Perry is doing well with the questions he is asked. If he had done as well in his first 3 debates as he has in all the following debates, he might still be the frontrunner.
But it’s not like we can turn back the clock, or get a 2nd first impression.
“If he had done as well in his first 3 debates as he has in all the following debates, he might still be the frontrunner.”
I’m not sure on that. Perry was just starting to get the real vetting...and it was looking pretty rough (as we here in Texas know it would be). The early debates did end it for him, but he was about to have a LOT MORE to deal with right after that.