As the Moderate potential Republican Presidential Candidates, foisted upon America by the GOP Elite and the Main Stream Media seemingly commit mass seppuku in front of the national cameras, Americans are wondering when a truly Conservative candidate will announce their candidacy.

From deep in the heart of Texas come rumors that Governor Rick Perry may be considering throwing his ten gallon hat into the ring.

A state politician who is a friend of Gov. Perry’s told realclearpolitics.com that Perry has been talking to a few important political strategists and believes that there is a vacuum in the race for the Republican nominee that he can step in and fill.

With fellow Southerners Mike Huckabee and Haley Barbour out of the race, Perry is beginning to glimpse a view of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue from his house.

One of Perry’s “buds” has been scouting the lay of the land in Iowa for him. Another told a small group in the primary state to:

Keep your powder dry.

Perry’s covert operation was not a shock to Mark McKinnon, a Republican strategist and Bush administration veteran, who remarked:

I’m not aware of Perry making calls, although it wouldn’t surprise me.

According to an e-mail written by Dave Carney, a Perry political strategist who now works for Gingrich’s presidential effort, there’s nothing to see here. Move along:

The Governor has not called anyone about running for POTUS. I’d like to know of one person who says they received such a call. He is calling raising funds for the Republican Governors Association, of which he currently serves as chair.

Who is Rick Perry? According to the Texas Governor’s official biography:

Rick Perry’s political career started in 1985 as a representative for a rural West Texas district in the state House of Representatives. He was first elected to statewide office in 1990, and served as Texas Commissioner of Agriculture for two terms. Governor Perry hails from Paint Creek, a small farming community north of Abilene. His father, Ray Perry, served as a Haskell County Commissioner, school board member and a World War II tail gunner. Between 1972 and 1977, Governor Perry served in the United States Air Force, flying C-130 tactical airlift aircraft in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East.

He is a 1972 graduate of Texas A&M University where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets, a junior and senior yell leader and an animal science major. The younger of Ray and Amelia Perry’s two children, Governor Perry is an Eagle Scout and lifetime member of American Legion Post #75.

He first met Anita Thigpen at a piano recital during their elementary school years. They married in 1982 and are the proud parents of two grown children — Griffin and Sydney. Griffin married his wife, Meredith, in 2009.

Let’s see how he stacks up using my measuring rod of choice, the three-leggged stool of Reagan Conservatism:

1.  Fiscal Conservatism – Again, per his official website:

During his tenure, Governor Perry has maintained a strong focus on fiscal discipline, becoming only the only Texas governor since World War II to sign budgets that reduced general revenue spending. He has used his line item veto to scrub more than $3 billion in budgeted spending, while encouraging investments in the building blocks of a prosperous state: the economy, education and security.

The Texas economy is performing well in the current global economic crisis, thanks to a focused effort to keep taxes low, regulations predictable and legal system fair. Gov. Perry led the effort to reform the legal system, signing into law a series of lawsuit reforms designed to stem the flow of frivolous lawsuits through Texas courts. As a result, employers can devote their resources to creating jobs instead of defending against those frivolous lawsuits.

It comes as no surprise that Gov. Perry’s hard-line Fiscal Conservatism has made him a Tea Party Favorite.

2.  Social Conservatism – In 2005, Perry signed into law a moderate abortion bill that limits late term abortions and requiring girls under the age of 18 to have parental permission for an abortion. He actually signed the bill in the gymnasium of Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Worth, an evangelical Christian school. He came under fire from abortion advocates for his actions.

He is also known for his socially conservative views on homosexuality, publically condemning the United States Supreme Court decision in Lawrence vs. Texas striking down sodomy laws. According to the governor, Texas’s last such law was “appropriate.”

Perry is pro-death penalty, as are the overwhelming majority of Texans.

Per Texas law, the Board of Pardon and Parole must make a recommendation to commute a death sentence, which the Governor is free to ignore. However, if the Board does not make such a recommendation the Governor cannot then commute the sentence. The only power a Texas Governor has is to issue one 30-day reprieve.

Regarding Border Issues, Gov. Perry said:

We’re very concerned that the federal government is not funding border security adequately. We must be ready for any contingency.

3.  National Defense –

As the Governor of Texas, Perry has adopted the stance detailed in the National Governors Association position paper, which states:

The issue of terrorism will be of major focus for the 107th Congress. Governors have a critical interest in controlling domestic terrorism because they are responsible for ensuring that state and local authorities have the ability to deal with natural disasters and other types of major emergencies, including terrorist incidents.

NGA believes that any national strategy for dealing with terrorist incidents should include planning and training by state and local forces. The unique nature of terrorism coupled with national security implications requires the support and expertise of the federal government in working with state and local government in developing capabilities. A clear national strategy developed through a partnership among federal agencies and key state, local, and private sector stakeholders is essential to drive operational and programmatic planning, training, and service delivery in combating terrorism.

So, the Texas Governor’s political stances seem to line up within the established parameters of Reagan Conservatism.

Whether or not Texas Governor Rick Perry decides to enter the Rodeo known as the Republican Presidential Primary is anybody’s guess.  If he does saddle up, whether he can stay on that bucking bronco for the full eight seconds, is another thing indeed.