Gov. Rick Perry grew up in west Texas, studied in College Station and spent more than a quarter-century criss-crossing Texas and honing political skills he's now testing on a national stage.
Along the way, a handful of events in Tarrant County have played a key role in burnishing Perry's political star, contributing to his recent transformation into a serious contender for president.From a high-profile bill signing at a Fort Worth religious school to a surprise announcement in Grapevine alongside then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, some of Perry's most significant moments in recent years have taken place during trips to Tarrant.Tarrant County Republican Chair Stephanie Klick said Perry has been a regular visitor over the years for a reason."We're the only big county in Texas right now that's still Republican and strongly so," Klick said. "If you're a Republican office holder and you want to run statewide, Tarrant County is where you need to go because we have the votes."Marriage, abortion billsJune 5, 2005: Perry signed gay marriage and abortion regulation measures at a Fort Worth Christian school.The ongoing political debate over Perry's decision to promote a prayer rally in Houston next month echoes the response the governor drew six years ago for a ceremonial bill signing at Calvary Christian Academy. Perry signed a bill requiring written permission from a parent before a minor can get an abortion as well as a gay marriage ban that was then presented to voters.Like many critics are doing now, critics then accused Perry of blurring the line between government and religion and maligning the gay community. Supporters then and now applauded him for boldly wearing his spirituality on his sleeve.Perry shared the stage that day with well-known social conservatives including Family Research Council President Tony Perkins and Ohio evangelist Rod Parsley. While hundreds protested outside, Perry framed himself and those in the church school gymnasium as under siege by their foes."They don't like people of faith to be involved in this process. And people of faith are going to be involved in this process," Perry said to cheers.The event is now considered perhaps Perry's most prominent display to date of his ease of mixing evangelicism with politics. Recently, the Fort Worth signing has been cited by some in the national media as one of the reasons conservative religious leaders are excited about Perry making a White House run.One of the hundreds of protesters that day was Rev. Mike Piazza, who at the time was head of the Cathedral of Hope, a gay and lesbian church in Dallas. Piazza said he was upset by both Perry's signing of the gay marriage ban and the location he had chosen to sign it."It was purely playing to the base and motivating the base and that's the same kind of politics he's continuing to play," said Piazza, who is now co-executive director of the Center for Progressive Renewal in Atlanta. "He's acting as if he's only governor of the rightwing Christians."Announcing reelectionApril 17, 2008: Perry, Texas' longest-serving governor, announced his re-election campaign in Grapevine.The event at the Gaylord Texan Hotel was billed as a forum by the Republican Governors Association, which Perry now heads. Six of the governors hosted a press conference, much of which focused on who John McCain's running mate would be.When asked who would flat out refuse if offered the job, three governors raised their hands. Perry was one of them. Palin was not."I don't want to go to Washington, D.C.," Perry said. "I've got a great job."Minutes later, Perry dropped a bombshell by casually confirming to two reporters that he was running for another term. At the time, some political operatives assumed Perry was a lame duck because he was already about to become the state's longest-serving governor.U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst were among those believed to be waiting in the wings."I don't know about them, but it will be Perry in 2010," Perry said at the time.That evening, Perry signed copies of his latest book at the TCU Barnes & Noble in Fort Worth and further explained the thinking behind his surprise announcement."I just got asked," Perry said. "After a while, as people keep asking, I just answered their question."Perry would eventually trounce Hutchison and then Democrat Bill White at the polls, fanning the 2012 talk.(A historical footnote: At some point that day, a pregnant Palin's water broke. She reportedly stayed to deliver a speech on energy, then boarded a commercial flight so she could give birth to her son, Trig, back in Alaska.)Tea Party tiesApril 15, 2009: Perry became a popular speaker at Tea Party rallies in Arlington and Fort WorthPerry visibly hitched his persona to the Tea Party that Tax Day, one of the major nationwide rallying days for the still-burgeoning movement. After a feisty midday speech in Austin, he stopped at an Arlington rally before addressing more than 3,000 people at Fort Worth's LaGrave Field in an event organized by the Tarrant County Republican Party.The day helped Perry be viewed nationally as being on the leading edge of the Tea Party movement, but it was his suggestion at the Austin rally that Texas might secede if the federal government didn't change its ways that brought the most attention. Hours later, Perry backtracked and made clear that while he has no qualms bucking Washington, secession is not something he advocates."America is a great country, and Texas wants to stay in that union and help our way out of this" economic downturn, Perry said in Fort Worth.To this day, one of the issues that Republican voters seem to connect best with Perry is his anti-Washington, butt-out-of-the-states'-business push.Gun-loving governorApril 15, 2010: Perry shot up downtown Fort Worth.With yet another GOP primary win behind him, Perry stood beside Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief to kick off NASCAR weekend. Both men were handed six shooters filled with blanks.The Star-Telegram photo of Perry having a heck of a good time aiming the gun skyward and pulling the trigger drew mild interest at first.Two weeks later, it became an even more talked-about pose after Perry revealed he had shot a coyote while jogging. The national press couldn't resist pairing the story with the shoot-'em-up photo and many have used the image again in recent weeks. Expect to see it pop up again if he declares he's running for president later this summer.Republican politicians are hardly alone in being sure to be photographed with guns. One famous photograph of late Democratic Gov. Ann Richards was her dressed in hunting gear with a shotgun over one shoulder.Aman Batheja, 817-390-7695
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