Perry Paints Himself as an Outsider at Greenville Stop

In the last of four stops in the Palmetto State on Thursday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry portrayed himself as the outsider choice for the GOP Presidential nomination.

Speaking to diners at Stax on Orchard Park Drive in Greenville, Perry reiterated many of the proposals he has raised on the stump and in the debates.

Perry told the audience—which filled about ninety percent of the restaurant—that his home state of Texas is the thirteenth largest economy in the world, yet its state representatives are part-time—proof in his mind that there is no need for a full-time Congress in Washington, DC.

The multi-term Texas governor also proposed unleashing federally-held lands for energy exploration, while also coming out in favor of the XL pipeline on those same energy grounds, but also for security reasons.

Perry also claimed that business owners are overtaxed and lifting that burden would unleash economic growth much as it has in his native state.

Lastly, Perry decried the existence of the Department of Education which he feels should be shut down which would allow each of the 50 states to become "educational laboratories."

The response to Perry among the audience was receptive, but lacking the passion that accompanied . Earlier on Thursday, Perry was in Mount Pleasant, Beaufort and Okatie.

After in August, Perry immediately shot to the top of polls in South Carolina and nationwide. But a series of poor debate performances and public flubs have seen voters questioning his electability and Perry’s fall was almost as rapid as his rise.

Perry’s South Carolina Campaign Chair Katon Dawson believes there is still time to catch fire again. Dawson noted that at this point in 2008 Rudolph Giuliani and Fred Thompson were leading in the polls. Dawson also added that Perry has only been in the race for four months. “He’s still introducing himself to a lot of people,” Dawson. “Many of Gov. Perry’s beliefs are very attractive to South Carolina voters.”