Introduction

Left to right: Brian Snyder/Reuters, Tim Sloan/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Rick Perry is suddenly looming large on the national stage, after entering the presidential race last weekend. He looks like a formidable candidate in part because of his skill at raising money through “bundlers,” leading to inevitable comparisons to George W. Bush in 1999 as he began his first presidential campaign: a Republican governor of Texas, popular with a base of evangelical Christians, adept at raising millions of dollars rapidly.

Will Perry’s similarities to Bush work in his favor? How can he differentiate himself, to woo the swing voters who, in the end, were disillusioned with the Bush administration?