The sponsors of the next Republican presidential debate have postponed the mid-July face-off in Las Vegas — not because they’re concerned about who hasn’t agreed to appear, but because they are waiting instead for one who might: Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
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| Texas Gov. Rick Perry: Will he or won't he? If so, when? (Getty Images Photo) |
“We’re waiting for Perry,” Grover Norquist, the head of Americans for Tax Reform, acknowledged to
The Washington Post.
Americans for Tax Reform is co-sponsoring the debate with conservative website The Daily Caller.
Norquist declined to reveal on how certain he is that Perry will run for president.
But the fact that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney opted to skip the event, and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman is not expected to participate, prompted the Post to note that it makes sense to wait to see whether Perry decides to run, as many are encouraging him.
Perry spokesman Mark Miner told the Post that Perry hasn’t decided. “There’s nothing new to report,” Miner said. “The governor hasn’t made his decision yet. He continues to think about a run, and that’s where it stands.”
Perry was well received at the Republican Leadership Conference last weekend after a rousing speech that echoed with a presidential candidacy.
“A Perry campaign could generate excitement that some Republicans believe is missing from the current field. With a strong record of job creation in Texas and a long history of touting conservative principles, Perry is widely viewed as someone with the potential to bridge the divide between establishment Republicans and tea party conservatives,” the Post observed.
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