Perry Assessing Campaign After Poor Iowa Showing
Texas Monthly's Nate Blakeslee contributed to this report.
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Gov. Rick Perry is going home for some "prayer and reflection" to decide whether to continue his presidential quest after a dismal fifth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses on Tuesday.
"I decided to return to Texas to assess the results of tonight’s caucus, to determine whether there is a path forward for myself in this race," Perry said in an emotional speech late Tuesday night.
Perry's decision to cancel plans to fly to South Carolina on Wednesday represented an abrupt reversal from his vow only ...
Comments (46)
jpt51
With Perry garnering 10% of the Iowa vote, I think a strong case can now be made for Perry to end his campaign. If he decides to go on, Texans should speak up and insist an end to Texas funding of taxpayer money for security protection. Perry can request it from the Obama Administration’s Secret Service.
When we have to cut 100,000 teachers being laid off and more to come, it's time to pinch pennies. Our governor recently approved handing out dough to 'Top Chef' producers and Red McCombs for Formula 1 racing but the Texas Forest Service and TPW were so understaffed human and vast property losses occurred unnecessarily. And Perry’s party forgot to fund Medicaid this biennium to the tune of $4.5 billion. Kids and the elderly in nursing homes are going to feel the pain while insiders laugh all the way to the bank.
Rick needs to quit wasting our taxpayer money that doesn't exist just to pursue his political ambitions. Hey, if you must go on Rick, why not use some of your "retirement" money to cover your security costs? I'd rather see our taxes used to help poor kids get fed, teachers kept in the classroom or granny stay in the nursing home.
sssdddd
January 3 is a date to remember as the beginning of the end.
2012 looks like it is off to a great start. Rejoice!!! Glory be!
sssdddd
Anita has said her Dick will keep slogging on. Makes you wonder who does the driving in that family.
Perry said this result in Iowa will be by Gods will. Well it seems Perry (aka wily coyote) is getting the same message in Iowa as when he prayed for rain in Texas. God sent fire in both instances.
Daniel Casillas via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Blah blah blah. LOSER!
Stephani Lewis via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Yay! Maybe Texans will follow lead next time we get a chance to vote him out of office.
Riley LovesJoy via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Leave the race and endorse Ron Paul.
Riley LovesJoy via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Leave the race and endorse Ron Paul.
Marc Lippincott via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Nah nah nah nah...nah nah nah nah....Rick Perry...goodbye
Merryl Redding via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Wait 'til SC... This is just a caucus!
Jason M. Ryan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Perry is the only candidate with staying power versus Romney. The small town that voted tonight should not decide the nominee.
Matthew Jerome via Texas Tribune on Facebook
There's not (a place for you in this race). Learn how to debate and come back in 2016 with a more moderate platform (promoting state's rights and common sense stances).
Leon Drozd
And so Perry was not able to emancipate himself from the Lone Star State. Maybe his "calling" is to study at a seminary and then get himself one of those mega churches at a toll freeway exit somewhere. Good pay and benefits --- and no taxes!!!!!
Bill Eaves via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Plenty of work to do in TEXAS, get back get to work & save ure money
Cindy Denton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
It's not his money he spent! He spent TEXAN'S MONEY!! Ugh! Wish we could impeach him! The money he spent could have paid enormous amounts of teacher's salaries of which he CUT their jobs last year!! Terrible! Cyn
Viviana Rodriguez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Bill White for Governor! If this whole fiasco didn't open the eyes of Texans nothing will!
Ron Blancarte via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I think the next thing to be said about you in this race Rick:
Adios, MoFo.
Cindy Denton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
LOL Viviana! Truer words cannot be spoken about us learning our lesson about Perry! Cyn ?
Colin Strother via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Translation : I quit.
Ron Blancarte via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Hey Rick, I don't know what God has in store for you. But the voters have spoken.
Kim Krause via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Can't he do his assessment in Iowa or South Carolina or New Hampshire or anywhere, but Texas??!!!
Carlos A. Martinez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Finally he is DONE
Helen Weicker via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Some times "the path forward" requires a U-turn.
Carl Fant via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Let's get him out of Texas now!
Carl Fant via Texas Tribune on Facebook
He's such a douche
Tim Tukaram Spotswood via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I'm really torn up right now. I don't want him as President but I sure as hell don't want him back in Texas!
Jerome Nicholson
Perry is really GWBush without the family connections or Karl Rove to smooth the road for him. And not even Republicans want another barely literate Texas s#**kicker for President after all the damage the last one did to this country! In fact, no one from Texas should ever run for President again!
So when the Bushclone Cowboy gets home, he can do our nation a favor by building a wall completely around Texas, to keep the rest of our beloved nation from being exposed to you yahoos ever again!
sssdddd
Perry we will be praying for you. Praying that you listen to your own words and take your defeat as an indication of God's will.
We also hope that you realize it is now time to come home to fight the long knife battles that are surely in your future. You might want to do this while you can still sell a few favors.
In either case we invite you to abandon your 'new confederate' campaign for President. I for one will be grateful to hear that news.
Aracely Venegas Chavez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Solution to his woes would be to call his BFF Sheriff Araipo and they could both ride into the sunset take a wrong turn and fall of the Grand Canyon!
