I thought that Rick Perry was OPPOSED to the federal courts interfering in a state’s elections process.
Well, if it pisses you off, it's certainly worthwhile! :)
That was back when he had pretenses of being a conservative. No conservative would ever want a Federal judge interfering with the internal rules of a state political party. That's DU type stuff.
The reason the federal courts accepted this as a federal case is that it affects the country nationwide. If this had just been a state problem for Virginia to deal with, then the state could have dealt with it in and of itself, but when something a state does involves the entire country or at least affects the entire country, it then is considered a federal issue, not a simple state issue.
“Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors...”