Perry receives subdued response during Indianapolis visit

The 10th floor ballroom of the Columbia Club in Indianapolis was full of Indiana republicans on Wednesday.

The topic of conversation among most of them was the latest outlook of the ever-unstable GOP field. Many were talking about how well Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney fit their expectations for a candidate. Some were talking about Tuesday’s economic debate at Dartmouth.

A few talked about the guest of honor.

Then Eric Holcomb, chairman of the Indiana Republican Party, took the stage and introduced presidential candidate and Texas Governor Rick Perry.

“Let’s give him a hearty Hoosier welcome,” Holcomb said as country music played.
The reception was less than hearty. The crowd of approximately 100 applauded but did not cheer. They did not appear energized for the candidate.

The Texan smiled. Deep furrows under his eyes reflected the signs of a slowing campaign.

Since he announced his candidacy in August, Perry’s campaign has slowly run out of steam. With debate performances that critics said left something lacking and poll numbers slipping, the campaign has been trying to give the candidate more sleep and debate prep, which Perry admitted was “not my strong suit.”

In Indianapolis, however, Perry concentrated on one goal: trying to win the support of a room full of Hoosiers.

He started by talking about his small-town roots.

“I say I graduated in the top 10 in my high school class, which is great until people ask me how many there were in the class,” Perry joked. “You know, it was a lot like that movie ‘Hoosiers’. And I’ll tell ya, if I’d had the jump shot of Jimmy Chitwood I wouldn’t be in this field of work.”

For the rest of his 45-minute speech, Perry talked about how his free-market platforms would be good for America.

He talked about why allowing the market to create competition is a better way to encourage American business rather than enforcing overly stringent regulations.
“My bet is that the Colts don’t mind beating everyone on their schedule, ’cause that’s how competition works.” said Perry.

His analogy was met with laughs and members of the crowd whispering about the Colts’ current 0-5 record. Perry bowed his head and kept on speaking, his tanned hands gripping the sides of the
podium.

He was met with strong support when he complimented Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and criticized Obama’s healthcare plan.

Then the Texan took a breath and his voice become quiet. He spoke more slowly and punctuated his words, like a preacher addressing a small-town congregation.

“To paraphrase both Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan, America remains the last, best hope of mankind,” Perry said. “Like a lighthouse on the shore, we can still be a beacon of hope. We can remain the freest people on the planet if we remember that we are one nation under God.”

After finishing the event, Perry shook hands with Indiana Republicans, posed for pictures and signed autographs as Toby Keith’s “American Ride” played on repeat.

Most of the attendees talked about the latest outlook of the ever-unstable GOP field. Many talked about how well Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney fit their expectations for a candidate.

A few talked about the guest of honor.

“He was off to a slow start, but overall it was good,” said one man who brought his two young children. “Romney, though, he’s our guy.”