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Subscribe to RSSRick Perry thanks his supporters in Iowa and announces he is reassessing his campaign and heading home to Texas.
This story was updated at 1:25a.m. ET
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Texan is going home.
After a disappointing fifth place finish in the Iowa caucuses Tuesday night, Gov. Rick Perry announced that he will return to his home state to assess the future of a campaign that remained stalled for months despite prolific ad spending and a frenzied eleventh hour bus tour in the Hawkeye State.
"With the voters' decision tonight in Iowa, I decided to return to Texas, assess the results of tonight's caucus, determine whether there is a path forward for myself in this race," Perry told several hundred supporters gathered in the West Des Moines hotel that served as the team's nerve center this week.
Perry briefly choked up when reading aloud a letter from a supporter who drove from Texas to Iowa to support him.
Unlike his final Iowa campaign events - when he surrounded himself with loyal endorsers - Perry was joined only by his immediate family on stage as he thanked his supporters.
"You've made every minute of this worth it for ourselves," he told backers. "And with a little prayer and reflection, I'm going to determine the best path forward, but I want to tell you there has been no greater joy in my life than being able to share with the people of Iowa that there is a model to take this country forward and it is in the great state of Texas."
Aides said that Perry discussed the decision with family, senior aide Joe Allbaugh and communications director Ray Sullivan in his hotel suite after the fifth place finish was projected. Perry himself pushed to make the announcement of his return to Texas on stage rather than through a paper statement.
The next step for Perry will be a powwow with family and advisors as well as a data dive by aides into Perry's performance in the Iowa contest.
"It's going to come down to a calculus of what the Iowa results really said beyond the first snapshot, what resources we have available financially and otherwise and how we read South Carolina and the potential there," communications director Ray Sullivan told reporters.
In the waning days of the Iowa race, the campaign hoped that its ground game would propel the candidate to a surprise third place finish or a close fourth place showing. But public polls and internal surveys saw a stubborn lack of momentum despite more than 50 public appearances for the candidate since Dec 14.
In addition to the weak debate performances and embarrassing gaffes that haunted his campaign, the campaign was also plagued by infighting between its old guard Texas loyalists and more recently added political consultants.
A public announcement of Perry's next step will come no earlier than Thursday, Sullivan said.
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Perry never really had a chance of continuing, best to get out now before he wastes more money. He is a good ole boy just like Bush but taller with no neck. God told him to leave the race! Well good for him, now we know he actually listens to what God tells him to do.
Sad to say this abject moron is back in our midst. Based on his answers to questions he would have flunked an immigrant's entrance test. Oh, I forget. He wants the children of immigrants' to have in-state tuition privileges. He's like the father whose son helps him with the computer. See, Daddy, that's how government works. Your ass is back in the grass.
Applause from Texas
don't go away mad, rick. just go away.
Too bad --- one less teatard moron for SNL to poke fun at.
The man is a caricature of a corrupt 1950´s Southern politician and he is surprised. Maybe, but I doubt it, the people of Iowa are waking up. Not one of the real religious nuts made it through but the Mormon did. Now if only the people of TEXAS would wake the hell up about the kind of man they are putting into office in Austin. I am sure that a State with nearly 30 million citizens, can find someone at least a LITTLE smarter than Rich Perry. Remember Texas: You have the highest rate of incarceration and execution in the world and the lowest educational scores and the highest number of minimum wage jobs in the country. Is this REALLY how you want your State to look to the rest of the world?
That's how we like our governors - dumb as rocks.
Carlo, actually one of the religious nuts did make it through. Santorum is a religious nut. How did you miss him??
Bye Rick. Not going to miss you.
Democrats should be aware it is a surprising statement that a fine man like Rick Perry finished so far back of other good candidates,,, it sends a message that the Republican list of candidates is deep and strong.
Rick Perry is a fine man whose record makes Barack Hussein Obama look like a fraud. Under Perry the state of Texas has flourished and on a strong economic surge with high employment and a balanced budget for the next 2 years. Trust me, Obama does not have the intelligence or character to accomplish that feat anywhere.
The National Media and their partners ,, the Democratic Party,, have tried hard to mock the quality of the Republican Candidates,, but the Trust IS ,, any of them is far more capable than Obama,, the Marxist Socialist,, who is destroying our fine country.
