At this point, I’d say the opposite. Perry is down for the count right now, but he can still recover. Only if Perry demonstrates the ability to be an effective campaigner is he even an option now, and I say this as one who was in his corner a few weeks ago.
If Perry makes a big recovery, and Cain stays strong, they need to go head to head for awhile and once a couple actual primary votes help determine which will be better, then the conservative movement needs to coalesce around one or the other to keep Romney out. It is far too early to single out one candidate to be against Romney, and especially when Perry has been terrible to date going head to head. Perry has to up his game in a big way before this type of decision can be made.
17.1 million dollars raised in 49 days and his contributions went up after the last debate...says more people like Perry than the others. So you have mis-calulated badly. When the MSM is pushing certain people like Romney and Cain...that alone should throw up all kind of Red Flags. When the MSM is attacking someone ever which way...that is the person to support...which is Rick Perry, he is the one who they are MOST afraid of.
But, that is all only temporary. Cain is a rank amateur and lacks the things that both Romney and Perry have been doing for decades; Campaign, advertise and organize! No politician or campaign can survive without those three critical elements. And Cain simply does not have the capacity or the experience to create those things this late in the game.