Carly Fiorina. CNN’s announcement last week that Perry would once again be in the undercard debate only reinforced his status as a no-hoper.
Looking back, Perry’s efforts never got back on track after Presidency 5 and his debate gaffes -- including forgetting which federal departments he would eliminate -- further doomed his presidential ambitions. Straw polls are on the decline and neither the RPOF or the Iowa GOP held one this time out but Republican activists who came to Presidency 5 made a difference in the race, even if Cain ran out of gas soon after beating Perry.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
