What made this January endorsement interesting is that some conservatives think Texas Gov. Rick Perry would be a perfect running mate for Palin in 2012. Palin followed the Reagan Rule and did not attack U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison by name in supporting Perry for an unprecedented third consecutive term. But she strongly touted the "true conservative" credentials of Perry, who befriended the Alaska chief executive when he was chairman of the Republican Governors Association.