(CNN) - Arguing the election cycle has too many presidential debates, Rick Perry's top spokesman said the Texas governor could use more time with voters instead of taking the stage with Republican opponents.
"We're about 60 days away from votes being cast," communications director Ray Sullivan said on CNN's "John King, USA" Wednesday. "The candidates need to spend time in Iowa doing those town halls and spending a lot more time with the voters, who oftentimes have the best questions and press the candidates the hardest."
Citing the dozen-plus debates in the works, Sullivan added: "There's no way that the candidates can do all those debates."
Perry, whose poll numbers have slid after a series of uneven debate performances, made headlines Tuesday when he described taking part as a "mistake."
"These debates are set up for nothing more than to tear down the candidates," Perry said on Fox News. "It's pretty hard to be able to sit and lay out your ideas and your concepts with a one-minute response."
Sullivan confirmed that Perry will participate in a debate on Nov. 9, hosted by CNBC with the Michigan Republican Party and Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.
"But look, we're taking each of these as they come, examining the schedule and examining the opportunities and the opportunity costs," Sullivan told King, CNN's chief national correspondent.
Sullivan said the Perry campaign needs to be in several key battleground states, including Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida and Nevada.
"We certainly respect the process, but when you've got eight of nine candidates and 30 seconds to a minute, it takes valuable time away from campaigning in Iowa, as those elections approach," Sullivan said.
Also see:
Bachmann files to run in New Hampshire
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I can't see myself voting for such a coward. If Perry can't handle people in his own party, how can he handle Obama, or the world's leaders?
Perry is nothing more than Texas Toast as far as I am concerned.
Sure he wants to make the case for passsing under the guise of spending more time with voters – but the ugly truth is that he can't perform even adequately and exposes his shallow ideas for all to see.
that's because he is dumb as a stump.
He's scared lol, he's trash and he knows it.
And if he were doing really well in the debates, would the strategy change?
This is not surprising as Governor Perry avoided all debates in the last gubernatorial election in Texas. He also refused to meet with any of the editorial boards of the major newspapers in Texas. Many Texans saw this as a cowardly act totally out of character or the rough and tough Texan that he portrays.
Since Perry can't lay out his ideas in 1 minute responses he will lay them out in 30 second TV commercials.
His complaint is that it's "pretty hard" to lay out your views in 60 seconds? How hard does he think the job he's seeking is going to be?
Ha perry (I wont capitalize his name, he doesnt get/deserve my respect) cant handle the heat any more. His past debates hurt him so now hes avoiding them.
Could it be he has realized how stupid he has looked in the debates?
Nice...classic political spin doctoring. "We want to focus more on talking directly with voters" = "Perry's getting crushed in the debates. We need to get him out asap before he completely destroys this campaign...if it isn't already"
Even Mark Twain couldn't concoct more lame excuses than Perry. Now all Americans and the world see what we Texans have had to put up with for 10 years. If he can't take the heat, he needs to get out of the $10,000/month kitchen for which we tax payers are footing the bill.
Let's see...this translates into, "Our candidate sucks at debates no matter how hard we've tried to work with him. Since he can't hold water against other candidates, we're not going to play ball and go to where he doesn't have to compete for airtime with others." Ego to the max.
Translation: "I'm tired of Romney showing how dumb I am."
Thank goodness. The guy is a weak, cry-baby loser. Hopefully, we won't have to hear anything else from him except for who he is going to endorse. I feel bad for whoever that will be.
Please learn a little about world events Rick before you get in any debates.He couldn't debate a 5th grader...He needs to fund MORE education in Texas instead of less if he is the product of a Texas edjamacathun...W actually has a better grasp of the english language than Rick...
Yellow!
Who's a bigger coward Ricky Bush or Eric Cantor?
Go ahead It your throat that you will be cutting. Don't go to any debates and you will lose. You will lose either way so It doesn't ready make any different.
One down, 27 more to go.
It is true that Perry's performance at the debates has hurt him. But so will his decision not to participate. Perry is basically taking himself out of the race with this decision. Since 1980 you can't become president without a handling the media with the skill of a professional actor. Sad, but true.
If Rick Perry would spend more time dealing with serious issues and educating himself about the things that concern Americans instead of "joking and poking fun" maybe he would have the right answers during debates. This smells of Sarah Palin's attempts to avoid the media for fear of saying something stupid.
For once I agree with you Rick... Why don't you save yourself the embarrassment.
You could also save the fools who actually support you some time and money too... Just quit and go home. But then the comedy would be over.
If you can't take the heat....
And if he should be elected president, he may skip any function that could also make him look like an idiot. After all, that is what America really, really needs. A president who will run and hide anytime the going gets tough. Makes you wonder what he really did all those years as Governor of Texas.
Perry skipped many of the gubernatorial debates in Texas. And he won. Shows the intelligence or lack thereof in the state I live in.
Psssst...This just in, Tex.....The presidential campaign in its entirety is designed to break down and tear down those who would run for such high office. Is there any doubt that Perry has no burning desire to be President? Leave him in Texas, he'll do less harm to the country.
Hmmm... not being able to handle off the cuff questions, has trouble speaking... who does that remind you of? No thanks, Tex... Happy Trails!
there are no words. he is so out of his league. can u just imagine him debating obama? he is officially a laughing stock if there is any credibility to this report
What a revelation! Governor Perry did not do well because his ideas and answers did not resonate with the voters. His motive seems to indicate that he want to gain public reactions to what he says. His attempt to be and act like Ronald Reagan has not worked. He would do well to go back to being Rick Perry.
@ 6% most candidates would end the campaign..... The fact you are @ 6% is because you opened your mouth and you sound stupid (which I refer as BRAIN DEAD).
If his well deserved reputation for not being too smart hasn't fully sunken in with everyone, this cut and run will surely seal the deal.
