Posted on 11/10/2011 2:37:12 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
By facing the issue and joking about it, Perry frames his gaffe as a funny moment rather than a serious, and seriously stupid, one. He takes control of the discussion. Every minute he's on the air being interviewed about it is one more minute his moment isn't being replayed, one more minute some panel of pundits isn't fretfully analyzing its stupendous terribleness. By allowing his memory glitch to be the topic of discussion and owning up to it, he helps exhaust the subject.
Most of all, Perry is being humanized, albeit not in the way any politician would wish.
For all the talk about the Republican field's lack of a credible conservative to take on Mitt Romney, there's another, just as glaring void: the humanity gap. Romney's woodenness and lack of approachability are arguably just as much of an issue as his ideological heresies and lack of consistency. He's just not relatable. A little personality goes a long way in a politician -- just look at Herman Cain.
Perry's reputation in Texas is as a folksy charmer, but it's a persona he seems to have left back in Austin for most of this campaign. He's been stilted and spacey and unsure by turns, with flashes of a better politician occasionally showing through.
Now, though it may be too late, Perry is seizing the chance to show he's just like us. He, too, saw what happened on that stage and groaned. He, too, thought he looked awfully dumb. But in refusing to let it get him down, he can show forthrightness and sincerity, two traits voters are surely wishing they saw more of from this field of Republican candidates.
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
This campaign has money, organization and a great Internet presence with a candidate that keeps repeatedly shooting himself in the foot at every opportunity.
For your sakes, I wish your candidate was as devoted to excellence as you all are.
Big deal he forgot a talking point and got busted. Cain just runs his mouth without thinking. Its pretty much the same thing.
“Theres a difference between misspeaking and totally forgetting what the hell youre talking about - big difference.”
And given the floor, and three attempts, still not being able to come up with it. In fact the third time, someone, I believe it was Ron Paul (I think, by the voice), had to help him to even get to two. Yowsers!
Running your mouth and totally forgetting what you are talking about are NOT the same thing.
If only those people will vote for Perry who have had a similar moment of not being able to remember something that's "on the tip of their tongue" he would win in a landslide.
It may be that his campaign is finished after last night but I hope not. We are still almost 2 months away from the first caucuses--we need more "not Romeny" candidates than just Cain in case Cain can't convince primary voters that he is a viable candidate. Gingrich is smarter and more articulate than Perry but very vulnerable because of his personal history. We need someone who can beat Obama and who wold be a good President and who is a genuine conservative. I'm not convinced yet that Cain meets the "can beat Obama" criterion.
The way I see it, he memorized three talking points someone coached to be sure to bring up, but then he forgot them and flailed alround looking completely insincere like “Oops - I was supposed to look all resolute and decisive and I blew it.” Aw shucks.
We all forget things. But this was like some Hollywood prop falling over in an action flick and revealing how phony everything is. And he just kept flailing and looking dumber and faker. And he turns to Ron Paul who’s right there and Ron states at him as if to say “You steal my bit and now you want me bail you out?” Hell, Paul could’ve ticked off 400 things to cut AND meant it, but he just let Perry twist there. Perry turned helpless to Uncle Kook for help and suddenly it became perflectly clear that Uncle Kook wasn’t the craziest guy in the room - not by far.
It was more than just a muffed line. It showed how phony Good Old Boy Perry is.
Hare, hunter, field.
Running your mouth about things that you know jack**** about is probably worse. You are correct.
Wonder what he’d sound like answering that 3am phone call?
My aren’t we touchy and you still can’t see the difference, maybe you should have another sip of that kool aid.
Being the dunce is hilarious!
“Wonder what hed sound like answering that 3am phone call?”
Well, duh? Anita, hey Anita, wake up. LOL
What happened to Perry in the debate has happened to people of high intelligence many times. It’s not a sign of stupidity. It could be caused by anxiety (aggravated by being bashed for prior poor performance in previous debates), or possibly by early manifestations of senile dementia. I don’t really think Perry is Presidential material, and his positions on immigration are awful, but his ability to laugh at himself raised him in my eyes. So did his speech in NH, which some thought sounded drunk, but I see as a folksy, countrified person being himself. We could do better, but we could do worse.
With the storm in AK, I was trying to remember where someone I know lives..I just couldn't..I knew it started with a K, it's an Island..I finally had to look on a map. Of course, as soon as I saw Kodiak, it was like, "D'oh!" I don't know why it just temporarily disappeared from my brain.
The weird thing was I could think of other places in Alaska, that I didn't even know I knew, but not Kodiak.
Thankfully, we’ll never find out. With his sunken face and beady eyes, he’s starting to remind me of a Texan Charlie Sheen.
Hey, hey, now, don’t be heartless. Perry’s paid promoters are going to lose their paychecks, that’s probably why they’re so pushy.
Wonder what hed sound like answering that 3am phone call?
“Well, duh? Anita, hey Anita, wake up. LOL”
Let’s hope it’s not a foreign official, or he may yammer on about the sound of their last name.
He should have followed Cain’s lead and said “Hey, Newt, why don’t you take this question for me!!”
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