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Several factors negatively impacting Perry (aside from the debate performances).

He's a Republican from Texas and is perceived as another Bush. This is unfair but perception is reality. Romney will have the same issue nationally, being from Massachusetts (just another Northeast liberal in the mold of Dukakis and Kennedys).
He comes across as a phony. Again, this is perception and not necessarily reality. But many perceive his "down-home-backslapping" mannerisms as contrived and artificial. Add to that the perfect hair and the exaggerated accent and he could be selling cars down at the lot.
Debates aside, Perry does seem to have more than his share of "goofy moments" and is thus not taken seriously by many that don't know him that well.

Finally, we can't overlook that awful debate moment when Perry could not remember the departments of government he wanted to eliminate as president which is supposedly a cornerstone of his platform. That would be like Herman Cain not being able to name the three components of his 9-9-9 plan or Newt not being able to remember the main points of his 1994 "Contract with America".

Unfortunately, that moment will haunt Perry for the rest of his political life. If Perry ever does make it to the nomination, the SNL people will have skits playing off that moment from the first show in September to the show right before the election. They will do to his image what Chevy Chase did to Gerald Ford during the run-up to the 1976 elections. Now realize that Gerald Ford was far from the bumbling, stumbling fool that Chevy Chase made him out to be on TV. But such is the power of the media that they can take a bad moment and turn it into national obsession. Witness what the same show did to Sarah Palin four years ago.