New Republic article about Gov. Rick Perry, by Ed Kilgore

http://www.tnr.com/article/the-permanent-campaign/90131/rick-perry-campaign-texas

every one of the enigmatic governor’s supposed strengths turns out to be yoked to a big, potentially damaging weakness.

and

All in all, you have to wonder why Texans, including hard-core conservatives, seem less impressed than people in other states with the prospect of a Perry presidential run. Some appear to be stunned at the very idea, treating him as a sort of Chauncey Gardiner figure who has stumbled, through remarkable luck, into the national spotlight. But Perry’s ultimate stroke of luck could be in appearing on the scene at a time when the Republican Party considers the power of its ideology, not the brains or accomplishments of its leaders, its trump card in 2012.