Why did Rick Perry change his party affiliation to Republican?

[ThatPoetGuy]

Anybody know?

I was reading about him, and found that his father was a Democrat, that Perry was elected to the state legislature as a Democrat, and that he chaired the Gore presidential primary campaign for Texas in 1988.

Then, in 1989, he went over the the dark side.

Anybody know why?

Was it just because a Republican (pseudo) Texan had taken the white house?

Is he that much of a convictionless lickspittle that he'd switch from an ardent Gore supporter to sucking up to G.H.W. Bush just because Bush won?

Or are there other reasons? Upward mobility, etc.?