Perry is not popular at all in Texas, even among conservatives. A lot of it is undeserved. Its a case of grass always being greener on the other side. The charge that he isnt conservative enough is rediculous. He is conservative where it counts. He was against TARP. He was against an Amazon.com tax that was proposed by a lot of Republicans in Texas in the specter of "business fairness" . Against intense political pressure, he refused to use the state's rainy day fund to close the budget whole, instead he cut $4 billion out of education. If you think Perry isnt conservative enough, your standards for a conservative politician are way too high. A lot of people outside of Texas would kill for a governor that conservative.