Texas Governor Rick Perry is a Marlboro man — tough, rugged and handsome. He’s a tobacco-chewing, boot-wearing, coyote-shooting executive. Like Fred Thompson in 2008, he has the image of a Hollywood tough guy. Both Perry and Thompson mosied into a Republican presidential field that lacked a law-and-order type and both had the Bostonian Mitt Romney in their cross-hairs.
Both Perry and Thompson had political experience when they entered the presidential race but positioned themselves as Washington outsiders. Perry has taken up the mantel of party savior, as Thompson did four years ago. In the lead-up to the 2008 Republican primary, Fred Thompson was touted as a breath of fresh air because of his straight talk and machismo. The former actor also announced late (after Labor Day) and came into the field as a frontrunner with high marks in the polls.
The 2008 GOP field included a senior statesman, a moderate governor, a Southern governor and a very moderate New York mayor. Thompson was able to capitalize on the absence of a straight-shooting sheriff. He stood in the starkest contrast to Romney. Today, Perry also stands in stark contrast to Romney and is focused on knocking him off.
For a while, Thompson seemed to be the “it” guy. But soon after his announcement, his campaign showed signs of cracking. Because of his late start, Thompson was never able to raise enough cash. However, his campaign’s most serious flaw came in large part from inconsistencies with his tough-guy-conservative image. He could not shake off his history of lobbying for a family planning group to relax an abortion rule.
Perry also has a conservative faux pas that he’ll have to explain to voters. In 2007, he gave an executive order making HPV vaccines mandatory for young girls. Perry has since accepted this mandate as a mistake and tried to bury it with an aggressive show of social and moral conservative outreach. However, more consistently Christian conservative candidates such as Bachmann, Santorum and Palin (if she jumps in) may hogtie Perry with the HPV issue and undermine his image as a strong moral guardian.
The Texas governor’s late start and past support for a liberal cause may lead him down the road to a Thompson-style early burnout. But, Perry has the advantage of being a skilled campaigner and running in a year where the electorate is frustrated with President Obama. The 2012 Republican presidential candidate may end up being the law-and-order candidate, but not without a fierce fight from the battle-tested Romney.
Dr. Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto received her Ph.D. from Duke University. Her research and consulting portfolio focuses on campaigns and elections, political psychology, gender, race, Latino politics, and immigration. Victoria regularly contributes to national and international media outlets. You can find Victoria at www.DrVMDS.com and follow her on Twitter: @DrVMDS