Morning Must Reads: September 14

And then there were 16. Rick Perry’s exit from the GOP primary race Friday seemed inevitable for weeks, as the former Texas governor’s campaign struggled with fundraising as the candidate struggled to make a second first impression with votes after his disastrous 2012 bid. His fall illustrates that super PACs can only do so much for a candidate, as his well-funded outside group couldn’t replace the bare minimum of hard dollars needed to run a campaign. Another key lesson: Perry’s resume as a 14-year governor of the fastest-growing state in the country made him seem on paper to be the ideal candidate to replace a first-term Senator in the White House, but the GOP’s preference for fresh faces and distrust in traditional politicians is crowding out the familiar candidates—at least for now.

Bernie Sanders will take his campaign to the conservative Liberty University on Monday, the school founded by Jerry Falwell, as he hopes to take his message of economic populism to nontraditional venues. Hillary Clinton‘s campaign is seeking to reassure supporters watching her support steadily fall. Donald Trump is teasing a mammoth crowd for an event in Dallas. And President Obama may not be running again this year, but he’s going back to Iowa to discuss college affordability.

Here are your must-reads:

Must Reads

Slipping Far Back in Polls, Jeb Bush Tries to Bounce Back in the Next Debate
He’s been spending time in his comfort zone before a very foreign debate stage [Washington Post]

As Polls Tighten, Clinton Camp Huddles State Directors, Reassures Supporters
Staffers rally as slide gives supporters pause [BuzzFeed]

Rick Perry Out of 2016 Republican Presidential Race
The first in field of 17 to call it quits [TIME]

In National Politics, Big Money Drowning Out Everyone Else
Billionaire Texan brothers highlight fast-growing power of super PACs [Boston Globe]

Gloomy Republican Campaigns Leave Behind Reagan Cheer
The GOP warns it’s all bad [New York Times]

Sound Off

“It’s disgraceful. Sometimes the boards rule but I would probably say it’s less than 10 percent; and you see these guys making enormous amounts of money. It’s a total and complete joke.” — Donald Trump to CBS’s “Face the Nation” on CEO compensation

“You have absolutely no idea. You have no idea, as you sit here today, that he did anything wrong. Nor does anybody else.” — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to NBC’s Chuck Todd as another confidant is roped up in the fall-out of Bridgegate

Bits and Bites

Donald Trump Trades Jokes With Jimmy Fallon [TIME]

Trump, Carson Top GOP Race; Clinton Leads Dems But Support Drops [Washington Post]

‘Case Disrupted’ Ahead of Pope Francis Visit to US, Says House Homeland Security Chair [ABC News]

Scott Walker Cancels Stops to Focus on Iowa and South Carolina [New York Times]

Obama Won’t Stay at Waldorf Astoria for U.N. Event; Security Concerns Are Cited [New York Times]

Hillary Clinton Talks About Faith, Family to Mark D.C. Church’s 200th Anniversary [Washington Post]

Trump vs. Walker: A Tale of Two Tailgates [Politico]

Christie: ‘Just Stop Reading Newspapers’ on Samson Investigation [NJ.com]