Gov. Rick Perry’s entrance into the presidential race has changed the complexion of the coming election season for the better in many ways. For one, his juggernaut-like ascent to the lead in the polls has all but guaranteed that moderates like Jon McHuntsman are wasting their time. Secondly, by so quickly drawing criticism from Obama he reminded us that the president is not only vulnerable, but very vulnerable. And lastly, but doing all these things long after others have already gotten into the race he reminded us that it’s still not too late for Gov. Sarah Palin to throw her name into the mix.

And as a matter of fact, even though Palin hasn’t officially entered the race she’s already running third in primary polls in Florida. (Wow – running third although she isn’t even a candidate yet.)

So what happens if she gets in and gets the nomination? What if the race ends up being Palin v. Obama?

If it does, Obama may find out how Walter Mondale felt after running against Reagan in 1984. But he will surely find out how Jimmy Carter felt when he faced Reagan in 1980.

Skeptics notwithstanding, this is so because Palin v. Obama will pit faith in the American people against faith in government. In so doing, it will allow Palin to tell us again and again of how this country is great because of salt-of-the-earth Americans who love their families, their God, and their country, while Obama stands on the other side of a teleprompter telling us everything will be fine if we just pass another stimulus bill, raise taxes, and allow government to reach even further into the private sector via increased regulation and oversight.

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In an age where style trumps substance in so many ways, few can be surprised that a fledging President would receive a Nobel Peace Prize.  It bears repeating that Obama was President for just a matter of days before the nomination process was closed.  Nevertheless, and without any substantive accomplishment, Obama was awarded the Prize – unanimously – apparently for things to come.  No wonder 58% of Americans believe that politics was behind the choice.

By contrast, consider the accomplishment of Ronald Reagan who, last I checked, did not receive the Nobel Peace Prize.  According to Margaret Thatcher, Reagan won the Cold War “without firing a shot.”   In the words of Henry Kissinger, it was “the most stunning diplomatic feat of the modern era.”  In the wake of that victory, millions upon millions of people were set free – and, as history has shown, a free people are far more likely to be a peaceful people.

So why didn’t Reagan get the Prize?  The answer is simple, the political Left, including the Nobel committee, didn’t like the way Reagan went about setting people free.   Reagan, we well remember, installed missiles in Europe.  He did so because he believed what Thomas Jefferson told us long ago:  “Whatever enables us to go to war, secures our peace.”  Reagan, in time, would modernize Jefferson’s wisdom by advocating “peace through strength.”

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