Perry was on Fox news this morning. He didn’t definitely rule out the debate but was learning toward skipping it.
Right move, I think.
Anyway, who will watch this debate?
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. Gov. Rick Perry of Texas has joined other candidates, including Mitt Romney, in passing on Donald Trumps Dec. 27 debate in Iowa. His campaign issued this statement on Thursday:
Governor Perry has talked to Donald Trump in recent days and respects him and the folks at NewsMax very much. There are two debates in the next seven days.
Traditional retail campaigning in the days and weeks leading up to the Iowa caucus is the Perry campaigns top priority. In the coming weeks, Governor Perry will be in Iowa almost continually, meeting with real voters, doing town hall meetings and events and talking American jobs, faith and overhauling Washington, D.C., to Iowa voters.
So we have respectfully declined the invitation for the Dec. 27 debate.
Mr. Trumps involvement has been criticized by some Republican leaders because he has held out the possibility that he might still run for president.....”
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/08/perry-passes-on-trump-debate/