I walked into work yesterday and an older gentleman approached me. “I’m so sorry!” he said. I didn’t understand what he meant until he continued, “I heard about Rick Perry dropping out of the race.”

Thanks, media. I really enjoy having to explain to people why your reports are false. And this person wasn’t the only one who thought Perry was suspending his campaign. All day long, friends were calling, texting, and posting on Facebook with their sympathies. Or in some cases, just gloating.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to tell you that Governor Rick Perry is not dead. The media reports of his political demise have been greatly exaggerated. As my friend Ed Willing pointed out, Ronald Reagan suffered many of the same setbacks en route to his nomination victory. And as Erick Erickson reminded us yesterday, [mc_name name=’Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’M000303′ ] and Newt Gingrich both stopped paying staffers temporarily during their campaigns.

Governor Perry may be down, but he is certainly nowhere near out. For one thing, his SuperPAC still has well over $10 million dollars on hand. And his campaign announced this morning that yesterday was one of the largest online fundraising hauls since the campaign started. But the real reason Governor Perry cannot be overlooked is the loyalty of his staffers. With one exception, all of them have remained with the campaign on a volunteer basis. They don’t seem to be slowing down at all. In fact, they seem more determined than ever. If you don’t believe me, read this Facebook post from Erik Benjamin Corcoran, one of the leaders of Perry’s South Carolina team.

“I am one of the staffers the media has talked about in recent articles. I really hate to disappoint them, but folks, we are fired up and here to stay. This campaign staff is about so much more than money. We are about the future of the American people.…..My fellow Americans, the best of our campaign is yet to come. I work for Rick Perry, and I will gladly fight for our future.”

Corcoran, who is Irish by birth, added on Twitter:

I work for @GovernorPerry because I believe in Him. Not a job for me. This is a passion, a mission to save the nation that adopted me!

— ErikBenjaminCorcoran (@ErikBCorcoran) August 10, 2015

Whether you support Governor Perry or not, you have to admire that kind of loyalty. My hat is off to each member of Perry’s team, but especially the young staffers who have stood by the candidate that they believe in, regardless of money. Kudos to Erik Corcoran, Webster Hall, Emily Berman, Reagan and Miranda Ashley, Le Frye, Ryder Selmi, and everyone else. You all have my utmost respect.

And to be clear, I don’t work for Governor Rick Perry. But I am proud to support him, because I believe he is the best candidate to lead our nation. I hope you will agree. If you want a candidate who has proven he can lead, grow the economy, and create a stable society that gives minorities more opportunities to succeed, I ask that you join me in supporting Rick Perry.

But even if you don’t join me, stop dancing on Rick Perry’s grave. There’s nobody in it, and there’s no plans for a funeral.