All Hail Perry, The Front Runner

The numbers are in, and despite being in the presidential race for only a few weeks, Texas Governor Rick Perry is now officially the front runner. Gallup’s latest polling shows Perry with a sizable lead over the other GOP candidates — including former front runner Mitt Romney.

Perry currently is polling at 29 percent, Romney at 17, Congressman Ron Paul at 13 and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann at 10. All other candidates poll at 4 percent or less, with 17 percent still undecided.

When asked about his loss of front runner status, the former governor replied, “I’m just one of the guys running.”

So how concerned should Romney be with Perry’s new status as the leader? At this point, not very. Perry, as the newest candidate, has yet to have all of his flaws exposed by the media, a process that can knock any candidate down a few pegs (just ask Michele Bachmann). With Perry in the limelight, this gives Romney time to shore up his base, continue fundraising, and try not to make too many public statements that could come back to haunt him later.

In fact, a Perry lead may be the best thing that could happen to Romney’s campaign. Perry is courting the evangelicals and the religious right very heavily, something that is good for the endorsement but could hurt him badly in the general. Romney, meanwhile, appears to be trying to stay as moderate as he can, avoiding things like the Susan B. Anthony List anti-abortion pledge, or bypassing the Jim DeMint ultraconservative South Carolina forum, a conference that will rile up the social conservatives but end up in a plethora of soundbites for campaign commercials that will come back to haunt the eventual nominee during the general election.

All of the candidates will be participating in a debate on September 7th at the Reagan library’s Air Force One Pavilion, a first debate for newly minted front runner Governor Perry. We’ll see how the numbers fare after that public appearance, and if he can continue to hold his lead.

But Wait, There May Still Be More New Presidential Candidates!

Gallup Polling Shows Obama Tied With Almost Everyone

Photo from Gage Skidmore via flickr creative commons

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

William Y.

8:28AM PDT on Sep 4, 2011

@ Matilda H. You had it right the first time. Perry is a Hitler "clone."

send a green star

Past Member .

7:47AM PDT on Sep 4, 2011

Heil Hitl... sorry, I meant Perry.

teresa r.

4:57AM PDT on Sep 3, 2011

let see how long this show will last with this cowboy!!!!!...once everyone knows what he is all about thing will change....NEXT????.... love the crazy talk and circus atmospher just like a reality show!!!!! LOL.....maybe in Texas all his crap may work ,but, nationally, doubtful,(I hope)

caterina c.

11:23AM PDT on Sep 1, 2011

Debra V.

8:16PM PDT on Aug 29, 2011

If he was a backed over-that would be good news.

Cindy S.

8:44AM PDT on Aug 28, 2011

Front runner, really?!?! How irresponsible is a headline like this one! No mention of the fact that in all the non-government sponsored polls, Ron Paul is far ahead in the republican race. I'm a little sick of hearing about Perry already... I've had to put up with his dishonesty as governor for far too many years already. Anybody that does their homework would stop touting him as "leader of the pack."

M.E. W.

3:27PM PDT on Aug 27, 2011

Perry is dangerous for our country. I'm very sad that my state has produced yet another hypocritical, greedy, animal-killing, loud-mouthed idiot.

Marianne C.

12:09PM PDT on Aug 27, 2011

I can honestly say that not a day has passed since this cartoon declared his candidacy that I have not said, "To hail with Rick Perry." Or something similar.

Wiebe S.

12:38AM PDT on Aug 27, 2011

Another step in the bankster's plan to keep Ron Paul from being known. He is the one the Fed fears. I bet Gallup's polling is a fraud just like all the elections in the US since Kennedy was murdered.

Robert H.

10:45PM PDT on Aug 26, 2011

The polls at this point and time mean absolutely nothing except that Perry is a new face.

A million things can happen between now and election day. Spouting off about how hot he is right now just silly.