I think it’s a combination of several things.
Perry is a big wheel in Texas, but he hasn’t been able to transfer his political savvy to a national audience. Part of the reason is that he’s been in Texas politics for a long time and never vaulted to the House or Senate to garner national attention.
After LBJ and GWB, folks are probably tired of considering another Texan for President.
Perry was part of Bush’s administration as and folks are certainly tired of hearing about the Bushes, however tangentially.
Last election cycle I told several people to wait and watch Perry run against Cornyn.
He would have won.
Then, he could use being a Senator to face time the Sunday shows over these last two years and run for President as both a successful Gov and current Sen
That path was wide open for him. Had he taken it, he’d be a top tier candidate right now.