Although Sen. Jim DeMint decided not to enter the presidential race, the former national director of Conservatives4DeMint, has thrown her support behind another yet-to-announce conservative presidential favorite – Texas Governor Rick Perry.
Angela Toft will join Americans for Rick Perry, a 527 organization run out of California and Texas, and focus on coalition building for the group. Bob Schuman, national campaign director for the group, said he wants to build a base for Perry in Iowa and cause voters to think before committing to other candidates.
“We just want to make a splash,” he said.
Toft will bring an extensive network with her – Conservatives4DeMint was active in 38 states, and so far, 75 percent of her group’s former coordinators have agreed to join Americans for Rick Perry, she said.
“We’re adding boots on the ground, basically,” she said. “It’s just showing that Rick Perry definitely does have the grassroots support from the conservatives.”
Toft and the other coordinators from Conservatives4DeMint aren’t the only conservative organizers to move from one group to another.
“We essentially have the Gingrich team on the ground in Iowa,” Schuman said.
And what does Schuman plan to do with all this manpower? He said he wants to explore things that Republican presidential candidates would like to do in their campaigns but might not have the resources or time to do.
“The current field is strong,” he said. “But I think Perry, frankly, with his economic track record in Texas, is the most qualified of everyone in the field, and even those who are still thinking about it on the sideline.”
Toft agreed.
“I believe Rick Perry is the only one who can beat Obama,” she said.