Rick Perry is dropping out.

He'll endorse Newt Gingrich.

Now that we've seen the uncannily similar rise and fall of Perry in 2011-2012, Fred Thompson in 2007-2008, and Wesley Clark in 2003-2004, can we finally decide not to get over-excited the next time someone is "drafted" late in the presidential primary race?

It always turns out the same. The only genuine excitement is in the anticipation of the candidate coming in late and shaking things up. Once he actually runs, he seems to be not quite "there" — for the same reason he entered late. If he had a real passion for running for president, he wouldn't have needed to be reluctantly drafted.