http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/06/rick_perry_is_not_an_idiot_why_the_former_texas_governor_should_be_considered.html

On Thursday, Rick Perry announced that he is running for the GOP presidential nomination. Having served as governor of Texas for an impressive three and a half terms, during which the Lone Star State thrived economically, you’d think that Perry would immediately be considered a top-tier candidate. So why isn’t he being taken as seriously as Jeb Bush, a man who hasn’t run for office since 2002, or Scott Walker, a governor who has accomplished far less, or Marco Rubio, a first-term senator who’s never really run anything? There is a simple explanation. Basically, people think he’s not very bright. But that’s simply not true. Perry is extremely socially perceptive, a quality that has helped him connect with people from many different backgrounds. He’s demonstrated superb political judgment, and he’s proved to be a pragmatic and creative policy thinker. Though no one would mistake Perry for an intellectual, he has the kind of smarts voters should be looking for in a chief executive.