Hey, Republicans: Forget Trump and start paying attention to Rick Perry

It's funny how perception is everything in politics.

Rick Perry was governor of Texas, the nation's second-largest state, for more than 10 years, during which time the state posted extraordinary economic numbers, including through the Great Recession. He's a former Air Force officer. By any measure, he should be a favorite for the Republican presidential nomination.

Ah, but this is to forget Rick Perry 1.0, who, recovering from back surgery, and running against the establishment pick Mitt Romney, beclowned himself in the 2012 Republican debates by putting his foot in his mouth repeatedly. And so now no one knows if bespectacled Rick Perry 2.0 is the real deal.

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To be sure, Perry has a lot to prove. But at the very least, Republicans should be paying a lot more attention to him.

While the back surgery story sounds like an excuse, it's probably true. First of all, it's just impossible for Perry to have stayed governor of Texas for so long if he really is the person we saw on those debate stages. And secondly, his performance thus far in interviews has been excellent. He says he has spent the intervening years preparing for a presidential run, and it shows.

There are other ways in which Perry has become an improved candidate. Back in 2012, Rick Perry ran as a generic Republican, in the hopes that his record would help carry him over the finish line. But in a field of 16 and counting, he can't do that. He has to show that he is smart, and thus has given a number of good policy speeches.

In particular, he has given what I believe to be the best speech by a Republican this cycle, on the GOP reaching out to African Americans. In the post-Obama era, the GOP needs to understand that it can't write off black voters anymore. And it needs to understand that the problem isn't that conservative ideas have been poorly communicated or that African Americans have been brainwashed by the Left — the problem is the GOP's whole approach.

Perry's speech hit all the right notes. It addressed Texas' racist past. It addressed the GOP's failures. He didn't blame the lack of progress in the African American community solely on "black culture." And he also pointed out that, in many cases, conservative policy would help African Americans overcome their difficulties.

He noted that under his governorship, Texas was the top state in the nation in high school graduation rates for African Americans. He also pointed out that Texas' light regulatory touch has made housing more affordable and has allowed for the creation of many jobs that help people achieve that vaunted American Dream.

He also called out Donald Trump. And he didn't do it lightly. Man. He unleashed on him. As The Federalist noted, Perry went nuclear. Secular media outlets noted that Perry contrasted conservatism with "Trump-ism" and accused him — pretty accurately — of peddling "a toxic mix of demagoguery and nonsense."

Far more devastating, at least to the ears of Christians who make up so much of the GOP's base, was the accusation that Trump is a "false prophet," an extremely strong Biblical phrase. Perry, the former Air Force officer, also smacked down Trump for belittling POWs even though he received a number of deferments to avoid the draft.

At the very least, Perry has decided that he's not going to pander (too much) on his way to the nomination. Obviously he has an interest in blasting Trump, since he badly needs a bump in the polls to appear in the debates. Getting into the Trump fracas puts him on TV. But it's still a very good move to make.

Then there's Marcus Luttrell. The former Navy SEAL, the celebrated "lone survivor" of a 2005 ambush in Afghanistan whose story was recently made into a movie with Mark Wahlberg, is a supporter of Rick Perry. Now, every Republican candidate counts on the endorsement of some celebrity or semi-celebrity. Apparently, Bobby Jindal is betting everything on the Duck Dynasty people. And who could forget the Chuck Norris-Mike Huckabee bromance? But while Luttrell might not be famous inside the media elite bubble, he is a revered figure in the American heartland.

And this is not your average celebrity endorsement. Perry is godfather to Luttrell's children. After leaving the SEALs, Luttrell was under trauma and needed help obtaining medical assistance from America's byzantine bureaucracy— so he was put in touch with the governor. Apparently, Perry and his family took Luttrell in their home for years until Luttrell could recuperate and start the second phase of his journey.

Call me mushy, but that is damn impressive, an act of generosity that just makes me want to see good things happen to Rick Perry. We are so awash with politicians who sell their Christianity to win votes but whose personal life shows little evidence of having been shaped by the Gospel. This story is good evidence that Perry is, well, a good man. And that should matter when deciding who should be the next president. A lot.

Rick Perry has a great record as governor. He is not afraid to challenge GOP orthodoxy or to pick fights with the likes of Trump. And he seems to have real character. This is a man who deserves a serious hearing from the GOP primary electorate.