Aww, poor baby! Can't handle debating, can you? What are you going to do when you're on the spot with another world leader in a tense situation? Take a time out? Call a mulligan? Gonna use your corporate fat cat money to buy yourself a vanity show on the Hallmark Channel? You are not fit to be President of the United States. You're not even close. You don't have the skill set and you're completely out of your depth. Barack Obama would wipe the floor with you in a debate and everyone who's seen you knows it. On top of that, you're showing your macho veneer to be nothing but a thin covering for a phony little mama's boy. Do us all a favor and quit the race. You're an embarrassment.
All the lame excuses from a guy who is neither smart nor intelligent, for not participating in debates. I am glad the repubican voters are seeing his true form – a dud.
In other words, he is considering dropping out. May as well at this point.
Once you bring up the racist birther issue, you are dead in the water.
It seems to me that Dick Perry has skipped all the debates, although his empty suit has made a number of appearances.
Bye Bye! If Obama loses I hope Romney wins because the GOP hates him.
I believe the correct term would be "dodging" more debates. It is clear that Perry is one of the worst debaters in the field, and must duck out of all of the debates he can. Sadly, the best debater (Romney), is one of the worst candidates, in a field of really bad candidates.
if i was as dumb as Perry, I would also skip the debates.
If you can't beat 'em, run away. This is the same stunt Perry pulled in Texas when he refused to debate Kay Bailey Hutchinson and Mark White. He is so in over his head.
Perry should quit running for President. He's not smart enough to be President
He's incapable of an intelligent debate. He avoided debating the better candidate for governor in Texas with lame excuses and still managed to get himself re-elected. He thinks that it will work now, but hopefully, the rest of America isn't as dumb as Texas. Just wait until he has to face President Obama in a debate. He wouldn't stand a chance.
yeah why don't you go ahead and sit this next play out buddy....ha ha
This way, Perry can spend all his time investigating the President's birth certificate.
Certainly couldn't hurt him any more...
Debating is a part of the the campaign process.It shows how well versed the candidates are on the issues; and their ability to defend their p.o.v.If they can't hold their own in that setting, thy probably aren't ready to be president.
wow I guess ALL repubs are quitters lol
Baaaaaaaaaahahahahaha, this coward wants to be President but he's afraid to debate. If this scares him a real crisis will have him quaking in his boots.
In other words he's out.
Ahhh, he's got a year to talk to the voters.. and a couple of debates is too much for him (what's the real reason Rick Perry – you don't like being put on the spot?).
Then I guess Perry will not be a nominee if he doesn't have the cojones to debate and follow through like everyone else and let the country see him for who he really is...
I wouldn't attend anymore debates either if I was a complete idiot'
What Perry? You Yeller? Iz ya afeared of saying something else stupid?
I guess if he became president, he won't have press conferences. If he can't memorize responses to expected questions, for sure he couldn't improvise if an unexpected query came up.
So in other words, they know that Perry is going to look like a goof the minute he gets on a debate stage, so are working on trying to get him out of previously obligated debates.
Wow, there's leadership for you. Fumble and stumble in the debates and make a fool of yourself, then look for excuses to avoid further debates. I'm so impressed.
Can't handle the heat...............Perry should get out of the kitchen.
Not surprised at all. Run Rick Run...I was waiting for Rick Perry to wimp out...He cannot take the heat of being confronted about his stupid decisions. As a Texan I wish he would stop speaking as though every Texan agrees with him.
You know what they say, "If you can't beat'em, get out of the debate business". I suppose it's in his best interest. Wonder what he'd do should he get into the White House and things get hot. Just skip it. Congress'll take care of whatever it is. Perry came to fish, not cut bait. He don't need no pesky debates. It's for those "other people". He needs to get up close and personal with voters...I mean lobbyists who'll give him hugs and kisses instead of bumps and bruises on the debate stage.
Can't stand the heat, huh? Guess what, the debates are "town halls" for the entire nation – same thing. So don't lie to us.
That's good, I hope Romneycare goes next, for we don't need someone like that back to back in the White House. America needs someone that is smart enough to balance the country, and a politician is not going to cut the mustard.
What a big texan running scared, go and play with the big boys, it will be fun if not for you it will be for the rest of us. ha-ha
Well by all means Rick... avoid all those silly opportunities for intelligent discourse. That will give you more time to focus on all that silly stuff that stirs up the party base. Why heck... maybe you can talk about that optional 20% flat tax that only those wealthy cronies would benefit from.. or you can even poke a little fun at Obama about that 'birther' thing.
Good plan. He's a moron, and it's best to try to hide this by not speaking in public. Maybe he can go to a mountain retreat and wait for God to hand down tablets with rules of conduct. Oh, wait...
Sound like a losing strategy from a real loser.
If I was as stupid as Perry-I would skip the debates too.....
Rick...meet Sarah....
Pathetic....
"Perry, whose poll numbers have slid after a series of uneven debate performances, made headlines Tuesday when he described taking part as a "mistake.""
Poll numbers "have slid"???? Time to call up the grammar police! The poll numbers either "slid" or they did not "slide".
Are there any adults on your staff????
Like a deer in the headlights..........
Yeah less national TV air time is usually a good idea for a potential candidate.
Debates are not Perry's strong point, as we've seen recently. Instead of being on a nationally televised stage, in a town hall venue he can schmooze his way through and fake people out with his bs. He's got that good 'ole boy stuff down pat.
Rick,
Lets be honest, the tough questions are the ones you can't answer, the ones where everyone can see you flubbing, diverting, or stalling for time. Away from the cameras you can hide, and put yourself amongst audiences that love you before you even walk through the door.
Slick Rick never liked to debate when running for governor. He doesn't want to be exposed for the huckster that he is. He can't sell his snake oil to the masses the way he can to small groups of devotees.
