For all of the concern among some Beltway Republicans about his Texas tough talk alienating moderate voters, it is perhaps ironic that Republican presidential nomination front-runner Rick Perry raised the most eyebrows at one of the first GOP debates when he warned against military “adventurism,” in what many saw as a subtle dig at the foreign policies of both Presidents Obama and George W. Bush.
Yet Mr. Perry’s sentiments are reflective of an increasingly popular approach in the GOP, especially among those allied with the tea party movement. This influence can be seen not just in Mr. Perry’s campaign, but in the rising influence of once-marginal candidates like Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who now sits in third place in some national GOP polls.