Congratulations to Santorum , Romney, Paul and Gingrich for all having a strong showing in Iowa.. and remember this,, nothing was resolved in Iowa,, none of the votes by the Caucas are committed,, and the Republican race is alive and strong. Any of the top 5 candidates can beat Obama easily .
While I admire both Huntsman and Bachmann,, they both cannot win and should retire from the race,, although I would gladly accept either over Obama.
Obama should be quaking in his boots,, his record is miserable. " I guess those Shovel Ready Jobs weren't so shovel ready ",,, that is how I remember Obama. Along with his pledge to reduce the National Debt by 50 % in his first 4 year term... what a total joke Obama is,, that was an outright LIE by Obama,,, and the Debt has increased by 60 % --- so tell me my Liberals pundits,,, how does Obama explain a 100% failure on the Debt ?
There is not a single measurable statistic other than the Stock Market which is better than when Obama took over,, and the STock Market is up because of Bernanke's policies,, free money ,,, not due to Obama who has been at war with private industry,,,
When Obama claims things are better ,, he will be laughed off the stage,, any of the Republicans will destroy him in a debate,, he has no record to run on ..
I look forward to November 2012 as the day Americans can look forward to the end of the daily crisis mode of Obama,,, with the US Gov. being downsized and spending reined in and energy being pushed and jobs opening new hope for Americans everywhere.
The Democratic Party is a fraud,, they back the silly Occupy Wall Street gang, the Unions, the gays,, the Illegals,, everything that is Un American ,, and that will destroy them.
Put the bong back in the closet and get dressed for work
The GOP field is deep and strong? Rick Perry a fine man?? You're kidding, right?
@ Gumps, Allen must be making fun of voters with that limited mentality.
Alan - I tend to agree with 50vette here. Aside from that, it is clearly obvious from your last statement that you are nothing more than a narrow minded bigot and that is the ONLY reason you dislike Obama. The man could sh*t gold bricks for the US Treasury and your stupid hick ass would still find a reason to fault him. Like 50vette said, put away the bong and get dressed for work. Or did you forget to say "would you like fries with that?" Good grief!!
Oh...and how to I explain failure on the debt situation? Very easy. Three letters...GOP (aka the party of "no") led by none other than the rocket scientist himself Boehner.
Alan,
Wow, you almost had me. I was readying a factual, yet witty retort to your foolishness until I read that last line about unions, Occupiers, and gays being "unAmerican." Assuming that no living human being could ACTUALLY be as backward and ignorant as your post suggests you are, I realize you're just posting satire, right?
Right...?
:::jeez:::
Thank goodness he's going away. He proved to be far dumber, politically, the more we saw of him. I'm surprised none of his consultants picked up on that part.
DirtySouth,
Scary version? Perhaps Rick was the smartest of his bunch...?
Having lived in Texas far too long (47 years), it's been quite evident that since President Obama was elected, Texans are capable of incredible hatred, racism and redneck rhetoric, and can safely say that it starts at the top...with this clown governor, ricky "oops" perry! As one poster noted, maybe now the people in this state will realize that ricky is a jackass who has gotten away with his shady personal deals too long, that his plan to dumb-down the children of this state by defunding education to the tune of $400 million puts the state even farther down (if that is possible) in the national stats for educating the state's children, that he's defunded coverage through Medicaid for 120,000 children, and that his one main goal is to pander to his wealthy oil and corporation campaign contributors. Yea, slick rick is coming home to re-think how ignorant of the fact he's been that he is incompetent, his message is incendiary, that he isn't the savior of the US, and that he just may not have that direct pipeline to God that the New Apostolic Reformation said he had...and the idea that Texas is going to be the standard bearer for the rest of the country? God help this country if anyone uses Texas as a model for prosperity for all, exceptional education of all children, compassionate assistance for all Americans...perry is a disaster on two bowed legs...get on the pony and ride back to West Texas, gov!!
We're just thankful that Texas has a weak governors office. It's amazing that the people who wrote the Texas Constitution in 1876 could see Bush & Perry coming.