Perry can always give interviews on Fox news. He is a coward. What is he so afraid of. He hasn't got the right stuff. Go back to Texas you are nothing but a marsh mellow.....
This is a new spin on the otherwise very upfront response of Perry today with OReilly. Where basically he was cocky enough to act as though he can get nominated without debating. YA right and the stage is full because has beens like you at poll numbers of 4 and 6 won't drop out. You sir are a bully and you aren't debating because it shows how corrupt you are! How weak your policies. You are Number ONE on factcheck.org because you sir are a LIAR and Filth. Oh as for Christian that is a joke as well with only a $100 contribution while Romney has donated Millions to charities and his church. You disgust me.
If he can't stand up in a debate to the likes of Bachman or Santorum, he expects me to vote for him when he will have to go head to head with REAL leaders of other countries in negotiating? LOL
So the excuse is that you cannot stand the close heat of a debate and would rather spend your campaign money traveling from point to point. You have to be able to think on your feet and not be spoon-fed by handlers. Don't waste everyone's time and just drop out, Mr. Perry.
In other words, Perry is admitting that he's not up to the challenge.
Please go back to Texas.
What a chicken. But I understand why Perry may not do more debates. He blows at them. Good move but still no cigar.
Perry's people are complaining that the debates don't give enough time to lay out their ideas and plans but then say that the debates take up too much time away from other campaign activities.
And if you can't make your idea or plan somewhat understandable to voters in a short amount of time, it probably isn't going to be understood anyway. I think Perry is just realizing that he is no good at debates.
Hope he has another job lined up after he loses his re-election bid for Gov, of TX. He has shown everyone that he doesn't have what it takes to be a leader of anything.
Perry had the same strategy running for Governor in Texas .
What about farm subsades ?
Rick Perry Benefited From $80000 In Farm Subsidies.
Rick Perry to apply Enron-style accounting principles to what should be a straightforward school accountability system.
What Rick Perry doesn't want to talk about. .... Employment Policies Institute, Energy Citizens, Enron, ExxonMobil .
If I looked as stupid as he does at these things, I'd skip 'em too.
That is fine. It doesn't matter. We haven't been watching anyways.
This is probably a mistake. It is undoubtedly true that his numbers have dropped precipitously after his performance in the last few debates, but losing that facetime could be the beginning of the end for Perry's candidacy. Further, if his rationale is that he wants to spend time with voters at town hall meetings because they ask "harder" questions, he's in for a hell of a time. It was his inability to string two sentences together without a prepared speech in front of him that got him into this mess.
For the record, I am a lifelong Texan, a Ron Paul Republican, and voted in the Republican primaries in 2008 and 2010. Governor Perry is an embarrassment to the state of Texas.
So this guy wants to be the President? The Debates are too hard wah! Everyone can tell I'm a retard! Wahhh!
So long Rick Perry.
It is Palin politics. Don't open your mouth for fear that you may say something stupid.
Good, one less whack job to listen to.
A candidate that is afraid to debate is a candidate that should be flushed.
the debates show whether or not you can stand the heat in the kitchen.
Nothing needs to be said why this guy will not participate in further debates. The entire nations knows why...
Perry realizes that he just loses support the more he speaks.
Face the facts, Perry is nowhere near ready. End of Story...
Of course you skip debates when you do so poorly at them.
Equal opportunity
Perry is proving himself to be a 'whiner' or maybe a 'cry baby'. According to Sarah Palin, he need to 'man up' and put aside cowardice. All the candidates have equal opportunity to debate and equal opportunity to campaign whenever and wherever they want. Listing states in which he has to debate doesn't actually say much. They each need to campaign in all these states anyway.
He just lacks the skills necessary for an effective debate. That's exactly why his advisers need to select a crash course, maybe at Texas A&M University English Department, and enroll him immediately. Debate time slot is no excuse for a poor debate performance. How is it that others, like Cain, are able to perform well in the same time slot.
Perry's aim is to get some kind of advantage over the others, and avoiding the debate will not necessarily give him such advantage. He can't speak, he can't debate, he can't convince others, he can't respond appropriately to a question, and he can't respect time slots. This man is simply short of the necessary oratory skills needed by a president. Obama is just laughing up his sleeve at him.
It will be to his own demise if it chooses to avoid the debates which are watch by millions of Americans, and chooses to campaign while most people are watching such debates. He's just so narrow in his thoughts and his so-called advisers are only in it for the money.
When will he simply 'man up' and face the music?
Perry skated his way through Texas elections by not debating. That is because he is dumb as a box of rocks. He is second guessing debates now because he is much dumber than everybody else. His handlers thinks that will help him. Actually, it will show that he has no guts. He hunts from a deer blind and not face to face. This will only make him look chicken. If the other candidates were smart, they would make it known that he isn't there.
Typical Perry tactic to run a smear campaign against his opponents, then run from debates which would allow his challengers both the opportunity to defend themselves, and highlight Perry's less than stellar record and profound ignorance.
This is the smear campaign tactic that he used when he refused to debate his democratic challenger Bill White for the 2010 gubernatorial race here in Texas. Perry made unsubstantiated allegations about Bill White and demanded that if White would not release his entire income tax return for public scrutiny, he would not debate him.
Now, Perry has been on the record stating that President Obama should release his income tax return and college transcript. I guess if Perry was the GOP nominee, he would use this lame excuse not to debate President Obama.
Get real. This guy used debates to talk about Mitt Romney's yard. Not issues. Not his platform. He was worse than the moderators who let it happen and now he wants to complain? Get real. there should be no more than 4 men on stage- Mitt, Cain, Paul and (maybe) Gingrich.
At some point you've lost and you're only in for ego or money. Even the Republican evangelicals see Perry as a poor copy of "W".
