Perry to drop out, endorse Gingrich in US race

Perry to drop out, endorse Gingrich in US race

CHARLESTON, South Carolina — Texas Governor Rick Perry will quit the US presidential race on Thursday and endorse former House speaker Newt Gingrich for the Republican nomination, US media reports said.

Perry's campaign had been flagging for a while but the endorsement represents a major boost for Gingrich as he seeks to overcome Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney in South Carolina's crucial primary on Saturday.

The Perry campaign said in a statement that he would hold a press conference in North Charleston at 11:00 am (1600 GMT).

Washington news website Politico said Perry would make the bombshell announcement there, and The New York Times corroborated the information.

The four remaining candidates -- Gingrich, Romney, Christian conservative Rick Santorum and veteran Texas congressman Ron Paul -- will battle it out on Thursday night in the final South Carolina debate before Saturday's vote.

Romney was originally declared the winner in the first state in the nominating process, Iowa, only to find out Thursday after a final count that Santorum was actually the narrowest of victors.

Romney won convincingly in second-to-vote New Hampshire the following week and has since been seen as the man to beat in the race for the Republican nomination to take on President Barack Obama in November.

Gingrich had trailed Romney by double-digits in South Carolina polls. But the latest surveys, after a bravura debate performance by Gingrich on Monday, showed him closing fast on the former Massachusetts governor and multi-millionaire venture capitalist.

Gingrich has worked to position himself as the strongest conservative challenger to Romney, who faces stubborn doubts about his conservative credentials and has yet to rally a majority of Republicans behind him.

Perry, a tough-talking Texas governor, answered the prayers of core Republicans when he entered the race in mid-August, vaulting to the front of the pack as the ultimate non-Romney candidate.

But the photogenic 61-year-old US Air Force veteran with a thick crop of dark hair came unstuck in the debates, displaying a weak grasp of policy and making a series of embarrassing gaffes.

Perry appeared to put the final nail in his campaign's coffin in mid-November when he forgot a crucial part of his stump speech and stammered for an agonizing 53 seconds.

The states' rights champion named the departments of commerce and education as targets for elimination but could not come up with the third, the energy department.

"The third one, I can't, I'm sorry, I can't. Oops," he concluded.

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Perry would have been a fine president; now he'll have to wait till 2020 for his next chance.

A sad loss for lovers of the US comedy. I'm certainly going to miss him. Years ago the cancellation of Monty Pythons Flying Circus made me a reluctant but now staunch fan of US politics.

Looks like Santorum might beat Romney considering the recount shows he actually won Iowa. If that's the case, then this will be an easy victory for Obamers.

You can't be serious? He had something like 3% support prior to dropping out. He's a buffoon and a bible thumper, a mentally stunted GWB if such a thing is possible.

Paul beats all. Interesting candidate, smart, well spoken, very engageing, comes across as honest like a day. What the hell's he doing in comedy?

Indeed, if anything he`d just make GWB look good by comparison.

He's still quite a bit brighter than the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Perry leads a government in a state that leads the nation in job creation.

"Stunted" is being kind.

Yeah, this is the sort of guy you want running the US, the quote is referring to Turkey. What a dolt.

"Obviously when you have a country that is being ruled by what many would perceive to be Islamic terrorists, when you start seeing that type of activity against their own citizens, then … not only is it time for us to have a conversation about whether or not they belong to be in NATO but it’s time for the United States, when we look at their foreign aid, to go to zero with it."

Rick Perry offends almost everyone with 'terrorist' Turkey comments | Full Comment | National Post

Walter's Messiah:

Someone's messiah is another's whipping boy.

Guess he'll go back to Texas, , and continue providing good governance to his constituents

My Messiah is Jesus Christ.

Good, keep him there. The US has experimented enough with these evangelical nutbars.

My Messiah is Kim Jong-un

A shame on both counts.

But, yes, Rick Perry is gone now and maybe he'll take J.C. with him.

Was Jesus a dick head? Just wondering, if Jesus is your messiah, shouldn't you be emulating Jesus instead of being such a dick head?

lol

lol

I think Newt running for President will guarantee another four years of Obama.

He's the phoniest, social conservative around. Three Marriages: Check. Adulterer: Check. Hypocrite: Check.

I didn't think an amphibian could run for president, only shape shifting lizards.

RCS notes Cliffy's post for book idea.

First challenge a President Perry would have had would have been amusing. Imagine him trying to organize a prayer rally at the Lincoln memorial. ``Lets pray that the economy improves and the deficit goes away.``

Cain, Bachmann, and Perry all said God told them to run for the presidency. I guess He must have changed His busy mind along the way.

6' Tall Flower Planter of Rick Perry Head

Price: US $4,500.00

Rick Perry has a hole in his head. Lots of them, in fact. For sale is a 6' terra cotta flower planter in an extraordinary likeness of Rick’s head. The outline of his hair is surprisingly accurate, with holes throughout to grow lush grass, flowing ivy or flowering plants. Prayer plants might be appropriate.
The bust was initially used by Dairy Waste Management (--), a company which manufactures COW WOW, a liquid fertilizer made from dairy cow manure without the manure odor. Last year they commissioned busts of Perry and Bill White, former mayor of Houston and Perry’s opponent in the 2010 gubernatorial election. The “hair” of each candidate was ivy nourished by Cow Wow, and voters were asked to vote for their favorite hair (--). Nobody had to split hairs in that race - Bill White won by a landslide. Ivy can certainly level a playing scalp.
At last year’s ACL Music Festival in Austin, Rick’s larger-than-life head entertained thousands of concert-goers who kissed his cheeks, picked his nose, inspected his ears and tickled his ivy.
The shrewd buyer of this iconic planter can plop it in the front yard, proud to show a growing support for the presidential candidate. Or head ‘em up, move ‘em out and circle the Capitol with Rick and his colorful locks in the back of a pickup.
Hmmm, Rick stated at a Tea Party debate that he would be offended if somebody thought he could be bought for $5,000. He obviously hasn’t evaluated his worth as a gigantic planter. You can secure this bad boy for only $4,500.
This one-of-a-kind marvel can be picked up in Blanco, Texas. Bill White’s head is also for sale, if anybody is interested.
Plants are not included. A gallon of Cow Wow is.
Call 512.863.8513 for more info.

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who the hell is going to buy this?

Wow! Ch-Ch-Cha-Chia-Rick Perry! They'll be all the rage!

Well maybe not.

All the qualifications required to be prez.

Forgot one. Horse's a$$

That God guy is such a flip flopper...

If Republicans want to seriously challenge Obama, their best bet is to put aside their fearmongering about Romney being a "cultist instead of a Christian" and support him. He is the least damaged of the field and the longer they keep tearing him down, the harder it will be to build him into a candidate that can stand against an Obama whose numbers are turning around. Gingrich and Santorum are sideshows and distractions at best. Huntsman may be a nice guy but he hasn't got the recognition factor so no one has bothered him seriously and tried to expose his weaknesses (as well he is another Mormon). Paul resonates with many at times but is pretty much unelectable once you step away from his theorizing and try to make pracitical policy.