Thank you for a thoughtful post.
Here is a bit about Gov. Perry you many not recognize but this is pure Perry (I’ve posted much about him but mostly the threads were hijacked to drive people away). But these two incidents are instruct of a broader governing style.
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/276264/vetoes-rick-perry-katrina-trinko
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2787263/posts
A Postscript to that second link is that the group who opposed Perry and supported his opponent because of his veto, The Texas Medical Association, endorsed him for president, and its members are helping him raise money and make connections with medical groups in other states.
Gov. Perry stands on principle and brings people along (maybe not at first but in time).
Another example of bringing people along after standing on principle...Perry tells Iowans he opposes energy subsidies from the federal level...be they ethanol, oil and gas, wind, solar, etc.
Hopefully Iowans will want to adopt this principle even though it would mean no more federal ethanol subsidies and mandates...
Because it is the right thing and the most economically viable thing to do.
And the most Constitutional.