I guess the Wizard of 'Odd' would much rather just remain behind the curtain and entice supporters that way. It is no coincidence that his popularity was at its peak w/out him so much as saying a word, but the minute he jumped into the race and opened his mouth that popularity diminished overnight.
Good grief, did this man ever hear of "Debate 101"?
As Charlie Sheen would say: Weak!
you cant handle a few debates? And you want to be the one facing Putin leading the US side in negotiations? If you cant handle Mittens riling you, how on earth can you handle Iran and North Korea? What a joke!!!!!!
What Rick Perry doesn't want to talk about. .... Employment Policies Institute, Energy Citizens, Enron, ExxonMobil .
You are so correct Perry. Stay on top of the voters. Show them what they can have if they vote for you. They for the most do not have sense enough to understand if they're thinking of voting Obama back in. It will be like talking to concrete to get anything through an Obamanite's head. But there are many of us who will not go for anymore of this racist types taking over our constitution and our government. IT STOPS NOW.
If you aren't a good debater, then you have to look at what you do better.
He may lose this election, which he isn't used to, but there's a first time for everything.
Still, he is on my short list, personally, whether he does the debates or not, because I already know all about him.
I like how asking canidates questions about policies is "tearing canidates down" according to Perry. He's pathetic.
Perry blew it with his tax proposal. He proposed setting up an alternate way to calculate taxes and claimed it would make things easier for taxpayers. In reality it would make taxpayers calculate their taxes the old way plus the new way in order to decide, each year, which would cost them less. On the planet Earth, doing things twice makes things harder, not easier.
What a sore loser. We dont hear the other candidates complaining about the debates. If Perry cant run with the big dogs then he needs stay on the porch. lol....
During the remaining debates Rick Perry will remain in his hotel room and argue with himself.
A real Abraham Lincoln this guy....
Aw c'mon, that dog don't hunt! He appears to becoming gun-shy. Small wonder.
Is he really too busy or is his stupidity and ignorance coming through too strong? Why is it that the entire Republican line up have IQs that match their shoe size? Isn't there anyone with the intellectual capacity to be our President?
I want to be prez, but don't ask me questions. Another gun slinger from TX.
He should do us all a favor and skip the election.
If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen. Gov. Perry's obviously not showing well in the big leagues. I guess it's time for him to exit the real game, spend his millions on sleeze-bag attack ads, and smile for the cameras.
"Uneven"? His debate performances have all been evenly, uniformly bad.
How much is CNN bending over backward to avoid saying the obvious: This man would be a far better debater if his mouth were filled with glue. At long last, with him polling in the single digits, his campaign has realized that he can't handle himself against a living opponent.
His big mistake was taking part in a debate that just showed the world just how stupid he breally is. $10.000 a month to rent a mansion for him and his wife to live in Austin while my students go without textbooks, and he cuts 75% of the funds for volunteer fire departments here in Texas. What a useless POS. Wish we had a halfway decent governor here in Texas.
Rick stick to shaking hands and kissing babies your no debater. Charles Bowen Solomon Stone
What will the comedians do if Rick isn't in the debates? They'll be totally lost!!!!
I didn't take him for a scared little guy – poor little dude is afraid!
Ha, ha! He's scared, of course, given that he is such a bad debater. Romney will get the nomination, but Obama will win. Go, Obama and Biden!
In a sense, his advisers are smart, because the more he talks, the more people see what is really like and the further his number will drop...
Perry should feel free to skip the rest of the debates. He's only dug his grave deeper in every one where he has appeared. Let Perry perish. America will be a far better place when he is gone.
Ha! Perry gets his behind whooped everytime he shows up at a debate and comes away looking like an even bigger fool than before. I don't doubt that he may skip the rest of them. He's an idiot and the debates just turn a magnifying glass on the depths of his idiocy.
During the last debate....Cooper asked a specific question of Perry and Perry started talking about something else. When Cooper asked Perry to address the question, Perry said "It is your job to ask the questions and my job to talk about what I want." ....Not an exact quote, but close.
Perry can't really complain about the debates not addressing the issues when he blatantly chose to avoid answering a good question pertaining to a major issue....probably because he knew little about the issue!
Why is Perry playing the debate victim since he was the rude one? I hope he stays away. He doesn;t know how to behave himself and follow rules.
And when Perry gets that 3am call, he'll say call me back later so I have more time to think? I want a President who thinks on his feet and gets the right answers.
Why is Perry playing the debate victim when he was the rude one? I hope he stays away because he doesn't know how to behave himself and follow rules.
ha, he'll avoid debates because everytime he opens his dumb mouth he stuffs his foot into it...up to his knee.
I think Perry is starting to realize that he doesn't have a chance of getting elected.
If he does, in fact, decide to skip out on any remaining GOP debates, he's pretty much committing political suicide.
Perry should just call it quits now because it's over. The Palin of Texas – so he got roughed up a little and now he doesn't want to play.
Rick your butt showed up, but your brain never did
Looking forward to election day. Think I'll pass on voting for any republicans.
For smart and quick-thinking people who know the issues, debates are an opportunity not a problem.
That would be a huge blunder not showing up to debate. If Perry does that his fate will be sealed. People would look at it as being a coward. Running away when things get tough. Weak leader.
No surprise here.
When you get owned so badly at the previous ones, might as well skip the rest!
He's skipping a televised debate, where he can reach millions, to spend time in Iowa, etc. where he'll possibly see only 2000-3000 people (estimate) per stop? The Texas tough guy is running scared. Gov Perry, do you find it easier to flim-flam folks in person?
Perry said he would no longer participate in further debates, but if the other candidates want to join him in a prayer circle, he'd stomp a mudhole in...er...that he would welcome them in that particular forum.
Well he is just too stupid to debate so what else can he do but not do the debates. Anyone can see what he is doing. He is used to winning with his gang like running for Governor. This is the big time and he can't quite figure out what he has to do so he doesn't do anything that makes him look dumb which is not hard.
