Politics is a full contact sport, almost as much fun as football. Just as in football, where the tide of the game can change in seconds, a week in politics can and did change.
Now there are two. Who are the two?
Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry, of course.
Before Ames, there were three credible conservatives in the race. Rick Santorum, Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann. Well, there is Thad McCotter too, but he is polling at the microscopic level. Bachmann is clearly a much better candidate than either Santorum or Cain and it is painfully obvious the only real future each of their campaigns have is picking the date they drop out.
Last week I called Bachmann a “Girl Scout with a sniper rifle.” She is simply amazing. Within the Tea Party movement she has rock star status. That is a status she has earned.
A week ago, Tim Pawlenty was still considered a contender. Rick Santorum’s campaign was calling a priest for the last rites. Pawlenty is gone and Santorum is still hanging in the race.
Then Rick Perry entered the race.
Perry, the Governor of Texas, is either loved or hated. There is almost no middle ground with him. Yesterday, we featured a blog with Perry’s speech to the 2010 Southern Republican Leadership Conference. Ronald Reagan could have given that speech.
But all is not perfect with Perry. He has a weak record on illegal immigration. He has done a lot with the Texas economy and even joked about going to California to steal jobs from that state. In a debate with Obama, the debate ends when Perry says to Obama, your policies have cost the nation millions of jobs. My policies in Texas have created millions of jobs.
In the end, that is what this is about.
Winning.
There are two battles conservatives must win. First we must beat Obama in 2012. Second, we must make sure that we have a conservative nominee for the Republican Party. In other words, we must defeat Mitt Romney.
Winning the White House is actually the least of our concerns right now. If we do not get a conservative nominated, it becomes a moot point. As far as beating Obama is concerned, as long as we nominate a conservative, we will win. Absent a major miracle for Obama, his polling numbers are now so low that even he is making statements like, he is okay with being a one term President.
The important numbers to look at are the electoral college numbers. We can look at the trends and they are not trending well for Obama. If those trends continue, well before November it will become a mathematical impossibility for Obama to win reelection.
But first we have to get past Romney.
Romney’s debate strategy has been cut and run. Liberals like to cut and run so Romney is right at home with them. Romney has the establishment behind him and he has some amazing fundraising abilities. Perry brings to the race an amazing organization and stellar fund raising.
But then there is Bachmann. Sometimes flying under the radar is not a bad thing and much of her campaign has been flying under the radar. She has quietly organized a very strong campaign. Ames becomes a key test for GOP candidates because it shows who has a strong organization and who does not. Bachmann was able to do so well because she has built that strong organization. She should also now see a spike in her fundraising as well.
Bachmann or Perry? Who is the best candidate for the Tea Party?
That is a decision the Tea Party has to make. That is a decision that needs to be made soon.
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Permalink Reply by paul erickson on Robert Russell
Go to redstate.com and read the post in the diary section about Perry. It has a lot of info - covers most all the rumors, has many links to support the items stated
Perry sounds more like a semi-conservative to me, but get facts and make up your mind them
Permalink Reply by Ed Thull, PhD on 
Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Shea on Perry should be on the ticket as the presidential candidate because he has much executive experience as Texas Govenor.
He has faults but he can defeat Obama, which should be our primary focus.
Bachmann deserves to run with him. She is conservative and works very hard as Minnesota's Congresswoman.
One thing that still bothers me, however, is that Bachmann is complicit in allowing that Non-Natural Born Citizen Usurper to be in the Oval Office.
Permalink Reply by Swarming Bees on Perry's executive experience includes an Excutive order to impose a dangerous drug onto the Females in Texas, a drug, Gardasil, which has harmful side effects including Death. That sounds like BIG government, NOT Limited Government. So will a president Perry do the same thing with Executive Orders, and especially after receiving $250,000 donation from Merck BIG Pharma.
NO I won't support a corporate cronie like that.We can do without THAT kind of Executive Experence.
Permalink Reply by Ed Thull, PhD on Permalink Reply by Skip on Permalink Reply by Swarming Bees on Permalink Reply by Ann on He is the best! I hope that we get a very good Pres. in 2012 and West can be in charge of our military! He is not running this time around, but he will do the right thing if he is asked to be in the new Administration.
I hope God protects these good people from the growing crazies in America!
Permalink Reply by Evert Evertsen on 
Permalink Reply by Allen Bray on Permalink Reply by Swarming Bees on Permalink Reply by George on Ron is impressive in many ways, and has improved the national debate. But, he irretrievably lost the Republican base with his debate performance last week, re: Iran and a few other utterances. I couldn't agree with you more on the Iran thing.
I think he would make a fabulous Secretary of the Treasury though. Too soon for the Old Folks Home,
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