He’s Out…He’s Back In…

Texas governor Rick Perry pulled in a mere 12,604 votes in the Iowa Caucus last Tuesday, just a little more than 10% of the total votes cast. Double that of Michele Bachmann who had the good sense to withdraw her candidacy and go back to Minnesota.

And it really looked like Rick Perry was going to follow suit and end his tilt at windmills in a race where he is hopelessly outclassed by a small army of dwarves.

But not 12 hours later, Perry tweets that he is in it at least until South Carolina.

Defying all logic. Well that’s our governor.

But wait, I think I agree, for once, with a Fox News analysis that Rick Perry is now an ally of Mitt Romney and wonder whether that explains the rapid reversal. Here’s the theory.  If Perry could just stay in the race until South Carolina, where he is back on more familiar Southern turf (next to the Yankee Pennsylvanian Rick Santorum) he might be able to draw votes away from Santorum.

Especially the votes of those who would have voted for Michele Bachmann had she stayed in the race. After all, voters who are that masochistic that they will vote for a bat guano crazy congresswoman will have no problem voting for a mentally challenged former A&M yell leader.

But here’s the thing. As long as Rick Perry stays on the campaign trail we Texas taxpayers are still paying for his security detail. A bill that has been upwards of $400,000 per month. Perry justified this expenditure saying that he was taking the Texas message to the nation.

Well now that seems to be officially over. Perry is not in this for a goodwill tour, nor is he in it to win the presidential nomination. He is in it to help Mitt Romney beat off a new challenge in Rick Santorum.

And Texas taxpayers are left holding the bag, as usual.