Can't take the heat. Forget about it.. Perry. YOU LOST ALREADY.
Can get the right words out.... This is not a YELLER POSITION.
YOU ARE OUT OF THE LEAGUE.. lIKE PALIN. GET OUT
We all know why... this yokel can't keep his foot out of his mouth long enough to say his own name.
Rick, unless you can lie eloquently, the debates will wbe your waterloo! Romney can flipflop and everyone knows that he is trying to please the mad tea partyers. Cain just jokes to avoid the pain. He adds extra cheese to say cheese.Ginrich is a shameless;can strke below the belt. Paul knows he is irrelevant....rest blurt out whatever comes to their mind. You have 15 million $s. Use them to make sure Romney can't win by exposing his flipflops. You cannot lie.....why swallow your ill-fated words?
If I kept making myself look stupid at the debates, I wouldn't want to go to any more either.
Of course Perry is going to want to skip debates. He's not very good at them.
OH, the irony! Here is a man who carries a gun while jogging to kill wildlife, sends 230+ people to their death, and otherwise flaunts his Texas bravado, but he doesn't have the cajones to stand up to his republican adversaries. What a wuss!
Rick, Federal Reserve has decided to bury you. Invite Bernanki to Texas and make peace with him.
So what is it? All those questions and numbers make his head hurt ? This looks and sounds like a George Jr moment to me !
Rick Perry kind of reminds me of Vince McMahon, nothing more than a blowhard bully.
And it's one,two,three strikes you're out at the old ballgame.........
cluck cluck, someone's chickening out!
dave from michigan i hope he does stop going to debates. i wish he and his texas cowboy boots would just walk their way home to texas! i am 61 years old and don't think i could live thru another texas bonehead being in the white house. 2 bush's one johnson and don't forget the pretend cowboy from california raegan is enough for me! don't forget old "the iraqs oil will pay for the war and he has weapons of MASS distruction" old bonehead dick chaney he lived in texas as well. there must be something in the water down there or the are all living down wind of the "local weed" grass fires!
Makes sense. Rick Perry would rather spend time attending prayapaloozas in Houston and having dinner with Donald Trump. Unlike debates, these activities in no way expose him as a dunce who should be kept as far away from the White House as possible.
Wait, what?
Coward. And this is a man some people want negotiating on behalf of our country with foreign countries? This entire GOP field is scary and pathetic.
if you can't stand the heat.. get the hell out of the kitchen!
If Perry can't talk in front of his country's citizens, how will he ever communicate with foreign leaders?
Yeah, he better start skipping some debates - because he sounds like a complete moron when he does participate. The only thing he has going for him is that every other Republican "candidate" sounds just as stupid and out of touch. Call me when the Republicans decide to put forth a real presidential. You know, one who can think, who will not ignore the concerns of 90% of the population, and who resides intellectually in the 21st century.
Just what we need a camera shy president
Each debate costs him a couple of percentage points, it's no wonder he no longer wants to participate. But it's not a terribly good sign of presidential traits when each opportunity to make your case only hurts you, and even more so that you refuse to make it anymore. If you can't shore yourself up when it counts in a debate, why should we believe you will in the White House?
This sounds like a great strategy to beat President Obama....Just skip all the debates. This strategy of avoiding debates may have worked before everyone knew that Perry was no good at them. Playing the mystery card only works when nobody knows the cards you have been dealt. Now that they do, his poll numbers can't go any lower because of poor debates and Perry's missing the debates will surely seal his fate as a bygone thought and un-electable candidate.
This translates to: "Any further debate appearances will just make me look even more pathetic, so I will be skipping them in an attempt to keep my dying campaign alive a little while longer. "
Yes, he has foot in mouth disease. Every time he opens his mouth, his foot flies in. If he were Bush's brother, he'd be the dumb one.
NEXT moron please.
Chicken! You're afraid the American people will see that you are an incompetent, bumbling idiot who cannot operate unless you are making backroom deals with your campaign donors. Mr. Perry, you are an embarrassment to my great state of Texas. Please get off of the national stage before you are finally the laughing stock of this campaign season.
Perry should skip future debates. In past debates he's demonstrated a proclivity for the cheap and sensational, while failing to advance any leadership or team building skills. He needs the very people he's been trashing and attacking on stage.
So essentially, he is taking himself out of the race. He's out anyway, so no point in wasting any more time or money on it.
They are especially difficult when you can't think on your feet.
Perry should stop debating. It is obvious he cannot take the heat and should get out of the kitchen. Seems to have pretty thin skin for a presidential candidate anyway. Oh, Obama has very thin skin too, so I guess Perry is in good company.
What a whiner, but u know what they say about texans. Just go on Faux News they'll ask what u want and edit ur answers automatically. Don't want anything too tough, I mean, ur only running for president. What a baby.
brilliant...
if he's the republican nominee, will he avoid the debates with Obama, too?
if this is how he thinks he can succeed, the idea that he can lead a nation in the face of international friends and foes... is laughable at best, and absolutely disastrous at worst.
you have got to admit that, regardless of political affiliation. you can't take your own primary debates? that means you're not fit for the office. period.
Perry is done. It's not that he was UNDONE in the first place.
The attempted spin from the Perry camp is simply laughable. Can it be any more clear that Governor Perry is simply not ready for Prime Time?
1. If a candidate has problems scheduling 12 debates in 60 days, how will the he or she be able to keep up with a busy presidential schedule while still keeping the country safe?
2. If a candidate can't summarize his or her ideas with a one minute answer, how can he or she expect the broad public to understand and buy into those policies?
Yeah, Rick, avoid the debates so no one can see what a self-centered short tempered nitwit you really are.
When you lose, please, DON'T come back to Texas.
What a LOSER! Do you think Lincoln would avoid a debate because he was afraid of what people might say about him? That is what this is really about-the simple fact that Perry HAS no debating skills. Obama would crush him like an ant. The GOP can't afford to let that happen, so it's either Mittens or Cain.
If he skips one debate..its over for him...though i can tell you now, he has no chance. I think he is tipping the pathetic meter.
OK sure Rick-you go right ahead and skip those debates. Better check in with your boss first the KOCH bros, since they are footing your bill they may not like it. Perry a sinking ship, wife Anita (poor, poor Anita) very bad for campaign.
Perry's handlers know that if he keeps opening his mouth in public, people are going to realize that he's just a dumber version of Bush.
So Rick wants to pull a Sharon Angle and ditch the media? Is this clown for real?
So, I'm going to take my ball and go home.
True answer: Because debates make him look bad. He looks like another dim bulb from Texas, which mean Bush supporters will probably like him. I live in Texas, and I don't like him. He's backed by fanatical evangelicals. I think he's dangerous. (See the article, "Rick Perry's Army of God" in the Texas Observer.)
hes only trying to prevent voters from seeing the inevitable: romney's better
Perryhead already skipped the debates he was in, pretty sure he will not be missed in the rest.
Ha,Ha, Ha, what do you know, The big Texas blowhard has just figured out that if you cannot swim, stay out of water that is over your head. What a dumb son of a buck he is.
Cant debate, cant talk , cant connect with the voters. He had better just stay Governor of Texas where all you have to know is how to shoot a gun and shoot the bull.
God forbid that candidates for President have to do any of the following:
1. Adjust their schedules to accommodate what voters think is important
2. Demonstrate on cue a knowledge of issues and be able to explain why they take the positions they do
3. Display an ability to think on their feet and react to the unexpected
4. Show the world (not just US voters) how well they perform under pressure
I've always dreamed of the day when the decision about whom to vote for would come down to which candidate has the better PR firm, how about you?
A time-bounded response has been a fundamental part of debating since the time of the Greeks. Perhaps there were few real debates in animal science school.
Great,
But. But we need some entertainment of another Texan making a fool of himself. Could you imagine a third Texan elected president in the past 50 years. Having 3 Texas losers screw up the rest of the country is plain stupidity; Texas get out of America.
Sounds like he dont want to look stupid in front of millions anymore and uses the excuse of not being able to blab any more of his stupidity. if he can't take the heat he should not be president because he folds under pressure. Man up!
Yeah, if I had a dumb guy like Perry to promote I wouldn't want him talking in public either. Pass along this advice to the Bachmann camp as well. On the other hand, it is funny to listen to their idiocy. It's a crazy crop of candidates the GOP are fielding. I never thought I'd say that the smartest one out there was Palin who didn't run. Right now she's looking like a genius.
Like we can't see through this? Perry bombs in debates. Don't pretend to have a higher cause for ducking future debates. We are increasingly NOT stupid anymore!
Papa Perry can not only skip the debates, he can skip right on back to Texas and skip running for president. The last thing this nation needs is another G.W. Bush. Especially one that is not even as smart as the last Bush WASN'T..
Perry might as well skip the rest of the election while he's at it...
That may work in Texas but it want fly on the national level.
Perry, you're a genius. "These debates are very hard. Therefore, I should not have to do them. People will know I am smart because my wife says I am smart. Plus.... God don't make no junk."
This is not unprecedented, as Governor Perry also didn't debate his fellow candidate Bill White in our most recent Texas gubernatorial race.
Whatever, he knows he wants to really skip debates because everytime he participates, his rating plummets.
Huh? As a voter I would rather hear what you have to say in a debate than shake your hand and see you smile.
Anyone want to bet that if he was NOT stinking up the place at each debate with his lackluster performance, he would suddenly have time for them?
Love it. There are "too many debates". The truth is that, in any debates, his mouth proves him out to be the cow-punching moron that he really is.
Rick shares a problem with his fellow candidates- delusions of adequacy. From what I've seen, no way is this guy suitable or prepared for the job of POTUS. Too small-minded and pusillanimous, for starters.
Maybe he should just "poke Obama" in his words. (Unfortunate double-entendre there, Rick.)
Okay, secede from debates, your heart really wasn't in it. Nor your barnacle-brain. (Nice tax plan. Not.)
he is so full of it. what the real reason is is that he is too bush brained to be even start to explain things in that time frame. not hard. really its not.. that and im sure no ones giving him the money... and he obviously has anger issues. see how he reacts to other candidates of his own party? howd he respond to the chinese? or russia? or iran?
Perry's problem isn't that one minute is too short to lay out his ideas.
It's that one minute is too long for Perry to try to sound like he understands the issues.
If an idea doesn't fit on a bumper sticker, Perry's in over his head
Yeah, how about passing on running for the presidency? U don't want people to know the truth? Well, remember some of it is written in your book. Let's see how much empty brains will vote for you.
Rick Parry promises to spend more time ducking questions, bobbing for money, and weaving lies.
Why am I not surprised.
Please do skip the debates. It'll give Ron Paul more time to talk.
So Perry is "flaming out" and can't keep up with his peers. He's just a GWB clone, dumber than a box of rocks and "All hat, no cattle".
any joker, perhaps excepting huckabee and bachmann, would be better than this goon.
Can't stand the fire then I guess he'd better get out of the kitchen. What a flake! And another slick politician who doesn't want to face the glare of TV lights and pointed questions. Loser...
Why should Perry participate? We heard enough not to vote for him!
So now that this loser can't do well in debates because all he can do is attack.. This guy is so creepy... Who in America would put another Texan in office.. Come on now !!!!
Perry has been shooting himself in the foot so much I wonder if he has any toes left. He only opted in immediately after all of the others in the field were in a major debate as well. If you cant't stand the heat.....
This guy can not debate. We in Texas knows that. So he will find every excuse to avoid it. It is very simple.
