Texas Governor Rick Perry discusses 2012 on The Janet Mefferd Show

"[My wife said] I know you're comfortable being governor, but you need to get out of your comfort zone...our country is in trouble and you may be the person that we have to have."

"I'm not ready to announce here on your program...as each day goes by, I get more comfortable that the direction I'm headed is the right direction."

- Texas Gov. Rick Perry, The Janet Mefferd Show, July 13, 2012



Since it seems pretty clear that Perry wants to get into the race, the question has changed from if to when. The time may be drawing a little too late to seriously contend in the Ames straw poll, but there will be a key, nationally-televised debate three days before the poll. Senator Charles Grassley advises Perry to get into the race soon in order to keep Iowa in play:

Sen. Chuck Grassley said today that he received a “courtesy call” from Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who has been ever-more-openly contemplating a 2012 presidential run.

Grassley, in a conference call with reporters, didn’t disclose what Perry had to say, but wasn’t shy about repeating the advice he offered:

“I gave him the advice that if he’s going to run, he’d better run in Iowa and he’d better cover a lot of territory.”

He said that means you can’t just worry about Des Moines and expect to make an impact in the state of Iowa. “And I reminded him that Iowa made two previous presidents — at least two presidents — Obama and Carter.”

In other words, it really is time to get out of the comfort zone and into the game.