NORTH CHARLESTON, SC — Moments after Rick Perry’s exit from the GOP presidential race at a hotel north of Charleston, a key Perry supporter in South Carolina expressed deep anger about the system of debates that contributed to the Texas governor’s downfall.

“The Republicans have let this become the reality show of presidential politics,” said Katon Dawson, a former chairman of the South Carolina GOP.  “We’ve let it be driven it by people who don’t like us.  We’ve had debates with people who don’t like us.  It’s obvious when you see the questions, it’s obvious when you see the bent of some of these debates.  For that hour and a half of earned media, we have let the drive-by shooting of the liberal media come after our Republican candidates unfettered.  And that really is the tale of this election cycle.”