Perry is right about the cost. Every time he opens his mouth it costs him votes. People showing up at his town halls to hear him are most likely supporters who won't want him to look bad by asking the tough questions. George Bush had lots of town halls packed with preselected supporters. Why would he want to have a town hall meeting with a a small group when he could reach millions by participating in a debate? Because, talking to a bunch of people who's votes you've already won is easier than making a fool out of yourself in front of millions. The purpose of participating in a debate is to differentiate yourself from other candidates and show that you have the better ideas. Out of sight; out of mind.
This is what he did in his last run for gov. of TX–no debates–refused. It worked so well–elected again!–he's employing it on the nat'l l stage. And he is certainly correct. There is little chance to be misunderstood when nothing is said. Do something at which you excell...smile.
Yes, taking part was a mistake...taking part in this presidential election. So in the rare event you were to be elected President, Mr Perry, are you going to duck and run from any other things that form a formidable challenge to you?
Well, I suppose this is one way to address the fact that you're horrid in debates.
Now if we could just get him to stay out of public ENTIRELY and crawl back under his rock.
Yeah, if I had a 2.2 GPA in college, I would also take a pass on debating anybody.
Perry doesn't want to debate because every time he opens his mouth he gets caught is a lie scandal or deceitful act. He doesn't want to ruin any more of his chances of being on the ballot. SURPRISE no g.o.p. candidate will be elected lmao.
I guess the idiot just can't take the heat so he's getting out of the kitchen.
Best to keep his mouth shut, lest he dig himself deeper into a hole!
Perry should take that $17 million for his campaign that the Kochs gave him and use it in Texas. He could paint his rock, open a fee clinic, provide assistance for those who have had to deal with the fire. Perry steps on his tongue every time he speaks, and has no business running for president. Actually, none of the republican candidates have any business running for president. FEMA must be wondering if they have to help the republican candidates, because they too, are a disaster.
Exactly what he did in Texas and got away with hiding from voters. Don't let the snake benefit from being a coward again. Send him home to be kicked out of his$10,000 a month leased home.
He looked bad in all of the debates so far, so maybe avoiding them will make him look good? Don't think so. Whoever the nominee is will have to debate Obama. Perry has exposed a fatal weakness which will end his bid for the nomination.
II see a sunset, a guy with a horse wearing $2,000 snake skin boots who has a mouth that makes him look (and sound) like a chimpanzee. He gets on the horse and rides into the sunset. there he goes... "happy trails to you......"
Another Palin;if you can not cook stay out of the kitchen. I guess this is something you can not buy little boy.
I guess the Indians will win cowboy.
Is that Perry's new campaign slogan – "In Texas, if we can't win, we surrender?" Him limited intellectual capacity is coming out in the debates and his worst enemy is himself (along with his weirdo supporters).
Just give up and go home. You have shown us all you do not have what it takes.
As a Texan, I knew this guy would fail miserably in the debates. I'm conflicted, I don't wish this clown on the American people, but I don't want him to come back and continue to govern my state. He's a fool and he's proving it on a national level.
Go for it. Step 1 – don't debate. That definitely will improve the process. But to be completely effective there needs to be a step 2 – don't campaign. And a step 3 – don't talk.
Perry has collected $17 million already. I think he should just skip all the rest of the politics, and go home and count his money. Mission accomplished, suckers!
If Rick Perry could talk his way out of a paper bag he'd be wanting one million debates. You ain't fooling nobody but the knuckle draggers.
Governor Perry's handlers must believe that ALL voters are incapable of rational, objective thought. If this is NOT the case, why would they release such nonsense? It is glaringly apparent the "pull out" is in direct response to his woeful inability to 1) articulate a coherent message, and 2) think/respond on his feet.
Governor Perry, during his campaign, has demonstrated – in spades – he is George W. Bush incarnate. To watch him on camera, to listen to his attempts at articulation, gives cause to close one's eyes and picture GWB's head on Governor Perry's body.
Seeing George W. Bush and Rick Perry as governors of the same state brings into question the intellect and objectivity of the voting majority in the State of Texas. Very Sad!
Well, it makes sense. After all: if you do so poorly in debates, why go to them? Of course, since the General Election is swayed by debates, and the performance of candidates in said debates, since Perry is such a poor debater, why
doesn't he just drop out now, and save himself the humiliation?
So what's he going to do when he needs to go toe-to-toe with Iran or North Korea? Not bother to show up?
Rick Perry is just as crooked as a barrel of snakes. He makes the act of mudslinging an art. And, after throwing everything at his opponents in hopes that something will stick to discredit them, he will avoid a face to face confrontation of a debate. Once, voters' impression of his opponents have been lowered, Rick Perry cruises to an easy victory.
Perry is done. What a coward!
Ah - the emperor with new clothes must have walked past a mirror...
Truly, the Governor has not displayed a quick and able wit, nor firm articulation, but does this mean he would be a bad president. Why, look at President Bush - he was equally inarticulate and yet got us involved in two wars, aided deregulation, laid the groundwork for recession (or depression), created a massive legal disparity between corporations and investors and the middle class and helped appoint activist jurists - when you look at this list of accomplishments, why wonder how incredible a Perry presidency would be?
C´mon get real he wants to cut back on debates because he´s a sold and bought puppet for the "RICH" and
he´s just too stupid to hold a conversation much less debate . I come from Texas but it was a Texas that
had HEROES not ZEROS way before the republican party came in and accepted all the racists and bigots
that you see now in the republican party and gave them a collective voice . Palin hated debates and the press
I guess he´s just another palin too stupid to chew gum and walk at the same time .
Boo Hoo...the debates are obviously too much for him. (People get MEAN in them, darn it.) If he were president, perish the thought, would he avoid important meetings/debates with world leaders, members of Congress and even his staff?
