As Texas鈥� longest serving governor, Rick Perry isn鈥檛 accustomed to losing. But in January, the onetime front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination and went back to Texas.
Perry entered the Republican fray in August of 2011, quickly for the nomination. But between a series of punishing debate performances 鈥� culminating with that that made Perry Texas Monthly鈥檚 2012 鈥� Perry couldn鈥檛 capitalize on his early momentum.
Other issues continued to dog Perry, A campaign ad positing 鈥渢here's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school鈥� . And attacks by fellow GOP candidates over issues like cost Perry conservative street cred.
When the first primary votes were cast in Iowa, Perry came in fifth place. That night he announced he was returning to Texas to 鈥�. But the next day, Perry surprised campaign watchers by saying he was .
But , and so a few days before the vote, he .
Perry kept a relatively low profile for a month or so, before reinserting himself back into Texas politics: attacking so-called 鈥溾�� at a speech in February and initiating a showdown with the feds over Texas鈥� removal of Planned Parenthood from ; getting behind plans for and , indirectly generating rumors about in the process; and about along the way.
There were also attempts to address Perry鈥檚 performance on the trail, alternately fingering for sleepless nights 鈥� and Perry鈥檚 lackluster debate performances.
"The gap between what was expected of Perry, and what he delivered鈥� wrote Washington Post blogger Chris Cillizza, 鈥渃oupled with incredibly high profile of the race in which he chose to flop makes Perry a clear choice for .鈥�
Back in Texas, what Perry told the Houston Chronicle regarding his back pain may apply as well to his presidential bid. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a no never mind now 鈥� I鈥檓 sleeping rather well.鈥�
