Gov. Rick Perry stated at the outset of his presidential campaign that he is running for president based on his principles and leadership accomplishments, not his oratorical skills. Media focus on his debate missteps deliberately ignores Perry's record and charisma. America's third president - Thomas Jefferson - was a lousy public speaker. He was literally a genius, and his singular eloquence as a writer is seen in his prose in the Declaration of Independence and other writings. But Jefferson was no speaker, so much so that he only gave a couple speeches in his entire two-term presidency. He was so...
