BRIDGES: A little character added to the race

Make no mistake, Perry has the look of a presidential candidate, almost scarily so. His slick hair (bet you $100 it’s dyed), his expensive suits and cowboy boots make people notice when he’s speaking on television. Don’t be fooled, that’s the whole idea.

Perry has joined the presidential race somewhat late but he’ll have an impact to start with. His name has been thrown about the 24-hour news stations for weeks, as talk show hosts have speculated whether he was going to run. By last week, however, it was one of the worst kept secrets in political circles.
Whether Perry can have an impact long-term remains to be seen. He’s never been on the national stage and while he is a long-term governor in the second largest state in the country, he has more than his share of detractors.

Congressman Ron Paul, who finished a close second in the Iowa straw poll Saturday, is also from Texas and the two could end up fighting for the support from that state. Paul, during last week’s televised debate, said he was not concerned about Perry entering the race because the governor simply represented more of the status quo and even worked for Al Gore once upon a time.

Paul himself is a character in this race (disclaimer: Ron Paul is my choice among the Republican field) and has gained a national following among Libertarians and those who believe Americans should not be the policeman of the world. His performance in the debate last week was his best and probably helped push him to a second-place straw poll finish.

Michele Bachmann, who took first in the Iowa straw poll, is also something of a character in this race. She appeals to those on the far religious right and sidestepped an interesting question at last week’s debate about whether she would be subservient to her husband if she were elected president.

Newt Gingrich has always been a character, although not necessarily for the right reasons. Newt, who probably waited a decade too long to run for president, seems desperate for someone to pay attention to him these days. His performance in the Iowa straw poll was horrible and national political pundits just don’t see his candidacy catching fire. It’s somewhat ironic because he’s actually knowledgeable to some degree and has a great speaking voice.

Some of the candidates in the Republican field are kind of bland characters. Rick Santorum comes across as nothing more but an extremist on religion, wanting all others to believe the way he does. Herman Cain tries to act like the smartest kid in the class on all issues even though he has been proven wrong numerous times.

So with the cowboy governor from Texas now in the race, the next few debates should be a little more entertaining. (The last one even took this political junkie 20 minutes to warm up to.) We’ll hear plenty of downhome humor and solutions and hear how it’s all been done right in the Lonestar State. As I said, I don’t agree with Perry, but he will make the race more entertaining. I just wish he wore a cowboy hat.

Chris Bridges is editor of the Barrow Journal. You can reach him at cbridges@barrowjournal.com.