Quite honestly he looked like he didn't belong there. This had nothing to do with Rove. He lost it all by himself.
I think it was just learning curve. He was doing just fine by the time he ended his campaign.
So, at one level I’ve got to agree with you: it’s dumb to enter a presidential campaign with a steep learning curve.
On the other hand, I know about the racial epithet rock and the “heartless” comment was only significant because it was taken by his opponents to be a description of Perry’s position rather than as an experienced nudge in the right direction.