Posted on 01/05/2012 2:36:38 PM PST by smoothsailing
January 5, 2012
Rebecca Kaplan
AUSTIN, Texas – It is rare for a politician to announce that he is reassessing his candidacy -- and then continue his campaign. But that’s just what Rick Perry decided after discussions with his family, two top aides, and a South Carolina team that saw a path forward for Perry to win the Republican nomination for president. Even some of Perry’s senior advisers were shocked when Perry tweeted a mere 12 hours after his fifth-place Iowa finish that he would be heading on to South Carolina; the newly energized candidate underscored the point with a picture of himself in full running gear.
Communications Director Ray Sullivan told reporters after Perry’s subdued caucus-night speech that he expected the campaign to reevaluate both the Iowa results in detail and to examine his prospects in South Carolina, the early-primary state that best matched Perry’s background and political beliefs. His advisers worked through the night to prepare that assessment.
In an interview, Katon Dawson, Perry’s top adviser in South Carolina, offered a sense of what was discussed that night: “I think it’s a competition for the heart and soul of the conservative movement,” he said, “Governor Perry’s a competitor. He never lost a race.” Dawson also pointed to Perry’s prominent Christian faith and his military background, which will appeal to the many veterans in the state’s Low Country. And the strong tea party contingent should be receptive to Perry’s anti-Washington message.
While he stands to gain votes from people who had supported Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, who dropped out of the race on Wednesday, advisers say that her decision did not affect Perry's. Bachmann spokeswoman Alice Stewart said Wednesday morning that the lawmaker called her rivals to congratulate them after the caucus results came in, but did not indicate that she would be dropping out.
“The governor's decision was based on discussions with his family and advisers including our South Carolina team, a realistic assessment of our financial position, an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the GOP field, and a recognition that the race has been very fluid and unpredictable,” Sullivan said. “Perry believes his record and plans make him uniquely able to press an outsider-based conservative reform message for Washington and the tax code; uniquely able to promote American job creation and fiscal responsibility;and uniquely able to defend fiscal, social, and tea party conservatism in South Carolina.”
It helps that the Palmetto State is a relatively low-cost place to run a campaign. Media is cheaper, and the smaller markets make it easy to blanket the state. Its relatively small size also keeps travel costs down and puts a premium on retail campaigning, Perry’s strongest skill set. That will all be crucial as the money runs out. A campaign aide said that reports that Perry still has $3.5 million in the bank are likely overstated. Beyond the encouragement Perry received from his South Carolina team, he also relied on the advice of Sullivan and campaign manager Joe Allbaugh. There also something to be said for the mental clarity that a jog on a brisk, sunny morning in Iowa can bring. “I was out on the trail when it kind of came to me,” Perry told reporters the morning after the caucuses. He then flew home to Austin for a couple days of rest.
Now it’s game on, again. Perry will be in New Hampshire this weekend for two debates, but he is flying to South Carolina on Sunday afternoon and likely will be there until the Jan. 21 primary. “He’ll be here, and stay here almost wall-to-wall, shortly,” Dawson said. “There’s not a whole lot of quitting to us.”
See...I was afraid you’d ask something like that!
That’s all the good women want to know: What are you gonna do about it?
And that question always throws me!
But I can still carry a torch for you, can’t I?
Is that really logical in your opinion? Why would Perry expend (& perhaps exhaust) his political capital and his supporters’ money just to help Romney? Newt wrote the forward to Perry’s book “Fed up!” After the way Romney & his PAC went after Newt in Iowa, do you really believe that Perry would betray Newt to boost Romney?
Newt’s conservative credentials are solid.
If we’re all in this to 1st get Romney out (and I’ve seen that as the stated goal), what’s the actual switching point?
I’d like a number, please. When will you quit on your candidate and switch to Perry? In my hypothetical?
I support Perry 1st, Newt 2nd and have donated to both campaigns. IMHO, a week to two weeks before Super Tuesday is the time for us to unite behind one candidate. None of them can clinch the nomination before mid April. So we still have time to examine all three non-Romney candidates.
Of course, I’d love that.
Perry’s record of accomplishments is excellent and he is my 1st choice, but Newt’s conservative credentials are also outstanding. Either of them as the nominee will be a victory for the conservative cause.
If a voter really wants to examine the records of all these men, and be objective about it, Rick Perry is our best bet to replace Ronald Reagan.
Not as solid as Perry's, obviously, but far better than the rest of the pack, IMO. Newt's biggest problem appears to be organizational. He's my backup choice if Perry drops out.
Not a single person was forced to take the optional vaccine. One didn't have to take it if one didn't want to take it. This line of attack has been debunked time and time again.
Keep up that BS and we end up with mittens.
We do not need your sarcastic remarks about any of our candidates,
if you have a rotten opinion of one just keep it to yourself!!! We all need
to stop eating our own any one of these candidates is better than Romney,
or Obama!!!!!
“Is that really logical in your opinion?”
Logical, politics, who knows? You know the saying about politics and bedfellows. I do know that the only person Perry is helping by staying in is Romney. I suspect, almost predict, that he will be out after SC. If who he helps is too “lame” to speculate about, maybe we can look at who he hurts. It isn’t Romney. I suppose he could be fishing for a VP invitation. Is a Romney/Perry ticket too lame to ponder? Remember Reagan and Bush? Giving him the benefit of the doubt, he could be hoping for a VP invitation from Newt. I wouldn’t rule that possibility out just yet.
What a stupid comment! Moronic even! Who else besides Perry has attacked Romney at all up til this point where Newt has suddenly learned that Presidential politics is not a gentleman's sport? Who? Nobody! That's who.
LOL! PAC could have not posted that and people would have just thought him to be brainless but he had to post and thereby remove all doubt!
The ethanol lobby was passing out leaflets at the caucus locations pointing out that Perry opposed subsidies. He was the ONLY one they mentioned. With 41% of the voters undecided tghe weekend before the vote how many votes do you think that may have swung against Perry?
The ethanol lobby was passing out leaflets at the caucus locations pointing out that Perry opposed subsidies. He was the ONLY one they mentioned. With 41% of the voters undecided the weekend before the vote how many votes do you think that may have swung against Perry?
All or most of them.
Which is not to insult Iowans protecting their natural advantage (not really natural the SUBSIDIES are), but I can understand where they’d be bought off.
Bear in mind the power of John Deere Union guys, too.
“What a stupid comment! Moronic even!”
Thank you, thank you, I try, and occasionally some catch on.
You're absolutely correct! Iowamark was waaaaaay out of line. Thanks for setting the record straight altura.
YES!
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