Dragged Kicking and Screaming

In one of the strangest moments from Iowa was Rick Perry's announcement that he was going back to Texas then the next day magically deciding to head back into the breach in South Carolina.  One could say that this is just another in a long line of  Perry-isms, it is however much deeper and far more money driven.

It's well known that Mitt Romney is not well liked in conservative circles for his inability to pick a stance on anything.  However, there is another section of the Republican base that loathes him just as equally and has the money to do something about it.  Business executives across the country that don't like Romney, many of them in Texas, have begun an effort to end his campaign.  These billionaires have funneled millions into the Perry backing "Make Us Great Again" PAC.  Just in within the last two weeks they have spent $3.7 million for ad buys.  What other floundering candidate has the resources to spend $3.7 million in a losing effort and still be able to go on?

There are two reasons Perry is still, one could say against his consent, in this race. At some point all the anti-Romney people will be gone due to lack of funds.  The Santorums, Newts, Pauls, and Huntsman's of the world will be unable to fund a national campaign once we reach Super Tuesday.  These primaries will still happen no matter who is left, and with 60-75% of the Republican base still wishing they had anyone but Romney to vote for, Perry would steal those primaries just because he is the only other option.

The second reason is that Perry is the only Evangelical Christian left in the race(Not counting Paul because he doesn't actively court that vote).  To many Southern Evangelicals this is an important issue, and with the Southern Primaries starting in a month this is will only make Perry more attractive to voters.  Now Santorum may say all the right things when it comes to social issues, but he is still Catholic which they view in the same light as the Mormon Church.  Perry is both saying the right things on social issues and he goes to the right church, something that many Evangelicals value.

Perry may have spoken the truth that late night in Iowa when he said he wanted to go back to Texas and think about the race. The only problem for him is, he isn't in control of this own campaign, and he will be dragged kicking and screaming to every primary till this is over.