Perry may have endorced Al Gore years ago when ALL southerners were Democrats. After Reagan, MOST conservative Southern Democrats changed to the Republican party. Perry as well as both Alabama senators were once Democrats. We in the south had Conservative and Liberal Democrats to choose from. Then after Reagan, the conservatives realised the Democratic party was being taken over by communists, socialists, environmentalists, homosexuals, womens libers, the NAACP, and unions. A hodge podge of far left wacos. Republicans include moderats as well as conservatives and are more pragmatic and more able to get realistic things accomplished. Problem is they sometimes want to compromise with the wacos. Not perfect, but better than the democrats.