Rick takes New Orleans by storm...

Rick keeps telling everyone that he is not running for president in 2012... but his stock has really soared since destroying the (formerly?) popular senator Kay...

In Rick's first political trip out of state since the March 2 primary he attended the Southern Republican Leadership Conference and stole the show (link).

Excerpt follows...

Texas Governor Rick Perry may have had a tough slot in following Sarah Palin, but he proved to be up to the challenge. Perry delivered a stemwinder speech that had the crowd roaring on numerous occasions, and in doing so delivered a tough message to his own party. “Don’t tell me you’re a Republican,” Perry warned, “and don’t protect the innocent,” a sentiment that got a standing ovation. Perry took on his own party’s establishment, at least indirectly, than any of the previous major speakers.

I’ve seen Perry give speeches on television (mainly on YouTube) and knew he could be dynamic. Earlier in the day, I mentioned that alone among the other speakers on the ticket today, Perry had the only shot at matching the energy of Sarah Palin’s appearance. Perry has a very active delivery, in the same manner as a preacher. He doesn’t stand still, but instead puts his whole body into what he says. Perry’s speech turned a political conference into a Republican revival meeting, complete with the call to action at the end.

Perry’s first priority will be to win re-election in Texas later this year, which shouldn’t present a difficult task. If after that he decides to get serious about a run for the Presidency, don’t count him out. He’ll have more than two terms as an executive in a state that, as Perry reminded everyone in the speech, ranks first for economic growth thanks to Republican efforts to trim costs and keep taxes low. He could very well be the kind of challenger that could make Obama’s shot at a second term very, very difficult.

Rick insists he is not running for president, but based on the buzz out of New Orleans it seems like he may have performed very very well in the straw poll had he not pulled his name out of it (link). Excerpt follows...

NEW ORLEANS -- TX Gov. Rick Perry (R) insists he's not running against Pres. Obama in '12, but so far he's the only person addressing a gathering of conservative activists to make a public appeal for additions to his campaign's mailing and email list.

Speaking yesterday to the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, Perry got a dramatically different reception than ex-AK Gov. Sarah Palin (R), who spoke just hours earlier. Palin packed the room, but Perry, addressing a smaller audience, elicited more consistent applause and more frequent standing ovations.

Where Palin left attendees thrilled but unconvinced of her ability to run in '12, Perry laid out a broader platform, all while disavowing interest in higher office. His name, in fact, isn't even on the SRLC's straw poll ballot.

"I don't put my name on any of the straw poll ballots because I'm not running. I'm not in. I don't know how many times I have to tell people that," Perry told Hotline OnCall after his speech.

I think everyone wants to see a 2012 motive in Rick's attendance at SRLC, but it would have been strange for him not to go... he is a major political figure in the south... and he is good friends with Barbour and Jindal... and Texas is one state away from Louisiana...

You also have to think about all the appearances Rick is turning down... including a recent invite to Iowa he turned down (link). Rick is also being especially careful to disavow any interest in anything other than being governor of Texas... which is probably a much better gig than the presidency in terms of lifestyle and pressure...

Bill White's peeps are trying to make the SRLC appearance into a big presidential ambition thing... probably because that is all they have at this point. Bill White's disastrous campaign thus far has disappointed just about everyone who believed he would be a credible challenger...

Not releasing his tax returns has been a big distraction for the increasingly inept looking Bill White... and it does not look like any change is happening there... there aren't any plans to release those taxes from the looks of things.

Bill White's only hope is to turn Rick into George Allen... get a macaca moment... get the national Democrats to bring in resources against him to cut him off... I just don't see it happening... Bill White is boring, but he is also kind of suspect and shadowy... not trustworthy.