Posted on 10/12/2011 5:53:12 AM PDT by BarnacleCenturion
Rick Perry’s six-foot frame seemed to slump in his chair during Tuesday’s Republican presidential primary debate, at a time when he should have been rising to the challenge.
The Texas governor sorely needed to notch a solid debate performance to arrest his freefall in the polls and reclaim his status as the biggest threat to the Republican to beat, Mitt Romney. He didn’t, reviving questions about his readiness for the national stage and raising new ones about his ability to sustain an initial, $17 million fundraising blitz.
Unlike previous debates, the eight Republican candidates on the stage in Hanover, N.H. were seated around a table instead of standing behind podiums. Perry fidgeted in his chair. He gave rambling responses, let Romney get off without a serious blow, and was caught on camera wincing in response to his rivals.
While Perry hoped to make the debate a referendum on one of Romney’s biggest liabilities – the similar requirements in the health insurance law he signed as governor of Massachusetts and the federal law President Obama’s enacted – there was far more discussion of the catchy “9-9-9’’ economic plan offered by his surging rival, Herman Cain.
When Perry finally had a chance to put Romney on the spot, the ex-Massachusetts governor delivered a strong counterpunch that took the sting out of the loaded question about his health care record. Turning the table, Romney said he was “proud’’ that he took on a major problem. He noted that his home state has the lowest number of uninsured kids in the nation, while Texas has the highest.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationaljournal.com ...
He peaked too soon............
Too bad really, I like that guy
too many darn debates, in ANY other year there would be 2 or 3 debates and that’s it.
Why are we having 20 or so debates this time, with nearly each and every one moderated by liberals stearing each and every question away from conservative issues and with each and every one designed to help Romney and hurt anyone showing promise?
One thing we do know is Romney will never be president. Like McCain he will fail and this time will fail miserably. The “establishment” is about to be handed their a$$.
Yes, there are too many debates. Imagine if this were an open year and the Dems had debates too. People tend to tune out when overloaded with stuff such as this.
Me, personally, don’t watch any of them. Last time I watched a debate, Nixon needed a shave...........
Actually the one question that each of them got to ask didn’t work for any of the candidates. The person asked got to spin their answers and then no one was allowed to ask any follow up questions.
If Perry had been allowed to come back at Romney after Romney spun his answer then he might have been able to score a point.
Same thing with all the questions and answers during this segment of the debate.
Still early. Don’t write him off yet. These so called debates moderated by liberals are useless. So was last nights, located on a TV channel that few of voters can even see. The horrible attacks on FR, media, and other Republican candidates plus Obama have been beyond the pale. I will wait and see.
If you think that Perry is finished why are you, the media, and his opponents still obsessed about him 24/7?
The overkill on debates is all about image, rhetoric.
The celeb factor.
Doesn't tell the story on character at all. This is why the MSM is pushing it into the celebrity zone. They're hoping for over-saturation and fatigue way early so Obama will look good in comparison later.
GOP candidates should cool it on the debates.
Living rent-free in the minds of many on FR. :-)
After last night, he’s not on the ropes - he’s down for the count!
He comes across as a deer in the headlights. His persona just doesn’t translate well to millions of people watching the debates.
Time to go back to Texas and spend his time at what he does best.
Rick Perry asked a great question. Romney was allowed to spin it but Perry was not allowed to rebut. That’s not a debate. How can one deduct debate points from Perry?
That happened to all the candidates even Cain. Romney answered Cain’s question quite well but Cain was not allowed to rebut it.
These debates are so stupid.
They are not really even debates, in the classic sense.
And when you have so damn many debaters, it’s ridiculous..........
Note tagline!
When Perry announced I was looking forward to a real conservative to push Romney off the stage. But what I've learned from the debates is, when Perry is starring back at Romney with that squinty look there is nobody home.
Rick Perry, whether it is right on wrong, doesn't come off well in the debates. Millions of people have watch 3 of these disasters and Perry has failed to relate to the voters in each one.
The clock is ticking and he and his backers need to make a decision on how he is going to capture the hearts and minds of the voters. So far he has lost a huge chunk of the conservative base and I don't think that segment is coming back to the Perry fold.
When you are personally attacked by being call “heartless” by a Presidential candidate it is hard to forget - even more so when it flies against your personal belief that illegals are entitled to nothing, much less a college education paid with Taxpayers money.
I still do not see any candidate that is a real threat to Obama’s 2nd term.
How can you say this? Romney is very likely to be our next president, with the help of all these other Republican candidates.
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