(Image Source: CNN)
BY STEVEN HSIEH
Rick Perry might be sitting out some upcoming primary debates.
Once at the top of the polls – the Texas Governor’s numbers have fallen after what some are calling less than presidential performances on the debate stage. Remember this?
“…was it was it before he was before the social programs from the standpoint of he was for Roe v. Wade before he was against Roe v. Wade?” (CNN)
Perry told Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly – he knows he’s not a great debater.
“These debates are set up for nothing more than to tear down the candidates. It’s pretty hard to be able to sit and lay out your ideas and your concepts with a one-minute response.”
Perry Spokesperson Mark Miner says the campaign wants highlight his strengths, and will focus on winning over voters in Iowa and New Hampshire.
MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough says – this strategy could work. Adding – Perry shows his strong side in the field, not onstage.
“I’d pull him out of all of the debates and make a statement. I’m not going up there with eight or nine people yelling at each other. I’m going to be with voters … Because I will say, people who have seen Perry campaign door-to-door and from convention hall-to-convention hall say he is great one-on-one.”
A political analyst tells CNN – every missed debate will be a missed opportunity for Perry’s struggling campaign.
“If he were the front runner he might be able to duck these debates, or not do as many of them. But he really sort of needs these debates as a way of getting his message across”
And an analyst on MSNBC says – if Perry can’t handle the heat now – how does he expect to succeed on a bigger stage.
“He came into the race as someone who had the guts and toughness to take on Obama in a general election. If he can’t take the debates in a primary, how is he ever going to withstand a debate with a sitting president who has had a lot of debate experience.”
Bloomberg's Al Hunt says Perry’s benching is great news for the GOP frontrunner…
“I think Mitt Romney is the biggest beneficiary because Perry was one of the only people who went after Romney. He did it in Vegas in a kinda unseemly way. He did it kind of awkwardly at the Washington Post/Bloomberg debate…”
Perry took 10% of votes in CNN’s latest Iowa Caucus poll. That puts him in 6th place behind Mitt Romney, Herman Cain, Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich.
