Area Republican Leaders Discuss Perry's Debate Performance
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Republicans are split on Gov. Rick Perry's performance during Tuesday night's presidential debate.
"I think he's on track and I think he's holding his own and I'm very excited for him," said former state Republican Party Chair and Perry supporter Cathie Adams.
But Dallas County Republican Party Chairman Wade Emmert is more cautious.
"It's not looking so good for Perry right now," Emmert said. "He needed to do a couple of things last night in the debate and he didn't get a chance to do those things."
Perry has been criticized for not releasing his plan to revive the economy and put residents back to work. His campaign said the Governor would announce his plan on Friday.
"He did not sink. I think he did relatively well, but perhaps the more politically dangerous thing for him was he was not listened to much last night," said University of Texas at Arlington political science professor Allan Saxe.
While former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is ahead in the polls, many North Texas conservatives still aren't rallying behind him. Adams shared Perry's philosophy that Romney has flip-flopped on too many topics to be reliable to voters.
"He has switched on too many of his issues, and that's why the base of the party, in the end, isn't going to be supporting a man who is today here and tomorrow there," Adams said.
And Emmert said that very thing is why Perry needs to go on the attack.
"Perry needs to take the money he's raised, the $17.4 million he's raised, and the claws need to come out," Emmert said. "It's time to play NFL football for Perry."
