Central Texans from the Austin-San Antonio corridor tuned in to watch  Governor Rick Perry announce his bid for the White House in Charleston, South Carolina at 12:24 (CST) today.

“I’m pleased that Governor Perry is joining an already strong field of Republican Presidential candidates and that the Texas success story will play an important role in the debate ahead,” U.S. Senator John Cornyn said.

“Under Governor Perry’s leadership, Texas has been a shining example that less government, lower taxes and less regulation of our small businesses helps to grow jobs and move our economy forward, Cornyn continued.”

“Finally somebody presidential in this presidential race,” commented Lacey Hunter, a behavioral health specialist from central Texas currently serving in the U.S. Army at Ft. Wood Leonard in Missouri. “Rick Perry loves Baby Jesus and Texas, that ol' boy is alright by me.”

“It’s a striking contrast to the big government, big spending, liberal mindset of the current Administration,” Cornyn stated.

“I look forward to watching everyone in our strong Republican field work to make President Obama a one-term President, turn this nation around, and put us back on a path toward economic prosperity,” said Cornyn.

 “I figured he would run after Obama to put him in his place for dissin’ him at the airport runway in Austin,” Debra Sanchez said. “It was rude for the president to treat Texans the way he did when we were upset about illegal immigration and the only reason he came was to attend a fund raising.”

“How can the wealthiest nation in the history of civilization fail so miserably to pay its bills?” Perry directed his question to Barack Obama. “Mr. President, let us tell us you something you cannot win the future by selling American off to foreign creditors.” 

“We don’t need a president who apologizes for America,” Perry told supporters. “We need a president who protects and projects those values.”

“It’s time to get American working again,” Perry stated. “To get American working is to give a pink slip to the current residents in the white house.”

“We do not have to accept our current circumstances,” the Governor said. “We will change them. We are Americans. That’s what we do. We roll up our sleeves. We go to work. We fix things.”

“Mitt Romney is just not that exciting as a campaigner and he only served once term as a governor,” Paul Flores, from Austin observed.  “However, Perry has more governor experience than anyone living today, and is incredible at raising money.”

“Perry probably appeals to a larger base,” Fred Voyage said. “I would like to see him pair up with Bachman or Cain--because he says America will be America's best customer, and doesn't like that we keep giving money to our enemys--but he is going to get great support from the religious right, anti-Obama people and those that have studied what he has done for Texas.”

“Rick Perry has inflated facts about Texas jobs,” Jerry Lynn Grothues, an Examiner reader, who  countered on Facebook. “Yes, there have been 100,000 jobs created, problem is there are 300,000 new to Texas job hunters. I'm wondering if the White House would suddenly need a complete makeover, if it will be partially burned down by being renovated, and if the US taxpayers would pay $100,000 for a select rental like we are paying $10,000 a month for his Lake Austin rental.”

“That last guy from Texas worked out swell,” commented Phil Weynand.

“He will carry the South and the border states,” Beatrice Robinson said. “Obama is bought out by the Chicago-Unions and the south doesn’t care for that. Romney has that Yankee effect on many of us...at least was tolerable to some of us because he was southern”

It will take some time, probably, for the polls to reflect all this, but they will. Republicans don’t want a posh, well-spoken Yankee who works at a place with a name like Bain Capital. In their deepest souls, they want a Texas governor. They want a shit-kicker. And here, we circle back to culture.

“Well, many of these liberals in Austin or not going to like Perry,” said Lee Mason. “But that is exactly why I would vote him because they had their chance and look at the mess this country is in.”

“Perry is way too Bushy like,” Peter Torres commented. “He is going to have to get that stigma off his shoulders before I would ever come close to considering him, but I have to admit, I’d much rather see Perry in there than Obama.”