Republican candidate for President Mitt Romney on Saturday proposed a $10,000 bet to a rival candidate on Saturday, triggering questions in the media about whether that could show he is out of touch with the general public.

“[O]ffering Rick Perry a $10,000 bet on stage at Saturday night’s debate gave his opponents a perfect new way to cast him as an out-of-touch rich guy,’ wrote Reid J. Epstein of Politico.

Perry had accused Romney of deleting parts of his book stating he supported mandates for individuals to buy health insurance.

“Rick, I’ll tell you what… $10,000 bet? Romney said at one point.

“I’m not in the bettin’ business, but I’ll show you the book,” Perry said.

A spokeswoman for another candidate, Alice Stewart told ABC News that Romney’s sets him apart from fellow citizens.

“For someone to go and throw around a $10,000 bet, just goes to show even more that he’s not the same level as the people of Iowa or the country.”

Eric Fehrnstrom, a senior advisor to Perry, said the campaign was not worried that the comment might make Romney seem out of touch.

“Not at all,” Ferhrnstrom told Reuters. “Mitt Romney knew that Rick Perry wouldn’t take the bet because it’s a phony attack.”