Rick is "buoyant" despite secession misunderstanding...

People talk about momentum in campaigns. They talk about which side is "energized." Sometimes candidates can even be down in the dumps or conversely... buoyant.

Austin American Statesman columnist Gardner Selby explains (link). Excerpt follows...

Maybe he's buoyant because he's heard legislative fussing before and come out all right. Still, the GOP-majority Legislature may soon dare Perry to veto a measure enabling Texas to accept $555 million in federal aid for unemployment claims despite Perry saying he doesn't want the money. If there remains time in the session to do so, they could then attempt an override.

Perry, fresh off three Texas tea parties, outperformed Hutchison at an April 16 gathering of the Texas Federation of Republican Women, where Hutchison, who didn't attend any tea parties, acted as though she wanted to get in and get out of Austin without upsetting anyone.

But in fundraising mailings, Hutchison paints the state's leadership as not fulfilling promises. A recent letter singles out high property taxes and the nation's highest homeowner insurance and high school dropout rates plus the most uninsured citizens — issues that could have been developed against every governor in modern times.

"These failures come at a cost," Hutchison writes. "The public's patience is limited."

Perry's camp thinks GOP voters will lose patience with Hutchison when they know her Senate record.

"The party is rotten from the core in the leadership in Washington," Perry consultant Dave Carney told me.

He signaled pungent episodes ahead: "Our campaign hasn't started."

"Pungent." That's why Selby gets paid the big bucks.

I keep hearing that Rick outperformed Kay at the Texas Republican Women lunch last week, but what does that even really mean? Of course, it could have something to do with the video Ken Herman shot (link)...

The buoyancy does come across in Rick's radio interviews, TV interviews, his fiery speeches, his tweets which are allegedly really him, and on his website. Kay's website is superior looking to Rick's but her content is sort of plain jane vanilla. It's safe and traditional, whereas Rick is going all in with these teaparty rallies featured prominently. Rick just seems like he's enjoying life and having fun.

From the standpoint of conservative thought leaders I converse with on a regular basis, Rick is distancing himself from Kay on social issues and on economic issues. What else is there? Military issues I guess? A pure personality contest? A broader personal contest not on the issues but more on who is more likable, who is more competent, and things like that?