He's smarter than I thought he was...because of his lack of knowledge on issues and his "puppy dog style" he's realized he'd better talk off the cuff as very little as possible and rely strictly on notes and teleprompters. Every time he says something his foot pops into his mouth and down he rockets in the polls. I suspect his interviews with the media, except maybe for FOX, will be few and very far between, too. After all, that pesky liberal media is agin him. Well, if you can't take the fire, jump into the fryin' pan!
Yeah, that's the reason. It's not because every time he opens his mouth at a debate, he sticks his foot in there.
What's he polling at right now? 10% or less?
In other words, our candidate sucks at thinking so we want to keep him as far away from good questions as possible.
Perry is such a crybaby, his reaction to criticism harkens to another Texan that ran for President as an independent in 1992, Ross Perot. He couldn't stand the heat in the kitchen either and folded like a bad poker hand. I said that Perry is the personification of an old Texas phrase; BIG HAT NO CATTLE." And every time he opens his mouth he reinforces that opinion. My wife said yesterday after watching Perry for some weeks; "He's not very bright is he". I said; "No, but our last President from Texas was not the brightest light on the tree either.
People forget that being the governor of Texas is a part time job. The Texas legislature meets every other year. So the politicians in Texas work for one year and spend one year raising money to run the next year.
Perry is the poster child for today's republican party – morally bankrupt, inept, and completely out of touch.
What a joke. Perry doesn’t like debates simply because they expose him for what he is – petulant, arrogant, dumb, and lacking the ability to form a coherent thought. He actually reminds me of another recent politician from Texas with the same characteristics.
I would think Perry needs the practice. If he gets the nomination, which is a long shot, he will have to debate Obama and Obama will mop the floor with him. That will be entertaining to watch…
We've all come to see that Perry is nothing but a mean, stuffed-shirt politician with no real substance to his act.
This is cowardly but not out of character.
If he can't stand the heat he should stay out of the kitchen. When there is a world crisis we don't want someone who cannot take the 3:00am phone call.
If debates are to tough in his own party he may want to bow out now because he certainly will not make it in a bipartisan one.
He can't handle debates so he looks for an excuse not to go. Sarah Palin quits being Governor because she wants to make money. Do we really want these types of politicians influencing the political climate in our country. I don't think so.
LOL, you've been made to look ineffectual in the debates, my guess is because you are an ineffectual person. Of course you don't want to debate any more. The more you talk, the more people realize you would be a horrible president.
"It's pretty hard to be able to sit and lay out your ideas and your concepts with a one-minute response.". Translation: I'm not that smart.....
I watch the debates to see how they do under fire. The last debate was the worst as far as the petty bickering went. My feeling about Perry now is that he doesn't like sharing the stage with anyone, he has to be the biggest guy or he's diminished somehow.
If he's unwilling to debate, then we are unwilling to consider him potential president. His campaign is dead.
Translation: Perry doesn't have a clue how to debate and if he can't make everything revolve around his imaginary sky fairy he has no chance.
On this issue, I agree with Perry. These debates don't do alot except a school yard fight .
Granted these debates are more and more made for television in this ridiculous Reality television culture we now live on, what Perry really dislikes is being exposed as the fraud and mental dud that he is. The debates negate his ability to manipulate and micromanage his way to the White House.
Interesting he only decided on skipping some debates when he started dropping in the polls.
Maybe there's too many debates because everybody started running for President about 2 years early.
So the "ken" doll is going to shut up ?
How about just skip the election?
Well he's right of course. The whole debate debacle is just reality TV with politicians and the worst part is, no one watches the crap but the media decides the next day who won or lost and that's what the people go by.
"These debates are set up for nothing more than to tear down the candidates," Perry said on Fox News. "It's pretty hard to be able to sit and lay out your ideas and your concepts with a one-minute response."
He might have a point if it weren't for the facts that 1) debates are supposed to challenge the debater 2) these are really softball debates 3) most of the time is spent bickering and trying to come up with zingers instead of outlining or defending a position.
His suits and ties are nice, but he's a terrible debater.
and Crony Capitalism is his thang.
it doesn't wear well.
Whoa, hold on their partner. Everytime I open my mouth, I tell a lie and my ratings go down. Like Bush before me, I welcome all those illegals into my country. They are good for businesss, they work for less money then folks working at MCD and Wal-Mart. I would put a fence up just so they know they are entering the state of Texas and out of their terrible country to the South where all the drug wars are going on. I would have put a fence on the othersides of the state, but don't want to slow them down reaching our other fine southern states. The other day when I mentioned 20% Flat Tax, I was using that as an example, it might be 30%, it might be 10%, and it won't be my fault if the congress and senate shoots all my white house proposals. As far as health care and social security goes, folks should work till they die and not need to be drawing social security or social medicine. Romney believes the same, he just won't admit it. If I am elected as the presidential candidate, I will pick Romney as my VP because he would do the same thing for me.
Sounds like 'the man' doesn't like the fact that WE THE PEOPLE have finally figured out that Perry is not very Presidential...
"I want to hang out with people that won't ask me hard questions"
Everyone of these candidates has enough money to fly wherever they need to on a moments notice to campaign. I would think that if you are secure in your stance and are well educated on your views of all the issues that Americans care about (or are told to care about) you would rather pit those views against your opponents in a nationally televised event. I'm fairly certain voters in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada and Florida all have some sort of television access.
I don't even know why he would want to win the presidency instead of staying Governor of Texas; he's spent the last 3 years remodeling the Governors mansion after a relatively small fire all while renting another mansion, excuse me, while the people of Texas rent him another mansion. What a terrible excuse to try to cover his own lack of intelligence.
Rick Perry thinks he's so special, he doesn't have to do debates. Laughing out loud. He is absolutely pitiful..
Bye bye Perry! I don't see how you win the nomination by refusing to debate. LOL