Rick Perry drops out of GOP presidential race

“Commerce, Education and the – what’s the third one there?” Perry awkwardly asked during the Nov. 9 debate.

His campaign never recovered.

The Texas governor was panned for releasing a campaign commercial that complained about the repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, saying “gays can serve openly in our military, but our children can’t openly celebrate Christmas.”

The ad, an appeal to social conservatives, drew some 750,000 “dislikes” on the video sharing website YouTube and was the basis for dozens of parodies.

The next primary contest is South Carolina, where Perry had hoped to solidify his place in the contest, but polling predicts another finish at the bottom of the ladder for the Texas governor. The GOP front-runner, former Mass. Governor Mitt Romney, is currently leading in the state, according to a Politico survey.

Perry also endorsed former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich at a press conference held today in North Carolina.

Top photo: Texas Gov. Rick Perry at a CPAC event in 2011 (via Facebook)