Friday, February 11th 2011 was an important day in my life. After a year of calling for the selection and election of Texas Governor Rick Perry as our next President, I was finally able to meet him at CPAC.
Governor Perrys speech that day was clearly planned out as the highlight of my day, but before it happened I was also happy to get a chance to see Senator John Thune of South Dakota. Thune is also in my top 5 wish list of potential candidates to defeat President Obama in 2012. He did a good job at CPAC, and many of his supporters were encouraging him to run.
Governor Perry gave a speech that was ....well... pure Perry. His homespun Southern drawl. His simple yet powerfully communicated ideas. There was even a long pause in his speech as he stood there -- amazed at how the Federal Government wants to punish Texas for being so successful. His pause turned a normal speech into a kind of high-art performance. Very few can match him. I wish I could find a good video of the CPAC speech, but I haven't found one yet. I'll share it when I do.
The reason I am such a diehard supporter of Governor Perry is his respect for the Tenth Amendment.
Most Americans don't realize that a great deal of things our government tries to pull off are actually illegal.
The Federal Government has seized powers it is not entitled to possess or use. Governor Perry talks about the Tenth Amendment all the time. In fact, I think he is one of the few political figures in America that even brings the subject up for discussion.
I was interviewed by a Canadian journalist at CPAC who wanted to know why I wanted Rick Perry to be our next President. It was difficult for me to put into words something that is just a gut instinct.
I told her that Governor Perry is a tough-talking Texan who once shot a coyote while he was out jogging.
I wish I had the following two photos with me to explain to that reporter how I think voters will react in 2012.
For the next President of the United States, you can have this man...
Or this man...
You decide.
I am strongly of the opinion that voters would choose Governor Rick Perry in large numbers.
After his great speech, I went downstairs to the book signing to try and get a few minutes to talk to the Governor. He was friendly and personable. As a donor to his campaign, I often receive written communications from the Governors Office. I thanked him for his Christmas card and the invitation to his Inauguration. I told him I was sorry I couldn't make it, but that he could make it up to me by inviting me to the White House. He got a chuckle out of that, but then he uttered the phrase that crushed my dreams...
"I don't think that's gonna happen.." , he said.
We exchanged a few more pleasantries and then I was off and he was signing his next book.
I was crushed by his response. But I can still hope he will change his mind.
Those first few votes in Iowa are still a year away.
