While he may not have officially announced that he is running for president, it definitely felt like that was the direction Texas governor Rick Perry was headed this afternoon. That whole “Prayerpalooza” thing went down as planned earlier today, with Perry delivering a thirteen-minute-long address to a crowd of over 30,000 at Houston’s Reliant Stadium.
In between reading passages from the Bible, Perry touched on many points that would most likely be cornerstones of a potential presidential bid:
“Father, our heart breaks for America.We see discord at home, we see fear in the marketplace, we see anger in the halls of government. And as a nation, we have forgotten who made us, who protects us, who blesses us.”
Perry also noted that he prays for the president daily. “Father, we pray for our president, that you impart your wisdom upon him, that you would guard his family,” he told the crowd.
While the governor made no actual overt statements about his plans to jump into the presidential race, those in attendance were more than willing to voice their support for the potential candidate, something that Perry & Co. surely won’t mind. “I believe that God has prepared Rick Perry for such a time as this,” Liz Lara told the New York Times. “I believe he will be our next president.”
In addition to the scores of faithful Christians in attendance were some of Perry’s political aides, including Dave Carney, a New Hampshire–based consultant. Maybe they all just wanted to show support for their good friend and one of his many passions, or maybe the official beginning of Perry ‘12 is just about upon us.
Perry Leads Prayer Rally for ‘Nation in Crisis’ [NYT]
Rick Perry prayer rally speech decries U.S. condition [Politico]
Earlier: Will Rick Perry’s Prayerpalooza Backfire?
