Did anyone NOT think this was coming? Speculation upon educated guess upon inside sources made it clear that Rick Perry, the short-time farmer and long-time politician wants to change addresses. Washington D.C. looks pretty good to him right now.

On Thursday, Perry spokesperson Mark Miner confirmed that Perry is running for President. On Saturday evening, speaking before the Redstate Republicans in South Carolina, Perry will not talk about his intentions to run, he will officially announce his candidacy. Friday night he speaks before a gathering of Alabama republicans.

The timing of this "pre-announcement" announcement is no accident. Perry managed to at least get in the conversation, if not upstage, last night's Republican debate in Iowa. In fact, the Perry question came up in that debate and, in general, the candidates on stage were nice about him. The battle has not truly heated up yet. The meanest thing anyone said was from Ron Paul. "He represents the status quo," Paul said of Perry.

In fact, the timing of this announcement is very carefully orchestrated. Why not announce tonight in Alabama tonight? Because the Iowa Straw poll happens on Saturday night too. Perry can, and will, effectively eliminate the importance of that event, because he is not participating in it (there is a write-in effort on his behalf). All the pundits will spend all day Sunday talking about how Perry might have competed, rather than who actually won.

Further, there is some history of love in South Carolina for Texas governors. it was South Carolina that put George W. Bush on the road to the White House in 2000. The Texas Governor's campaign for President was foundering after a huge loss in New Hampshire. His strong showing in South Carolina put him on track as the front-runner.

So what will Governor Perry say Saturday night? Mike Allen of Politico posted this quote from a late draft of the Perry speech. “The change we seek will never emanate out of Washington. It will come from the windswept prairies of middle America; the farms and factories across this great land; the hearts and minds of God-fearing Americans -- who will not accept a future that is less than our past, who will not be consigned a fate of LESS freedom in exchange for MORE government. We do not have to accept our current circumstances. We will change them. We’re Americans. That's what we do. WE roll up our sleeves, WE get to work, WE make things better.”

Clearly Perry will run on his record of Texas job creation, state's rights and verbal assaults on the federal government. It's a theme that plays well for conservatives and, especially, tea partiers wanting to reduce government. It's a message that worked for Ronald Reagan in 1980, and Perry arguably has all the charisma, if not the communication skill, of that former president.

Though, Perry also has a problem: Excepting this past year or so, Perry has not been on the national scene. George W. Bush had his father's name, Ronald Reagan was a movie star. You have to go back to Bill Clinton in 1992, and then Jimmy Carter in 1976, to find relatively unknown governors able to win the presidency. The country was a post-Watergate mess in 1976, and in 1992, the electorate wanted to focus less on international affairs and more our own economy. Clinton and Carter represented significant change from the status quo. The timing for Perry might compare favorably.

Rick Perry has never lost an election—never. He's won every time he's run. No one should count him out.

The campaign now moves into full swing. A Time for Perry website, not affiliated with the Governor's campaign is already up.