Perry faces challenges in N.H.

DERRY, N.H. — Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed a pledge in front of a packed town hall audience Friday promising to cut government “at all levels,” make the nation energy-independent within eight years and secure the border.

Perry (R) also promised as he signed the pledge to wield a “Sharpie probably just like this one” on his first day as president to do away with as much of last year’s health-care overhaul law as is possible by executive order. And he committed to bringing the same approach to job creation — keeping government off the backs of business — that he says helped Texas produce 40 percent of all new U.S. jobs over the past two years.

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“The fact is that there’s nothing ailing America that the rebirth of freedom cannot cure,” Perry told the audience of about 150 at the Derry opera house, a popular venue for presidential contenders. “We’re going to bring that prosperity back by enlisting America’s greatest economic advantage, and that is freedom. Freedom from too much government, freedom from too much spending, freedom from too much borrowing, freedom from too much regulation.”

This was Perry’s first town hall, a traditional venue for New Hampshire voters to vet presidential candidates every four years. Perry has campaigned in New Hampshire four times since entering the race to be the Republican nominee to face off against President Obama next year.

Perry’s aides have said that part of his campaign strategy would include all-out efforts in every state, every caucus and every primary. The Texas governor has rocketed to the top of most polls since declaring his candidacy in mid-August.

But New Hampshire presents particular challenges for Perry because of the popularity and organizational might of his top rival for the Republican nomination, Mitt Romney. Romney not only has been preparing for 2012 since his first go at the nomination in 2008, but he was also the governor of neighboring Massachusetts and owns a lakefront vacation home in New Hampshire.

Perry’s town hall was not nearly as packed or cheering as Romney’s event at the same spot in July. And Perry’s campaign is still building an organization in the state, a fact that even neutral Republicans said presents a challenge for him.

“He’s building a good campaign, but he’s somewhat late to building that campaign,” said Jim Foley, the chairman of the Derry Town Republican Committee, who introduced Perry on Friday but said he will remain neutral through New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary early next year. “He’s going up against campaigns that have been up here one to three years.”

One local Republican who declined to be identified in order to speak candidly lamented Perry’s slim schedule in New Hampshire. He said Perry will be back in the state Oct. 11 for a televised debate at Dartmouth College — the event is co-sponsored by The Washington Post and Bloomberg — but he said there are no current plans for Perry to visit New Hampshire for the following three weeks.

That is not smart, the Republican said, because Perry needs to meet New Hampshire voters to overcome lingering perceptions that he performed weakly in the last couple of national debates.