Rick Perry’s enthusiastic and animated South Carolina Freedom Summit speech was long on Texas. Talking about his “personal favorite” among the Bill of Rights, the Tenth Amendment, he contrasted the “gross incompetence” of the current Administration with his own record in Texas. He spent a lot of time talking about defense issues, with particular emphasis on border security. He recounted telling President Obama that if the federal government wouldn’t secure the border, Texas would and described the state’s success in limiting border crossing using Texas National Guard troops.

Texas was also touted as a model of job creation, educational success and tort reform.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have anything to say about life, marriage, religious liberty or Common Core. He did briefly contrast the strength of Wall Street with less-prosperous Main Street.

William C. Duncan is executive director of the Marriage Law Foundation.