Disenfranchising the Virginia voters - who apparently support Newt more than anyone else and who apparently like Perry right much also - is the first thing my wife thought when she heard about it.
The rule was obviously meant to measure viable support. Perhaps it was well intended. But obviously it is now outdated and simply runs counter to its stated intent. Any such rule should be discarded.
Basically, the fair thing to do is allow write-ins. That way the other candidates can’t complain about the signature rules being changed midstream. And if they did complain, how can they win an argument that simply disenfranchises voters and limits their freedom to vote for anyone they want to?