After a series of embarrassing debates and a free-fall in the polls, Rick Perry's campaign team says there are signs he's getting his groove back with two weeks to go before the Iowa caucuses.
But the latest polls suggest it'll take the political equivalent of a "Hail Mary" pass for Perry to become the Tim Tebow of the Iowa caucuses. A CNN national poll released Monday had Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney tied at 28 percent nationally, Rep. Ron Paul of Lake Jackson at 14 percent, Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota at 8 percent and Perry at 7 percent.Perry has shown some improvement in the polls, but he still remains back in the pack in advance of the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses Jan. 3.And analysts in South Carolina and Florida, which will hold crucial primaries later in the month, say Perry may be in too deep a hole to climb back to the top tier of Republican candidates.Texas's longest-serving governor is also confronting a new controversy after reporting that he has begun drawing retirement benefits in addition to his governor's salary, boosting his taxpayer-funded yearly income to more than $225,000. The double-dipping, though legal, seems to contradict Perry's self-portrayal as a small-government conservative who wants to cut congressional salaries and reform Social Security, the only source of retirement income for many Americans.Nevertheless, Perry exudes self-confidence in the final sprint toward the Iowa contests. In the last Republican debate of the year Thursday night, he proclaimed Tebow his role model, vowing to disprove skeptics with a strong showing in Iowa in the same way the Denver Broncos quarterback has dispelled doubts about his gridiron abilities.Fueled by a bigger pile of campaign donations than most of his rivals, Perry is blitzing Iowa in a 42-town bus tour that enables him to personally deliver his campaign message and capitalize on his skills at retail politics. Team Perry is also saturating the state with radio and TV ads and plans to import hundreds of Texans, including Republican state officials and pro-Perry lawmakers, to woo caucus-goers."We're certainly hearing his name a lot with radio and TV commercials, probably a lot more than the other candidates," said Dr. Bill Davidson of Bettendorf in eastern Iowa. "I like the commercials, particularly the one about his not being afraid to speak about his faith."Davidson said last week that he is undecided but is likely to vote for Perry or former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania."Those are my two guys," he said. "It may come right down to caucus day."Craig Robinson, a former political director for the Iowa Republican Party, said that Perry's wall-to-wall campaigning appears to be giving him a bit of a boost. "I think people are starting to give him a second look," said Robinson, who is founder and editor-in-chief of The Iowa Republican, a political Website. "His bus tour is good for him, and I think it will help him."Perry surged into the lead among Republican candidates immediately after entering the race in mid-August but dropped in the polls after stumbling in early debates. During his days as a front-runner, Perry was hammered by his rivals and came under fire from Tea Party activists for some of his positions as governor.In one silver-lining aspect in his fall from the top, Perry has escaped the harsh scrutiny that falls on front-runners, giving him more freedom to promote key themes. Robinson said a fellow Republican who approached him at a recent political event told him that he initially supported Perry, then switched his allegiance to Gingrich and is now back to supporting the Texas governor.Although Gingrich and Romney currently lead the field, Robinson and other experts said the race in Iowa remains highly fluid and unpredictable. Robinson said Perry, Bachmann and Santorum are widely viewed as "core conservatives" who are strongly competing for support from evangelicals and social conservatives who compose a large share of potential caucus-goers.Perry has aggressively reached out to social conservatives in campaign appearances and TV ads that proclaim his commitment to faith."Now some liberals say that faith is a sign of weakness," Perry says in one of the ads. "Well, they're wrong. I think we all need God's help."Perry's debate troubles --include his infamous "oops" moment, when he which he forget the name of a federal agency he wanted to eliminate -- made him a punching bag for comedians. But he has shown marked improvement in more recent debates, appearing energetic and firmly in command of his talking points.In contrast to the ridicule he endured for the "oops" gaffe, Perry drew acclaim for delivering perhaps the most memorable line of the Thursday debate with his vow to become "the Tim Tebow of the Iowa caucuses."Perry has suggested that some of the poor debate performances may resulted from fatigue caused by midsummer back surgery.Robert Haus, Iowa co-chairman for Perry's campaign, said the strategy is for Perry to "just keep doing what he's doing" up through caucus night."I think this is a critical decision time for caucus-goers," he said. "They're making up their minds. They're taking some of their final looks at the candidates."In an interview last week with Fox News host Neil Cavuto, Perry said he hopes to finish in the top three but would still compete in South Carolina and Florida if he falls into fourth place. He told Cavuto that he expects "a good showing" in Iowa but said first place isn't necessary to continue a viable campaign.Dave Montgomery, 512-476-4294Twitter: @daveymontgomeryHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