Alan W-
Do you feel better now that you've gotten rid of that excess of bile? You also seem to have had an excess of commas and gotten rid of them, too, in your #60 post. Unfortunately, it seems your discarded commas -- at least some of the them -- have hooked up in twos and even threes. Is that homopunctuation? If so, why are so many of your one-time commas engaged in something you classify as "UnAmerican?"
I'm sure that a number of the other GOP/T candidates appreciate the Governor's participation -- however ineffective -- in the Iowa caucuses, just as a great number of my classmates appreciated my participation -- however ineffective -- in our college studies that made it possible for them to finish higher than I did.
I would like for Gindrich,Perry and Bachman to stop mudding the water and ask their supporters to vote for Rick Santorum, not sure why except that Romney has flopped around like a beached fish, and I know for a fact Santorum would fight for family values and I would hope he that he would back off the earmarks and throw the special interest out. I also do not believe he will throw the poor and elderly under the bus. Romney is all business, but we cannot completley run America as a business, they have allways gone after the bottom line which is ok for business but not for this country. America is the people and they must take precedence over the bottom line. America government should not be in the for profit business, but should have a balanced budjet with a certain ammount of surplus for emergency's. Government should not be a employment paradise. One thing is for certain, if obama is re-elected, America is doomed.
We booted Ricks right -wing bs OUT in Pa,he didn't work for us,just his"intrests".Just in time for 9.99
Hey Perry, don't come back to Texas we don't need you! Really.
Reassess means: we are done and throwing their support for another candidate. This is why they hold these things because it gives a better indication of just where they really stand.
For myself I don't give a crap what Iowa does. It is the what they say ONCE they have won the the Convention vote that I decide on who I will vote for: be it Dem, Rep, or Independent.
Perry reminds everyone all too much of former President George W. Bush. This is the real reason.
Perry needs to "reassess" his education and grasp of the English language.
Can he find his way back? Doesn't appear to be real bright, you know.
Oh noooooo. Perry's coming back... I demand a recount... This things not over... I haven't heard the fat lady... Please, please, pleaseeee... keep him occupied with a presidential run... don't let him come back yet... things are just starting to get better over here... I demand a recount...
Rick is reassessing. He needs to stay where he belongs and that is in Texas. I don't know who told him he was ready for prime time, but they lied to him. I have four reason why he should stay home. One, you must know the age requirement to vote, you must know how many justices are on the supreme court, you must know the role of the president. You can't just cut departments at your whim. There is a process. Finally, you must, uh, you must, oops. I forgot the fourth one. When I come up with it I will get back to you.
Perry won his last two elections down here by spending millions on attack ads and refusing to debate. I don't think half the people who voted for him in Texas realized what an idiot he has always been. Maybe God will tell his wife to tell hime to resign "so he can spend more time with his family."
Perry is the first Texas A & M grad to be elected governor in Texas. There was, up until Perry took over the reins when Bush moved on to more camoflaged pastures, a very good reason for this, mainly the inbred conservative nature of the university and its by-products. And here comes Perry who graduated with C's and D's. Not exactly the creme de la creme. But that doesn't matter. He's in the Aggie pipeline of good old boys and he has really, really good hair. This is his resume.
Perry is Texas jerky.
Wonder what the good ole' boys are thinking right now - the big boys who gathered in TX to finance Perry's run for President? I would imagine they are sad about their money. TX was a Democratic State until Reagan appeared on the scene then switched to the Republicans way of thinking - or rather not thinking. I am a Texan and have been my entire life (I'm 76). All Texans had to do was to read Perry's history. Why they voted on him I'll never know.
Yes, Perry, it is time you got the message even conservative voters do not want you to run for the office of President. It is time for you to stop your campaign and quit spending $400,000 per month of Texans' tax monies for a security detail and eating at the swankiest restaurants in Washington, D.C.,--whenever you go there-- the city you loathe and despise in your political speeches, but apparently have wanted to live there.
OK.... 2 down (Perry, Cain) and they might as well take Santorum, Romney, Paul, Gingrich, Bachman, and Huntsman with them! LOL... REPUBNUTS/TEAHEADS WILL NEVER MAKE IT TO THE WHITE HOUSE! They have proven that they don't have a clue about anything. Some of them already want a war with IRAN... bunch of bigots and warmongers! I hope a hole opens up and swallows them all... they deserve to burn!