Editor’s note: Though it’s still 2015, the 2016 presidential campaign is underway. The field is already crowded, and to help you keep track, we’re compiling this guide to recognizing candidates outside their natural habitats.
by Larry Clow, photos by Roger H. Goun
The candidate: Rick Perry
Species: former governor (Republican)
Primary habitat: Texas
Description: Perry, like many other Republican politicians, is testing the waters for a presidential run. Though an official declaration is expected sometime within the next month, Perry has the traditional markings of a candidate. Those markings include shifts in policy, as Perry and other candidates attempt to gain advantages in the competition for resources.
For example, in a May 5 op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, Perry announced that he is now opposed to reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank, a federal agency that provides financing to U.S. companies for overseas sales. Congress must reauthorize the bank by June 30. Perry had previously supported reauthorization. But as conservative groups like Americans for Prosperity (and the big-money donors, like the Koch brothers, who finance them) have come out against the bank, so too have Republican presidential hopefuls, including Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, and Ted Cruz. Expect similar shifts and clarifications in policy as competition increases.
Perry’s trip through New Hampshire included a stop at the Kingston VFW Post and the Cadillac Diner in Rochester. At the VFW stop, Perry cited his military service (he was an officer in the Air Force from 1972 to 1977) and his record as a three-term governor as signs of his presidential aptitude.
Candidates often attempt to blend in with local surroundings, and Perry is no exception. According to a report by Dan Tuohy in the Union Leader, Perry criticized Common Core — a popular target among Republican candidates in the state — saying it “has got to be stopped.” According to the Concord Monitor, Perry was later spotted at 9 Lions Tavern in Deerfield greeting voters with Republican Yvonne Dean-Bailey, who is running against Democrat Maureen Mann in a May 19 special election for a seat in the N.H. House of Representatives.
Similar to: Other not-quite-but-almost candidates include Senator Lindsey Graham, former Senator Rick Santorum, former Florida governor Jeb Bush, and business and television personality Donald Trump. As warmer weather approaches, expect Perry and others to make the full transformation into declared candidates.
Range: If you spot Perry in New Hampshire, take a photo; future sightings are likely to be rare. During his 2012 campaign, Perry famously skipped the New Hampshire Primary in favor of courting Iowa voters. A similar pattern is emerging for 2016. Between May 16 and May 20, Perry will attend 10 campaign events in Iowa, including the Iowa GOP Lincoln Dinner, where Perry will compete with at least 10 other candidates for resources and habitat space.