Confession

TIME Magazine arrives in my mail each week, I think it's usually on Wednesdays. I usually throw it in the trash, without opening it's front page.

Today, I recognized the face (if not the photo-shopped 5 o'clock shadow) as my governor,Rick Perry. So I did open the front page and take the time to read David Von Drehle's article (with reporting by Mark Halperin and Hilary Aylton/Austin, Eric Dodds/NYC and Elizabeth Dias and Michael Scherer/DC).

Short of giving Perry the moniker of 'teflon Rick' (reminescent of Reagan) they make him out to be one lucky guy. They do a decent job of framing his upbringing as authentically small town Texan with the tongue in cheek quote from Perry depicting his hometown so small that it didn't exist.

But they set the stage for everyone, including the TEA Party and Republicans, to take shots at the front runner. With Perry's minute plus ad hitting the youtube blitz today contrasting "Zero v. Hero" the race is clearly on. If America wants bold contrasts in the presidential election, they will get it IF the Obama/Perry match up holds. Looks like the lamestream print media is doing its best to set it up for a contest.