PERRY DEBATE DISASTER: This Is The Moment That Officially Killed His Campaign — For Good (PAINFUL!)

Business Insider ^ | 11/09/2011 | Zeke Miller

[SeekAndFind]

At today's CNBC debate Texas Gov. Rick Perry was asked a question about his tax and spending plan — but completely blew an otherwise strong answer by looking like a complete fool.

Perry was listing the three Cabinet agencies he wants to abolish — and forgot the third one.

From the transcript:

Perry: And I will tell you, it is three agencies of government when i get there that are gone. Commerce, Education, and the — what's the third one there? Let's see...Okay. Commerce, Education, and the —"

Ron Paul: EPA?

Perry: EPA, there you go.

Moderator: Seriously -- is epa one you are talking about?

Perry: No, sir, no, sir. we are talking about the -- agencies of government -- EPA needs to be rebuilt. >>

Moderator: you can't -- you can't name the third one?

Perry: The third agency of government I would -- I would do away with Education, the -- >> Commerce...Commerce and, let's see. I can't. The third one, I can't. Sorry. Oops.

About 15 minutes later, Perry said "It was the Department of Energy that I was reaching for before."

Watch the video below (the disaster kicks in at 1:00):

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO

[ltc8k6]

I saw it. I thought is was funny and well handled. I thought Perry looked fine when it happened.

[brickdds]

I believe Rick Perry may have been under the influence of pain medication.
He has been treated for some back ailment and is taking pain meds for that, as has been reported.
His speech in Rhode Island reinforces that notion.
I voted for Perry and went to his rally with Sarah Palin.
I even suggested he would be the dark horse and take the nomination long ago.
I initially supported him and expected him to be the next president.
But knowing his weak stances on immigration, I felt he had the political acumen to walk them back and refocus as he did with Gardasil.
Instead he doubles down and insults the conservative base by calling them heartless.
That was the moment his campaign went down.
Tonight was just further evidence he does not possess sound judgment or a true conservative pedigree.
For those outside of Texas he vowed to sign a law preventing sanctuary cities in Texas. It never came to a vote. As governor, he has the authority to call a special session and have this put to a vote; unfortunately he does not have the stones to follow through.
Good riddance!

[Jay Santos CP]

Rick Perry is excellent really, except when it comes to speaking. He’s got some issues there.

[grey_whiskers]

Long-time member here; seems to have had a strange virus take over his account for just one post, though...

Cheers!

[af_vet_rr]

Perry is one of the few (if any) candidates who is confident enough to be able to laugh at himself. That’s laudable and human. A lapse in an otherwise very good debate performance. He can’t be counted out.

You should go watch the segment again, because the look on his face was not one of somebody who was joyously happy, it was the look of somebody who knew how bad they screwed up.

[af_vet_rr]

The sad part; this stuff has zero to do with how someone can govern.

We are electing slick debaters. Almost like auditions to be actors.

Welcome to the last 150 years of politics. Have they become more important over the last 60 years of television, sure, but you want somebody who can communicate, and who can go in front of a hostile crowd and articulate what they believe in and why they believe in it.

People complain about these debates, but I love them, because it's providing a good opportunity for some candidates to sharpen their communication skills and whoever gets this nomination needs to be ready to mix it up with Nobama and the MSM.

My only problem is that after tonight, I can see more and more moderators shying away from engaging Gingrich or Paul.

[AmericanInTokyo]

He’s done. Finished. Kaput. Mark the time, Scotty. Historic.

[dragnet2]

Rick Perry is excellent really, except when it comes to speaking.

To save his campaign, no more debates, no more questions.

He should set up a 1-800 call in line so potential supporters can call in and listen to canned messages from Perry, complete with applause.

Limit his campaign stops to a quick wave and smile, then jump back on the bus and take off.

[af_vet_rr]

believe Rick Perry may have been under the influence of pain medication.
He has been treated for some back ailment and is taking pain meds for that, as has been reported.

