Expert: Perry Never Faced Scrutiny in Texas He Faced with Presidential Campaign

Pitch

Rick Perry came in like a lion and out like a lamb in the 2012 Republican primaries. A Texas Tech expert can discuss why he stayed so long and what went wrong during his much-anticipated presidential campaign.

 

Expert

Craig Goodman, assistant professor of political science, (806) 742-4047 office, (806) 790-8715 mobile, craig.goodman@ttu.edu.

 

Talking Points

• Pride and hope kept Perry in the race
• Perry was believed to have the power to unite both old-guard Republicans and Tea Partiers
• Poor showings during key debates killed Perry’s campaign

 

Quotes

• “I think Governor Perry stuck it out so long because he has a great deal of pride and the map seemed pretty good for him – South Carolina and Florida are states that would be hospitable to Governor Perry’s message.”
• “I was a little surprised about the poor campaign that Perry ran because he has done well in Texas. That said, I think that was the problem because he has not really been tested in Texas to the same extent that a candidate is during a presidential campaign.”
• “The campaign lost momentum after the concerns over immigration and forgetting the name of department agencies he would eliminate.”
• “I suspect Governor Perry returns home, presides over the next legislative session in 2013 and does not seek reelection in 2014.”