Is Rick Perry the answer to GOP's prayers?Exclusive: Alan Keyes offers analysis of governor's words at The Response event

By Alan Keyes

Based on the evidence of both past experience and current events, I am bound by rational conviction to reach the verdict that the GOP offers no prospect but repeated bitter disappointment to those like me who seek the revival and perpetuation of constitutional, republican government in the United States. I suspect, though, that despite my head, my heart continues to hope that the GOP's flavor of the week presidential nominating process will reveal some candidate who represents, in word and fruitful deed, a forthright articulation of American principle and common sense. For America's sake I may still hope that some such GOP candidate will rouse and convince my spirit enough to justify the triumph of hope over experience. After all, as the Frenchman said, "The heart has its reason that reason does not know."
By now everyone knows how deeply I share the belief, prevalent among America's founders, that this reason beyond the purview of unaided reason is an aspect of what reflects, in our human nature, the being and authority of God. So when I heard about Rick Perry's prayer rally in Texas, the irrepressible impulse of hope naturally led me to take an interest. Even after Perry's unprincipled reaction to New York's abandonment of natural right in regard to the family (i.e., its recognition by law of so-called marriage between individuals of the same sex), that pesky voice of hope urged me to wait and see. As I can personally attest, God has time and again put earthen vessels to good use, and by His grace made up the deficiencies of our human understanding. We need only be willing to give up our hearts to Him.
So I was primed to pay attention when I received an email from AFA's Tim Wildmon on Wednesday about the prayer rally. "Last Saturday," he wrote, "Texas Gov. Rick Perry led our nation in prayer at The Response in Houston, Texas, where an estimated 32,000 Christians were gathered. In his opening remarks, Gov. Perry openly proclaimed his faith in Jesus Christ." Tim asked me to "take a moment to watch the video of Gov. Perry's prayer." So I did:

 
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