The Brief: Oct. 31, 2011

The Big Conversation:

Herman Cain may be up, but Texas Republicans haven't abandoned Rick Perry, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll.

Cain, whose national ascendance seemed to coincide with Perry's recent free fall in polls, is statistically tied with the Texas governor, garnering 27 percent of the vote to Perry's 26 percent — within the margin of error. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul is third with 12 percent. Mitt Romney, with 9 percent, runs nearly evenly with Newt Gingrich, at 8 percent.

"Texans appear to be subject to the national dynamic," said Jim Henson, who co-directs the UT/Tribune poll. "And the dynamic when we were out in the field was that Herman Cain was ascendant. He had really grabbed the attention of the conservatives in the GOP primary race in particular. And we saw that reflected in this poll." (Also aligning with the recent Cain surge, a Des Moines Register poll released Saturday showed Cain, with 23 percent of the vote, tying Romney, at 22 percent, in Iowa.)

In Texas, Cain leads Perry among rural and suburban voters, but Perry leads in urban areas. Most notably, perhaps, Cain leads Perry 37 percent to 24 percent among the most conservative voters. Daron Shaw, who directs the poll with Henson, says that's mixed news for Perry.

"The current numbers represent a substantial improvement over his showing in our last poll," Shaw said of a May poll that showed Perry, who at the time had said that he wouldn't run for president, with 14 percent of the vote. "On the other hand, he is not dominating here they way one might have expected. For Gov. Romney, this is yet more evidence that the more conservative elements of the GOP are skeptical of his candidacy."

Romney, in fact, only barely edges President Obama in a general election match-up, 36 percent to 34 percent (within the margin of error). Perry would beat Obama 45-37; Cain would also beat the president, 40-35, as would Paul, 38-33.

Find the rest of the first day of the Tribune's analysis here.

Culled:

• A new Politico report on allegations that Herman Cain was accused of sexually suggestive behavior toward at least two female colleagues in the 1990s may threaten the newly minted Republican front-runner's surging candidacy. The women, Politico reports, complained of inappropriate behavior and signed agreements with the National Restaurant Association, which Cain headed, that gave them money to leave the group and barred them from talking about their exits. The Washington Post has a look at how much damage the story might inflict on Cain.

• Rick Perry went viral over the weekend as footage of his high-energy, and at times silly and awkward, speech in New Hampshire on Friday night made the rounds. Business Insider deemed it the “Bizarre Video of Rick Perry That Everyone is Talking About.”

• Rick Perry has a new ad out in Iowa today in which he calls himself a "doer, not a talker" and hits President Obama for being "slick" and using a TelePrompter. The ad, as The New York Times notes, is part of a campaign retooling effort that includes new research on how to re-introduce his candidacy to voters in early-primary states.

• The Associated Press reported on Saturday that Rick Perry plans to attend at least five more presidential debates, quieting speculation that the governor, who has stumbled on the debate stage, might skip upcoming face-offs in favor of campaigning in early-primary states. Perry on Sunday also tried to assure Republican voters that he could contend with the president in a debate setting. "I'm not worried a bit that I'll be able to stand on the stage with Barack Obama and draw a very bright line," he said.

• It's a big week for redistricting in Texas. Today, a three-judge panel in San Antonio will begin hearing a case filed by several groups that have challenged the state's congressional and state House maps on the basis of racial discrimination. On Wednesday, another three-judge panel, in Washington, D.C., will begin determining whether the maps meet federal Voting Rights Act standards. Both cases could figure prominently in several 2012 state races, but as the Austin American-Statesman notes, a resolution isn't expected anytime soon.

Must-Read:

• Paul Begala: What Perry's Done Wrong, Newsweek
• Perry Displays Varied Stance Toward Crime, The New York Times
• After Rocky Start, Texas' Weatherization Program Thrives, The Texas Tribune