Perry Beating Santorum — in Book Sales

DENVER — Gov. Rick Perry, who has at least one eye on the White House, is already beating potential rival Rick Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, in a quite unofficial contest: book sales at the Western Conservative Summit.

The two politicians are expected to be in the same room, just a few feet apart, for a book signing event Friday afternoon.

Before the event got underway, would-be Perry voters in the key swing state of Colorado, were snapping up copies of his Washington-bashing book, Fed Up!, waiting for him to arrive for autographs.

“He may be president,” gushed Mary Lou Powell, 76, of nearby Evergreen. She bought four copies of the book and plans to give three away as gifts.

As for Santorum’s book, It Takes a Family, Powell didn’t bite. Sales clerks said that as of about 3:30 p.m., Fed Up! was beating It Takes a Family by a 6-to-1 margin.

“I admire [Santorum] greatly," Powell said. "I just don’t see him as a contender. I don’t think he can win."

She still hasn’t decided whom she’ll support in the straw poll being put on by the conference. Organizers put Perry’s name on the list even though he’s an undeclared candidate.

More than 900 people who paid to attend the event will get to cast votes in the straw poll, with the results expected to be announced Sunday. All the announced major candidates will appear on the ballot, as will Perry and other possible candidates such as Rudy Giuliani, Sarah Palin and John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

The second annual Western Conservative Summit is sponsored by the Centennial Institute, a public policy think tank affiliated with Colorado Christian University. Other speakers at event include commentators Juan Williams, Dick Morris, Tucker Carlson, comedian Brad Stine and columnist Cal Thomas.