Rick Perry does the right thing. It’s all about South Carolina now.

By Bernie Quigley

For The Hill on 1/4/12

“Not that there aren’t real Republicans here in Iowa,” Rick Perry told ABC. “But the fact is it was a pretty loosey-goosey process, and you had a lot of people who were there that admitted they were Democrats voting in the caucuses last night, so we’re going.”

Perry does the right thing in heading to South Carolina. He’s got friends there and as he says, the process is less “loosey-goosey” than in Iowa. And did somebody say “quirky”?

The process is still winnowing down to a select few and Perry in one of them. I’d contend here that Gingrich, Bachmann and Santorum are not now and never have been real contenders.

Bachmann is about the small mind of America she wants to force the rest of us to be part of so we stop our loathsome and low down city ways. Gingrich is a phony intellectual who so impresses his generational fellows in the House. But unlike most actually academics, he is unable to sustain a coherent theme. His mind is like an old bookstore with everything stuck all over; every book an awakening, every lecture enlightenment. But add them together and they make no sense. One day he wants states sovereignty, next he wants to conquer the world so the new world under his domain will have state sovereignty. He was the anti-Bill and now he is the anti-Hillary; a shadow player who will drift away when they do. He is half nutty and his phony shutting down of the government was irresponsible play acting (which resonates today) by one who so wanted to be called into the action and passion by the gods of war, plume in the wind and saber slashing up the Shenandoah Valley with J.E.B. Stuart – but fickle nature sent him to the times of modest women and men. And he never really fit.

Ron Paul is a man of character and will modify conservatism over the next years, but he will run along the side as Ralph Nader did and contribute that way to both parties and to the rising generation. His role in this race is up.

Rick Perry needs to beat Santorum in South Carolina which should not be so difficult because there is little to Santorum. Little money and organization too. Said here yesterday, Santorum is the Republican’s Joe Biden, waiting for the Fifties to come back. He was last on the Iowa merry go round, in which like suburban soccer, everyone gets a little trophy. He is devoid of substance and a sense of the reality of changing times, which is what politics is all about.

With these others fading, it focuses the mind. Perry now is the only one who can stand and deliver against Mitt Romney. Choices have narrowed. Sarah Palin should ask, who do I support now, going into South Carolina, Mitt Romney or Rick Perry? Donald Trump should ask the same thing and so should Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani and the very influential Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham.

Romney will win sky high in New Hampshire next week but Perry can take South Carolina. And who takes South Carolina could take the nomination.