▁race , ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁placing ▁a ▁distant ▁third ▁in ▁the ▁Am es ▁St raw ▁Pol l . ▁Congress man ▁Th ad de us ▁McC ot ter ▁also ▁dropped ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁race ▁a ▁month ▁after ▁the ▁st raw ▁poll , ▁calling ▁his ▁president ial ▁bid ▁the ▁" wor st ▁ 1 5 ▁minutes ▁of ▁ ▁life ." ▁ ▁Go ing ▁into ▁September , ▁media ▁coverage ▁of ▁subsequent ▁deb ates ▁held ▁in ▁Sim i ▁Valley , ▁California , ▁T ampa ▁and ▁Or lando , ▁Florida ▁focused ▁on ▁Rick ▁Perry ' s ▁poor ▁performance ▁in ▁those ▁deb ates , ▁and ▁eventually ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁significant ▁drop ▁in ▁his ▁support ▁in ▁state wide ▁pol ls ▁conducted ▁in ▁both ▁Iowa , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁nation wide . ▁This ▁also ▁coinc ided ▁with ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁the ▁ 9 – 9 – 9 ▁plan ▁by ▁fellow ▁candidate ▁business man ▁H erman ▁C ain , ▁who ▁then ▁saw ▁a ▁sharp ▁rise ▁in ▁the ▁pol ls , ▁putting ▁him ▁in ▁a ▁virtual ▁tie ▁with ▁Mitt ▁Rom ney . ▁In ▁the ▁weeks ▁following , ▁C ain ▁was ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁a ▁sc andal ▁involving ▁accus ations ▁of ▁sexual ▁har ass ment ▁during ▁his ▁ten ure ▁at ▁the ▁National ▁R estaur ant ▁Association , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁an ▁accus ation ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁participated ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 3 - year ▁affair ▁with ▁an ▁Atlanta ▁business w oman . ▁ ▁Sub sequ ent ▁state wide ▁pol ling ▁then ▁saw ▁a ▁sur ge ▁among ▁several ▁candidates , ▁including ▁New t ▁G