I’m not exactly holding my breath for Monday’s big announcement from Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
I have put myself on the record already by stating my belief that he’ll forgo a fourth four-year term as governor. He’ll step aside and begin preparing for yet another (likely futile) run for president of the United States.
But in the event he proves me wrong — which is more than just slightly possible — and run for governor yet again, it would be a huge mistake to count this man out, to underestimate the odd attraction he has for Texas voters.
Rick Perry’s track record for statewide office is quite impressive. He’s been elected twice as agriculture commissioner, once as lieutenant governor and three times as governor. And before he became a Republican in the late 1980s, he was elected three times to the Texas House of Representatives from Haskell County.
I cannot get past the movement that’s already occurred in the Texas governor’s race. Attorney General Greg Abbott has declared his intention to run for the Republican nomination. Does anyone believe Abbott and Perry would run against each other? And does anyone believe that Abbott would be out raising boatloads of cash without knowing that Perry already has decided to bow out of the 2014 governor’s race?
Perry will make his plans known Monday afternoon around 1 in San Antonio. I heard over the weekend he intends to call a press conference at a business in the Alamo City to highlight his accomplishments in promoting job growth in Texas. I’m guessing he won’t give President Obama any credit for helping him along in that regard … but I digress.
Perry would be a formidable candidate for re-election. Indeed, he would be much more formidable in his home state than he would be beyond our borders, as his first run for the GOP presidential nomination demonstrated so graphically.
Then again, he didn’t prepare for that race the way I am believing he’ll prepare for the next one.
Do not, however, get used to the words “President Perry.”