One of the most powerful arguments that could be mounted in the upcoming presidential election could come from only one of the potential challengers: Rick Perry. The economic engine driving the Texas economy isn’t going full pedal to the medal but, even so, it sure is leaving the rest of the country in the dust. As testament to that statement, I reference newgeography.com where a list of the Best Cities for Job Growth 2011 has an astounding nine Texas cities in the top twenty. Here are the criteria for making the determinations:

The methodology for the 2011 rankings largely corresponds to that used last year, which emphasizes the robustness of a region’s growth both recently and over time. It allows therankings to include all of the metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) for which the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports monthly employment data. They are derived from three-month rolling averages of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics “state and area” unadjusted employment data reported from November 1999 to January 2011.

Go to newgeography.com and view the list for yourself. Then ask yourself if the governor who has presided over that robust Texas economic engine, melding good politics with good business, and creating all those job opportunities, isn’t exactly what this country needs to get us out of the hole the liberal Democrats continue to dig with their share-the-wealth, socialist programs?

Those Texas cities on that list range from El Paso in the far western edge of the state to Houston, almost 900 miles to the southeast and Corpus Christi on the Gulf Coast to the Dallas Metropolitan Area in the north. And there are many more interspersed between.

To those who mindlessly parrot the liberal line that we can’t elect another Texan to the presidency, I would posit this response: would you rather have a Texan who turns this country around and brings the American economy roaring back or keep that affirmative action, Harvard lawyer turned community organizer who’s got the world’s greatest economic engine headed straight off the cliff followed by all the lemmings who elected him?

If Rick Perry becomes our candidate and debates Obama, a must question has to be, “Which, if any, in your opinion, Mr. President, of the 57 states has out-performed Texas?”