The first hint....

...that the Perry team is moving their focus down the road comes courtesy of a Bill White....err...Texas Tribune story on an e-mail from Perry consultant Dave Carney:

(Matt Stiles, Texas Tribune, 02/27/10)

The voter frustration with the democrat party nationally has not escaped the attention of Texans. Mayor White is another in a long line of dream team mirages that the net roots of the left have fabricated. In this political environment no competitive state will elect a big city trial lawyer, anti gun, sanctuary city promoting, Clinton protégé DC politician, let alone a conservative state like Texas.

While Mayor White has yet to been defined, it is inarguable the Texas voters have been exposed to well over $100 million in negative attack ads against Rick Perry. The voters of Texas know Rick Perry, warts and all, and he still leads Mayor White by double digits in most public polls.

White's team countered that he has been defined but that suggestion reveals a flaw in the White campaign team: They're assuming that what's true in Houston is true in the rest of the State. White should win Houston, but my guess is that he'll split Harris County. After that White is a blank slate, and Perry's team is very good at making sure it's their picture that shows up most prominently.