This is a crappy rumor to spread. If Perry was in that much pain, he would not be out jogging or actively exercising. He has been jogging, he has said he's doing fine.

[SaraJohnson]

If the obamacommies at Business Insider say so, it must be so.

[Windflier]

I saw it. I thought is was funny and well handled. I thought Perry looked fine when it happened.

Yours is the minority view, which doesn't help Perry one bit. Most folks were aghast at his stumble. And this isn't the first one. He's been stumbling over his own tongue since he first entered the race.

Sorry, but that's a deal-breaker in the big leagues.

[fireman15]

Perry isn’t my man and some of his supporters have been incredibly nasty on these forums, but I don’t think that having a brain fart in front of a few million people compares in the least to making nasty comments about the leader of Isreal with an open mike. Obama has been given a pass by the press for so much worse. But they will use this over and over. We will see this on Saturday Night Live and all the late night talk shows. You don’t get to be Governor of Texas, or Governor of Alaska, if you are an idiot. This was a bad break, and I am sorry for everyone here who loves Gov. Perry.

[flaglady47]

It wasn’t Ron Paul that through out the EPA to Perry to try to help him out while he was having his brain fart. It was Romney that was trying to help him, the bad, evil Romney. The above article says it was Ron Paul. It wasn’t. Listen to the video. The word EPA comes from the left of Perry, not to his right, where Ron Paul was. It was Romney, as was confirmed on the TV tonite.

[flaglady47]

through = threw above. Typo.

[Gator113]

What he should have said: “I’ve been in 57 states, (with) I think one left to go.”

I am not a Perry supporter, but up to that brain lockup, I think he had done quite well tonight.

[bilhosty]

This is getting scary. We don’t have anyone good except Romney. Gingrich has a real history of stepping in to it. If Cain can't prove these harassment stories are false which is hard even if they are, he is a sure loser. Romney I go back and forth on. But we need someone else to jump in Christie, Jindal, or the Virginia Governor (heck I cant even remeember the third ones name). We should be wiping the floor with Obama yet he seems to be leading all of these clowns.

[skinkinthegrass]

Perry really can't think on his feet....Unfortunately, the President NEEDS to be a great COMMUNICATOR...It's clear that Perry ain't the one.

RUSH, Is going to have fun tomorrow w/ this....
CAIN survives & still climbing...Newt, too....
Romney is (struggling) threading water...dead in water.

Pres--ent 0Bozo IS still using his teleprompter?...some COMMUNICATOR

[equaviator]

“The sad part; this stuff has zero to do with how someone can govern.”

Absolutely. If I wanted performance art I’d buy tickets to see the Ice Capades. What do people expect of their nominee, a whole lot of image and a little bit of substance? Are we really that shallow? I’m not just talking about Perry either.

An onstage gaffe or awkward moment may cause some of the audience to wince, cringe or feel uncomfortable but since when has the public developed this preference to have a used car salesman give them the business?

[Dem Guard]

Perry is Road Kill by Suicide.

[trubolotta]

I must disagree. This stuff has a lot to do with the ability to “lead”. If I want to be “governed”, I can vote for Obama or Romney. It is not shallow to expect a candidate to have firm knowledge of their own platform.

I will agree with you that every candidate, to some extent has allowed themselves to be sucked into a media circus of “show” absent “substance”. People I thought were solid conservatives were baited and took it hook, line and sinker. They have attacked each other for disingenuous reasons other than the opportunity to spit out a “gotcha” and get that on camera.

I'll admit I'm not a Perry supporter but I do think Perry has contributed to the value of these debates. I think he was also unfairly attacked for his Ponzi scheme characterization of Social Security and motivations for requiring HPV vaccinations. I agree with his position on the former but not on the latter. I do hope he stays in the race and that other candidates find the good sense to debate him, not hurl mud that makes everyone look bad.