It's quite simple. Perry is the candidate for non-suicidal GOP voters who think that Romney is too liberal.
We have a Marxist in the White House and, until now, besides the liberal Romney, we have had a parade of GOP joke candidates that would be guaranteed electoral disasters in November of 2012:
1.) The Donald
2.) The almost brand new Congress-critter with ZERO executive experience in either the private sector or the public sector
3.) The former pizza chain CEO that has never won an election in his entire life
4.) The other guy whose name his own mother can't remember
Then, along comes a candidate that even Sarah Palin calls "a true conservative" and has .... you know .... ACTUAL GOVERNING EXPERIENCE of the second most popopulous State in the Union for ALMOST 11 YEARS.
Perry is the pilot with almost 11 years of major airline flying experience as Captain.
Cain and Bachmann have ZERO flying experience but they did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
I don't like Perry's hair, I would prefer he were not from the State of Texas and I am sure there is a laundry list of things that I might not agree with him 100% on.
Be that as it may, Perry is the single GOP pilot, besides liberal Romney, that is not guranteed to crash and burn in November 2012.
I am sorry but you are in big trouble if you think Perry is conservative. He is what ever blows in the wind.