The Other McCain

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Young Minions of the Sith Lord of Texas UPDATE: Perry Coming to Iowa Sunday

Posted on | August 9, 2011 | 67 Comments

DES MOINES, Iowa
For the past several days I’ve been referring to the prospective Rick Perry 2012 candidacy as the “Phantom Menace” looming over the Ames Straw Poll. Today I unexpectedly encountered the menace in the form of perky Texas coeds in burnt orange “Americans for Rick Perry” T-shirts:

While I’m usually very much pro-coed — especially the perky Texas kind — the appearance of these girls in Des Moines clearly represents a disturbance in The Force. Don’t doubt my Jedi senses on this one, folks. I’m getting spooky vibes. Readers will remember that I wrote Friday:

My phone just rang with a tip from a source who says his Texas sources tell him that Rick Perry is going to unofficially announce this weekend that he’s going to make an official announcement next week.

That tip was just slightly off as to the timing: The unofficial announcement came Monday via a Politico story. Now, let me ask you something: Why would a Republican save a big exclusive like that for Politico, while a conservative journalist like me was left to rely on secondhand (if quite accurate) rumors?

This is just one of those tiny little things, perhaps utterly insignficant, but perhaps an ill omen. Yeah, I know political journalists aren’t supposed to believe in “omens.” Still, there’s something vaguely . . . hinky about the way Perry’s stealth campaign has been operating here in Iowa.

Call me crazy. Attribute my forebodings of doom to irrational prejudice. Say what you will, and I don’t care, but I felt a need to put on the record my instinctive sense that there’s something fundamentally wrong about the Perry campaign. And if Jan. 20, 2013, brings the joyous inauguration of President Perry, then you can say my fears were mistaken. Yet I can’t shake my gut hunch is that it won’t work out that way. Some kind of catastrophe will result, one way or another.

Anyway, my apologies to any Rick Perry fans whose mellow has been harshed by these gloomy reflections. Here’s my video inteview of the perky Texas coeds Minions of the Sith Lord:

Oh — almost forgot: They were on hand for what had been billed as an event at the state capitol featuring Tim Pawlenty. I showed up a few minutes late, and Pawlenty had already split the scene, having refused to answer questions from reporters. But these Texas girls were still there and, after I finished getting them on video, I couldn’t resist the temptation to tell them: “We killed your quarterback. Roll Tide!”

UPDATE: Be afraid. Be very afraid!

Texas Governor Rick Perry will make a his first trip to Iowa Sunday, Perry’s campaign confirms.
Perry will speak at a fundraiser hosted by the Black Hawk County Republicans in Waterloo, Iowa, just one day after he gives a speech in which intends to make clear he will seek the presidency.
The Texas governor’s trip to the Hawkeye state will round out a tour of key early primary and caucus states for the 2012 election. He begins the weekend in South Carolina, speaking at the RedState Gathering, a conference for conservative bloggers and privately meets with GOP leaders in South Carolina.
Perry will then fly to New Hampshire for a house party hosted by state Rep. Pamela Tucker to meet Granite State Republicans in Greenland.

Which means that I’ll need to stay here through Sunday. Which means you’ll need to hit the tip jar.


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Category: Election 2012, Fear and Loathing in Iowa, Iowa, Rick Perry, Texas

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