Sarah Palin’s First Stump Speech: With Rick Perry In Houston, Texas

08 Feb, 2010 by Melissa Clouthier

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Sarah Palin visited my neck of the woods yesterday–Cypress, Texas to be exact, which is about a half hour from where I live–to stump for Texas Governor Rick Perry. Perry is being challenged in the primary by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Debra Medina. I attended the rally, sat on Bloggers row [more here] and brought my kids with me.

Texans love Sarah Palin.

The folks who came to hear Perry and Palin speak, on a Superbowl Sunday, no less, roared their approval for Sarah. She got bigger cheers than did Perry–though he got lots of crowd-love, too.

I live-tweeted both her Saturday-night address to the Tea Party convention and her address here in Texas. Her Texas speech, an official political speech, was better. She was was funny, authentic, gently teased Texans and just seemed to be enjoying herself more.

She dressed unconventionally: furry, wrap-dress and thigh-high purple suede boots. She looked wintery and cute. She had daughter Piper in tow who stood for an impressive half hour listening to her mom and Rick Perry speak.

Why did I go to the stump speech?

Because I am curious. It’s clear to me that both Sarah Palin and Rick Perry have designs on national office. They are good friends and share many political philosophies. I wonder if they’d like to be on the same ticket. Who’d be the top of the ticket? I don’t know. Sarah Palin strikes me as pretty alpha. I have a hard time seeing her play second fiddle again.

Rick Perry doesn’t seem to mind basking in her glow, though.

I found myself musing on their collective experience running two big, energy-producing, economically solvent states. Their small-government drive is looking pretty smart right now.

Texas is a mecca for business which creates jobs. The state enjoys lower unemployment numbers, thus more tax payers, thus less need for out-of-work benefits. It’s a cycle that is good for state fiscal success.

Now, the left hates these two candidates. But it’s hard to argue with their executive experience and proven results.

Pictures here and here. Perry made Sarah Palin an honorary Texan.

Here’s Sarah Palin’s and Rick Perry’s Houston, Texas speech:

Here’s Sarah Palin’s Tea Party speech the night before, in full:

Andrew Malcolm noted these two points in the speech:

Two lines that stuck out in particular:

We need a commander-in-chief, not a professor of law standing at a lectern.

Gee, wonder if she had anyone in particular in mind.

In praise of the grassroots Tea Party activists, she said:

You don’t need an office or a title to make a difference.

Gee, wonder if she had anyone specific in mind.

The anti-DC sentiment was a common thread between the two speeches. She delivered the message better in Texas where she could make a contrast to the policies of Texas.

Presidential aspirations for these two? Absolutely.