Más town hall meetings y menos debates

First Read:

*** Perry to skip debates after Nov. 9? The fall debate season hasn’t been kind to Rick Perry, and his campaign is now suggesting he will limit his participation in future debates after the CNBC debate in Michigan on Nov. 9.

“We’re about 60 days away from votes being cast,” Perry Communications Director, Ray Sullivan said on CNN, per Bloomberg. “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.” Sullivan went on to say, “We’re taking each of these as they come, examining the schedule and examining the opportunities and the opportunity costs.”

And Perry spokesman Mark Miner told Politico: "We said we would do Michigan but the primaries are around the corner and you have to use your time accordingly." If you've followed Perry's career closely and if you've read the "Eggheads" about the Perry way of doing this on the campaign trail, this shouldn't come as a surprise. Perry's folks believe in the retail campaign strategy; it's a Perry strength, one he's yet to be able to showcase which is why they want off the debate trail.