Just over a year ago Rick Perry was in the political fight of his life facing establishment favorite Kay Bailey Hutchinson in a Republican primary in the Texas gubernatorial race. Most pundits – and voters – agree that the turning point in the campaign came when Sarah Palin threw her support behind Perry. Asking an enthusiastic crowd the key question, Palin queried – “I want to hear Texas, what’s it gonna be: the way they operate in D.C. or the way y’all get things done in Texas?” In the end Perry won the primary by 20 points and the general by more than 12.

This is an example of “classical” politics versus “popular” politics. To paraphrase one of my favorites humorists, Dave Berry, classical politics (as in “classical music or liturature”) is that which is not popular. Twenty-first century American politics is definitely tuned to popular – the classics have been relegated to the elite few and snubbed by the masses for both Republicans and Democrats. We saw that in 2000 when Al Gore tried for a third round of the Clinton administration and in 2004 when a retread John Kerry generated even less enthusiasm than Gore had four years earlier. This trend was supremely defined in the 2008 Democrat primary when classic liberal politics in the person of Hillary Clinton was tossed unceremoniously onto the trash heap of history by the fresh, new, popular candidate. The same response was seen in the Republican race when same-old – same-old John McCain livened up his campaign with a rockin’ hot and exciting hockey mom from Alaska and revived a boring old “classical” race.

All indicators seem to be that the electorate in 2012 wants to be charmed by new once more. The classicists keep trying to shove Mittens Romney at the Republican faithful – or as alternatives, they’ve trotted out Newt Gingrich, Tim Pawlenty, and other assorted has-beens. Good guys – just not popular reading this summer.

Ever since the rumor mill started churning out the story about Perry’s imminent entry into the contest, there’s been an undercurrent of excitement that was not only noted in the press, but almost welcomed with a giddiness that isn’t normally seen in Republican circles. What, pray tell, is driving this dither you may ask.

John Podhoretz suggests it might be more William Blatty than William Shakespeare:

Most people outside Texas know very little about Perry, but given his standing as a kind of amalgam of George W. Bush and Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee, he may soon occupy an unprecedented position in the imagination of liberals and the Left—perhaps the most frightening specter of anti-liberalism since Ronald Reagan precisely because he is electable. The conservative boogeyman is back.

How “soon” did the liberal talking heads start exploding? Less than 24 hours since Perry’s announcement and the LSM, together with it’s puppet masters in the DNC and the White House, have all been predictably reactive in focusing the attacks on Governor Perry. David Axelrod, Debbie Whatshername-Schultz, and the WH spokesman all came out with the official talking points aimed directly at Perry. Nary a mention of Michele Bachmann who won the Iowa straw poll yesterday. Or Sarah Palin whose Friday appearance at the Iowa State Fair attracted huge crowds of supporters and reporters everywhere she went.

So exactly what is Perry’s role in this popular plot? Is he the real hero or just the next character introduced to move the storyline to its eventual climax?

Well, if this is a contemporary piece, there’s probably another twist in store before we get to the last chapter.

We all know who the Boogeyman really is and it’s not Rick Perry.

What’s left to discover is who the hero of this story is – Captain America or Wonder Woman? My money’s still on Wonder Woman – and I don’t mean Michele Bachmann.