The 2012 Speculatron Weekly Roundup For August 19, 2011

The 2012 Speculatron Weekly Roundup For August 19, 2011: Perry didn’t participate in the Ames Straw Poll, but by Sunday night, it was like that whole big fried-butter build-up had never even happened, because thanks to his flair for retail politics and Michele Bachmann’s decision to cop a ‘tude at an evening event in Waterloo, Perry managed to stride from the scene, leaving behind a cloud of buzz and admiration. Snap polls documented Perry’s surge to the top, and momentarily forgetting the essential Fred Thompson-ness of it all, the 2012 race was declared a three-way between Perry, Mitt Romney, and Michele Bachmann.