According to most polls, Gov. Rick Scott is so unpopular that he faces the large possibility of being the first Republican to lose a Florida gubernatorial election since 1994. Scott needs all the help he can get from popular Republicans at the national and state levels to boost his chances for another term.
Enter Gov. Rick Perry of Texas.
Perry spoke with Scott at an event in West Palm Beach on Monday and went to bat for the Florida governor.
Floridians would be foolish to remove a guy with his leadership and his record as we go into the next election cycle, the Sun Sentinel reports Perry saying.
On paper, its easy to see why Perry praising Scott would help the Florida governor. Perry has been the longest serving governor in Texas history. Under his watch, Texas has been a leader in job creation. Perry also presides over the second most populous state in the nation.
Scott has often tried to follow Perrys game plan. Like Perry, Scott went out of his way not to meet editorial boards when he ran for governor.
Scott has also called Perry out on several occasions, leading to a friendly rivalry between the two Republican governors as they try to ensure their states lead the nation in job creation.
The two men have even gone fishing together.
But, Perry has problems of his own. He could be in trouble as he enters the 2014 election cycle. While Democrats keep insisting that the growing Hispanic population will help turn Texas blue, Perry should not have to worry about danger from his left flank in 2014. Instead, he needs to worry about his fellow Republicans. Former state GOP Chairman Tom Pauken, who served in the Reagan White House, has already launched a primary challenge. Buzz continues to build that Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott could enter the primary field and challenge Perry, too.
While its too soon to start insisting that the Texas governor is in peril, Perrys polling has slipped in recent months. Though he shouldn't be underestimated in Texas -- he utterly crushed former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in his last primary battle -- he is not exactly a figure Republicans want on the national stage.
Perry was a late entrant into the 2012 Republican presidential primary field. With Mitt Romney struggling against the likes of Michele Bachmann, Perry certainly had an opportunity to make hay out of conservatives discontent with the GOP front-runner. Perry also had an impressive background, leading the second largest state in the nation for more than a decade and accumulating a record of electoral success.
But after jumping in the race in August 2011, things quickly fell apart for Perry. In almost every debate, he underwhelmed and often made memorable mistakes. Perry built up his team in Florida, winning the backing of prominent legislators including Dean Cannon and Don Gaetz.
But the Sunshine State helped accelerate the Texans decline. While he was a heavy favorite to win the Republican Party of Floridas Presidency 5 straw poll in September 2011, after yet another poor debate performance, he lost to businessman Herman Cain in a major upset. Perry continued to struggle throughout the fall, even failing to remember which three federal agencies he wanted to eliminate in one of the most memorable gaffes in recent decades.
While he tried to rebound by playing up his social conservatism, Perry was quickly nudged aside by other conservative candidates, namely Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich. When Iowa voters went to the polls, Perry placed a distant fifth with 10 percent. He did even worse in New Hampshire, taking a very distant sixth place with only 1 percent, ending his campaign.
Despite becoming something of a national punchline with his debate performances in the last round of Republican primaries, Perry continues to keep floating his name as a possible candidate to run again in 2016. On Monday, he appeared on CNN and once again insisted he could try another run at the Republican presidential nomination.
With Perry saying he will announce any presidential plans later this year, expect the media to focus on his biggest mistakes from the 2012 election cycle, from saying oops after forgetting what three federal departments he would eliminate to bungling the names of Supreme Court justices to saying the American Revolution was fought in the 1500s.
In short, Rick Perrys foibles and follies will be on center stage yet again. It is, however, a national stage, so there's plenty of celebrity attached to Perry. And that can only buoy Scott.
To be safe, however, Rick Scott could use some outside help from other leading Republicans. Despite Texas record on job creation, the Florida governor might want to call on other like-minded Republicans as he tries to get back into the game.
Tallahassee political writer Jeff Henderson wrote this analysis piece exclusively for Sunshine State News.
