You miss the point on the poll...at that point Romney was surging in polls all over the South. That was scary. He was leading Newt. Yes, like you, some people tried to make Perry vs Romney in Texas the point of the poll. Their remarks were snide and ugly.
The only point the poll actually made vis a vis Perry is that people were tired of their Governor running but only getting trashed in return. Trashed by people supposedly on our side of the political divide, and not doing well to boot.
If it makes you feel better to believe that Perry would have gone on to get a low vote total in SC and gone on to FL with dismal results, and would have done so at Newt’s expense EXCEPT for this Texas poll, you go right on ahead and stay in the dark.
The truth is different. Perry dropped out to help the CAUSE, against Romney in SC, and against Obama in the Fall.
He would have known to do that, and he would have done that, with the TX poll or without the TX poll.
The good news is, the scary Romney poll surge across the whole South
appears to be ebbing.
Thank the good Lord.
Southern Republicans cannot be voting for Romney. That simply cannot happen and this country be saved.