Jimmie Randall via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Can we just keep paying his salary and he stays out of Texas until his term expires?
Justin Summers via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Thank god, the man made a fool of himself and made Texas look like a bunch of backward, hillybilly , bigots.
Dick Enballs
Perry you made texas look foolish...you are not a leader...you are a bigot who gets paid off of illegal immagrants,incarcerating youths,and ripping off the poor.You wonder why we had a killer drought in texad????The state is full of relentless racism...So god gave you a relentless drought..Then you use god's name in order to run?????Did GOD tell you to forget the 3rd agency??or did GOD tell you to be intoxicated during your speech?Texas is a state where if you made a mistake in the past and are poor with no rich family,your mistake will haunt your life...I'm soooooooooo glad you muffeled I hope for eternity you are remembered as a fool in the eyes of the world.......
Dick Enballs
How does it feel perry....to make a MISTAKE and not be forgiven? Almost makes you feel...........black.
Dick Enballs
Why wasnt he voted out of office??kinda maked you wonder how he runs TEXASS
Ron Blancarte via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Rick Perry's new theme song:
http://sadtrombone.com/
Chris Bates via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Pretty bad to come in behind Ron Paul. Now how did he get to be governor?
Dale Curry
Adios, Mo Fo! At least you did better than you deserved. Now we get to watch the campaign staff blame each other.
hans5162@ix.netcom.com hans
"I want somebody with real ideas," Craig said. Dr. Craig, we've wanted someone with real ideas for the past 10 years. Instead, we've had failed initiative after failed initiative that were the brain children of Perry's campaign contributors in order to profit at the expense of the people of Texas. Perry has been shown to be the ignorant, bumbling rental politician he is. He cynically cloaked himself in the mantle of fundamentalist Christianity in order to appeal to voters who blindly follow any false prophet who claims to have a direct line to God. If Perry is a "true conservative", then it would appear that the intellectual underpinnings of the modern conservative movement are predominantly ignorance and ineptitude.
Leon Drozd
While serving as Governor, it sounds like Perry did not negotiate from those who benefitted most from his pollicies and actions a fair and resonable tax or payment back into the the government that helped them. The payment back appears to have been the massive amount of contributions to his campaign in support of political aspirations. I guess this is politics and politics is among the oldest professions.
When you give someone for nothing, how many times have you heard, "why didn't you give more?" People value that for which they pay.
If government is providing a benefit, then it would seem that the beneficiary should "give back" to the source of that beneficence which is the government and not the individual acting on behalf of and in the employ of that government. Sounds like conflict of interest stuff.
Sometimes I wonder if the our society might be healthier if all that money that is donated in political campaigns (which is not tax deductible) were donated to high impact charities to help people and relieve burdens upon government. Maybe there is room for a new charity in American which can provide productive pathways for all that extra cash in our society that chases politicians today.
Robert Stephenson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Chris he slipped in when W. Stole the 2000 elections and he has never been voted out. I hope this was a wake up call for the folks here in Texas.
Stanley Moore via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Probably not. The yahoos love this dumb-ass
Tony Trevino
Ken Herman's article today talks about Perry's self inflicted wounds. No such thing. He was out there long enough that people got to see what many in TX already knew- the guy is just incompetent. I was hoping he would stay out there longer to be entertained by more goofs. The fact that he is receiving retirement pay shows he has been in govt long enough to qualify for a pension - not bad for a guy who hates govt. The only thing worse that could happen is he runs for re-election and wins. He has a lot of cool-aid drinkers in TX.
Dale Curry
Unfortunately, we cannot count out this failure of a Governor yet. While he will have a dismal showing in New Hampshire, he is clearly staking his campaign on the results in South Carolina. Considering the number of "Christian" conservatives, he could do well. I hope not, but it is possible.
Samdavis
Perry spent 5 million and came in fifth. Meanwhile we are paying for his housing at 10 grand monthly and for an extra security detail. We're also paying David Dewhurst extra to pose as governor in Perry's absence. All this in a state where there isn't enough money to fund education, where we've made deep cuts in social services and regulatory agencies, and where we rank at the bottom nationally in virtually every meaningful category.
Are you as totally outraged and ready for change as I am???
Sam Davis via Texas Tribune on Facebook
So the "larger towns" will be more likely to ignore stupidity and incompetence?
Jerome Nicholson
I agree that S. Carolina might give the Bushclone Cowboy a new start; all he needs to do is wave a Confederate Battle Flag and talk about secession, and they'll eat it up with a spoon!
Carol Goodwin
I don't know what he is thinking and I eally don't care. However I do care about any taxpayer money being used to further his attempts. If he is using taxpayer dollars for this, then he must be stopped!
I know for sure his deep pockets supporters can and will donate whatever it takes for as long as it takes. I still do not unddrstand the mindset here. The man has NOT been a decent governor no matter how he tries to cover up the pitiful shape Texas is in . He has NOT created any jobs in Texas and our school system suck. Anyone want to go look at the shape Texas is really in, it is no big secret. The only ones who are doing well are Perry and his super rich friends who pull his strings!