Perry Quits, Endorses Gingrich

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - Gov. Rick Perry announced he is dropping out of the 2012 campaign for President, and instead throwing his support behind Newt Gingrich.

"There is no viable path forward for me in this 2012 campaign," said Perry to an assembled room of reporters in North Charleston, S.C. "Therefore I am suspending my campaign and endorsing Newt Gingrich."

Earlier in his campaign, Perry attacked Gingrich and front-runner Mitt Romney equally as "Washington insiders" who spent government money too liberally.

Now, at least one site financed by the Perry campaign, www.establishmentinsider.com , has disappeared from the Internet. The site contained a video criticizing Gingrich's record.

Political experts say Perry's endorsement of Gingrich comes at a crucial time, just two days before the South Carolina primary.

"Gingrich is really in a competition with Rick Santorum to be the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney," said Matthew Wilson, professor of political science at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. "And the fact that Perry, what support he has is among conservatives, would endorse Gingrich, helps Gingrich in that situation."

A recent poll shows Gov. Perry with low approval ratings across the nation, even in Texas.

A Public Policy Polling survey released Tuesday shows Perry in third place in his home state.

Texas Republicans surveyed chose Mitt Romney at 24 percent, Newt Gingrich at 23 percent, and Perry at just 18 percent.