Castellanos said of his next performance, at Dartmouth College, that the next time he should bring a mattress. Perry admitted after the event that "Debates are not my strong suit." Perry's performance in the Las Vegas debate was better received, at least in comparison to the other GOP hopefuls. Perry finished in second place in the 2011 California, Florida, Michigan and National Federation of Republican Women's Convention straw polls. He later placed fourth in the Values Voter Summit straw poll and then fifth in the Midwest Leadership Conference and South Carolina tea party straw polls. He continued at around fifth place until he dropped out of the race. October 2011: Facing difficulties October 2011 was a poor month for his campaign, as his debate performances, scrutiny from conservatives, negative media attention, and the rise of Herman Cain's popularity caused his viability to sink. His wife, Anita Perry, reflected on the "rough month", saying he was being "brutalized" by his opponents for his Christian faith. Lucas Baiano, who made commercials for Tim Pawlenty, joined Perry after Pawlenty withdrew from the race. In October 2011, Perry's deputy finance director, Louisa Imperiale, left the campaign for personal reasons. In October 2011, the Washington Post reported that Perry's family leases a hunting camp once called "Niggerhead". According to some local residents interviewed by the Post, the Perrys used the camp for years before painting over a large rock with that name on it, which stands at an entrance to the area, and during this time Perry hosted friends and supporters at the camp. Perry was criticized as being "insensitive" by Republican primary rival Herman Cain. Perry's campaign disputed the claims made by Cain and the Post, stating that the Perrys painted over the rock almost immediately after acquiring a lease on the property in 1983. Following the controversy, Perry's record on racial issues was scrutinized. The suggestion was made that allowing the use of the Confederate flag amounted to racism. He was criticised for having defended a display of Confederate symbols and having allegedly run "race-baiting" ads during his 1990 campaign against liberal activist and Democrat Jim Hightower for Texas agriculture commissioner. The ads pictured Hightower next to Jesse Jackson while a voice-over asks "Does Agriculture Commissioner Jim Hightower share your values?" The ads were criticized for their racial content by leaders in Texas's congressional black caucus, fellow members with Hightower of the Democratic