FIRST ON CNN: Perry to drop out Thursday

CNN ^ | January 19,2012 | Peter Hamby

[Hojczyk]

Charleston, South Carolina (CNN) - Rick Perry is telling supporters that he will drop his bid for the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday, two sources familiar with the plans told CNN.

[patriot08]

Our handsome Texas governor is twice the Conservative of RINO-voting Santorum.

I hope Newt choses him as his VP running mate.

[Future Useless Eater]

THANK YOU GOVERNOR! That is a super-important and responsible thing to do.

The reason is, SC is WINNER-TAKE-ALL and if Romney wins the first 3 out 3 primaries
EVERYONE will declare the primaries OVER, and crown Mitt!

Here is what I have been saying for days....

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* Before Monday's debate, Mitt was losing ground, and his debate performance was weak / below average
* Before Monday's debate, Newt was GAINING ground, and his debate performance was fantastic
* Rick Perry gained into upper single-digits but his debate performance was mediocre
* Rick Santorum was losing ground rapidly, AND his debate performance was mediocre
* Jon Huntsman's support was ONLY 1% in the latest poll, and that support won't ALL go to Romney so don't sweat him
* Ron Paul takes more support away from Romney than others, so don't sweat him

SC voters: If you liked Rick or Rick, THINK ABOUT THIS before voting....

Each congressional district will have 2 delegates given to the winner-take-all within the district (that's 14 delegates total)

And Statewide, there will be 11 delegates given to the winner-take-all at the state level

So let's assume Romney is still barely in 1st place in the polls just before the vote.
Let's assume there is only ONE close NON-Romney in 2nd place (Newt).

Maybe YOU would prefer Rick or Rick....

But, IF YOU Vote for Rick or Rick, you have most likely helped award ALL delegates TO ROMNEY because it is WINNER TAKE ALL!!!!

The ONLY way to NOT hand your SC delegates to ROMNEY is to consolidate all conservative votes behind the LEADING NON-ROMNEY

[mikhailovich]

Well, Rick Perry is a great person and leader. I’ll be officially onboard the Newt train with this announcement. Feeling a bit of relief, certainly some disappointment, but also excited that maybe we can elevate Gingrich over Romney and put a conservative in the White House. Newt was actually my guy before Perry announced he was running.

[StarFan]

Hope Santorum falls way behind Newt in S.C.

It is also my hope Santorum exits the stage however with the ex-Mrs. coming out against Newt, it may have the reverse impact in SC. If the rumor that he wanted multiple partners in his marriage is confirmed, I don't think it will bode well for him with voters.

[PapaBear3625]

He is a good man, sincere and Conservative. That he isn’t the best candidate or conservative is irrelevant. He certainly has leadership skills. He would be an asset to any administration, a great personaility, far better than the boring suits in power now.

When Perry first entered the race, I thought he would be the most logical nominee: as the governor of a major state which was prosperous under his administration, he had the needed executive experience.

[StarFan]

His decision to endorse Gingrich is huge

Huge? He's polling at 5%. Every little bit helps I suppose but huge is not the word I'd choose.

[presently no screen name]

He did not fail! Conservatives are proud of this patriot - it’s about his country, not him. And he kicked mitt and each time he did - he did it for us/America.

[ishmac]

I concur with everything you said. I am glad to have him as governor. Looks like it’s Newt or bust!

[katiedidit1]

Perry never ran a dirty campaign. He has endorsed Newt. God bless Rick Perry.

[wolfcreek]

Sad to see him suspend his campaign but, He’s still my Governor till at least 2014.

[left that other site]

Good Analysis of the situation.

[Grunthor]

“If the rumor that he wanted multiple partners in his marriage is confirmed, I don’t think it will bode well for him with voters.”

You mean Newt has always been a horny old man? Wow, never woulda thunk it.

(sarcasm from one who lost a marriage to the swinging/partying life.)

[Lady Lucky]

Why would a governor, and a governor of Texas at that, want to hang around in DC, preside over the Senate, and go to funerals as needed?
I can just hear him saying, “Take that job and shovel it.”

[JDW11235]

I have heard that another party is already in the works, but I don’t know anything about that, or even which party, libertarian maybe? If you think that legally he can’t because he will have lost the primary, that doesn’t apply in presidntial races, just the lower ones.

If he does run (I cannot imagine him winning, but I never say never), I think he’ll draw more voters from Obama, than Newt. The democratic Party is far larger than the Republican Party (Last I read, something like 70 Million to 55 Million or so, but both have been losing members for about a decade, very fast since 2008), so it will be up to the Independents to decide the election. They already don’t like Obama, so it will be up to the Republican to prove he’s going to be a significant enough of a change to support him. I think Newt would, Romney certainly wouldn’t.

[Grunthor]

That 5% could put Gingrich ahead right before the vote.

The impotance IS huge.

[sheikdetailfeather]

Bret Beir is saying Perry and Newt had been talking for about two weeks. I had noticed how friendly they were laughing and talking during the last debate.

[BuckeyeTexan]

Thanks, FRiend. That is very much appeciated. Onward we go.

Go Newt!!!!!

[rintense]

Amen.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

Crap. I understand, but crap.

[GOPsterinMA]

Yeah, he failed in the first several debates. If he didn’t most likely he’d be the frontrunner.

That being said, he did MUCH better the last couple debates, so he goes out on an uptick.