San Antonio ? In the words of Gov. Rick Perry, secession was one scenario on the table for frustrated Texans. The BP oil spill? Might have been an act of God instead of corporate errors. And if the Federal Reserve puts more money in the U.S. system, as Perry told voters in Iowa this week, you could chalk it up as a treasonous act that would be treated “pretty ugly” back home.

No, that wasn’t on the same level as his famous interview signoff, “Adios, mofo.” But Perry’s just warming up.

Just four days after launching his GOP presidential run, the man from Paint Creek, Texas, already is showing off a colorful tongue. The 61-year-old with maybe the most famous jogging-while-armed story ever — “Don’t attack my dog or you might get shot … if you’re a coyote” — may emerge as the most quotable candidate in the Republican field.

But will that hurt as well as help him?

The governor’s mouth may come across as amusing to some Texans who have grown accustomed to “Perryisms” over his decades in public office. Now, however, he’s on a larger stage with a brighter spotlight. Will his quips be a plus — something for voters to identify with — or a vulnerability in the campaign?

Obama said Tuesday he was inclined to cut the governor “some slack” since it was so early in his run. The president was asked on CNN about Perry’s suggestion that military members would respect the Texan more than him because Perry served in the military and he didn’t.

Not everyone was so understanding about Perry’s latest comments.

“Inappropriate and unpresidential,” tweeted Tony Fratto, a Republican who worked at the Treasury Department and in the White House under President George W. Bush.

That was his quick verdict after Perry said at a campaign appearance Monday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke would be committing a “treasonous” act if he decided to “print more money to boost the economy.” Perry said such action by the Fed would amount to a political maneuver aimed at helping President Barack Obama win re-election.

He stood by that comment later, telling reporters on Tuesday in Dubuque, Iowa: “I am just passionate about the issue, and we stand by what we said.”

On Monday, Perry also said he would be a president who was “passionate about America — that’s in love with America.” Asked whether he was suggesting that Obama didn’t love his country, Perry said, “You need to ask him.”

Obama campaign adviser Robert Gibbs hit back Tuesday.

“The statements that Perry makes are remarkable in that just two years ago, the governor of Texas openly talked about leading Texas out of the United States of America, and now this campaign has caused him to profess his love to the United States,” Gibbs said during an appearance MSNBC.