WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? Rick Perry's lackluster performance in the last Republican presidential debate will likely dent his fundraising this quarter, backers said, despite their confidence a week ago that he might surpass Mitt Romney.
The Texas governor shot to the top of national polls when he entered the 2012 presidential race last month, but his star diminished somewhat after what some called confusing statements at last week's Republican debate in Florida.
The final weeks in a fundraising period are often the most crucial, fundraisers said. The third quarter ends Friday September 30, and it will be the first time Perry reports. All the candidates including the man to beat, Democratic President Barack Obama, are on a fundraising blitz in the final weeks.
"Money follows momentum. When you have negative momentum it always impacts your fundraising negatively," said Matt Mackowiak, who is one of the fundraising hosts for Perry at a posh Washington hotel on Tuesday evening.
Romney, Perry's chief rival for the Republican nomination to oppose Obama in his re-election bid next year, will raise money in Washington this week as well.
Not in Washington is Obama, who is on a West Coast campaign swing that has raised millions from Seattle to San Diego.
The Perry camp had an internal goal of raising about $10 million for the third quarter. Many expect he will still reach that benchmark, but expectations have faded since late last week that Perry could substantially surpass it and overtake the former Massachusetts governor in the money race.
Romney raised $18 million in the last quarter, before Perry launched his presidential campaign, which was more than all of his Republican rivals combined.
"I would imagine some people who might have been ready to come (to Perry) are probably still sitting on the sidelines," because of the debate, said Henry Barbour, who raised money for Republican John McCain's 2008 presidential bid and is now collecting for Perry.
"It is a bump in the road," Barbour said.
At the same time, backers said the blip could be temporary and noted Perry still leads national polls, including a CNN poll that came out after the debate showing Perry leading Romney by 7 percentage points.
"There are so many things that have an impact," another Perry fundraiser said. "The debate has an impact - that doesn't mean it is something that is mind-changing. It might mean more people watch the next debate to see how people perform."
The third quarter is traditionally a weak fundraising period, with many people on summer vacation.
Not all agreed the debate would move the needle substantively.
"I think people chew over these debates as if they are some sort of holy grail as to whether or not people are electable," said Chris Healy, a former Republican Party chairman from Connecticut.
Still, he said that given Perry's late entry, "he doesn't have the luxury of setbacks."
(Editing by Doina Chiacu)
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