Perry Stumbles at latest GOP Debate

[lsquare]

This was the worst debate debacle I have ever seen in my life. If Perry loses, I hope he doesn't blame anyone, but himself. This was totally unbelievable and I never would have imagine someone like Perry to screw up like that.

 

[ericlp]

Ding Ding Ding! We have are next candidate! I swear the dumber they are the more of chance they have getting the nomination for the "R"

 

[DominionSeraph]

Saying there are three agencies that should be eliminated presumes that there has been some work done in determining which ones should stay and which ones shouldn't. That misstep suggests Perry was, at most, marginally involved in that determination... and nothing to suggest that he'd know what agencies he really wants to or should cut when taking office.

This.

However it could also be that he really is bad in verbal debates and was just trying to make it through on coaching. If he was heavily reliant on such then it also explains why he had no other mental process to fall back on, such as recalling the details of the plan to recreate the solution. So this entire thing would be nothing but a peculiarity of a trick he has to use to get around a particular failing in a rather meaningless situation (live televised political "debate"), which is no big deal.

 

[Craig234]

I think people don't understand well the way things like 'taking a position which agencies to eliminate' are reached. It's mostly about the political reception the point is expected to get in the campaign, and it's heavily determined by 'outside influences'. A candidate is rarely going to sit down and do some big study on what to eliminate. Rather, he's like to want to be 'bold' on some plan for it and have his political advisers help determine what will get the most votes.

That's an issue in democracy - if the voters are a bunch of yahoos who want to gut a good department, they're likely to get a candidate who champions the idea.

Candidates are constantly having to weigh when voters want something misguided with being responsible leaders against it - and pandering tends to win.

I think people often incorrectly think a lot of the 'candidate policies' are just created by the candidates. They have no shortage of suggestions for those policies.

A few presidents have done more their own thing, but even they have been more influenced than is often realized. For example, JFK had a lot of 'his' unique programs, but really, you can find other influences for most - events pushed him to adopt civil rights, 'Alliance for Progress' was from people like Richard Goodwin, the Peace Corps I forget who the influence was, oops, the space race had plenty of influence and was largely a reaction to the USSR, etc.

The issue with Rick Perry here is far less that he couldn't remember the name of the agency, than that he supports eliminating the department of energy when energy is a crucial issue for our country in the first place at a time we drastically need good plans for energy. It's a sad commentary that a debate gaffe hurts him far more than bad policy.

 

[BansheeX]

Department of [insert good thing here].

Seriously, most of these agencies are relatively new with poor results. The Department of Education has only been around since the 80s. The federal loan program has caused educators to fearlessly charge higher and higher prices each year knowing that the government will borrow further from future taxpayers to match them. Tuition is way, way higher relative to wages than it was in the 60s and 70s.

 

[Ausm]

It is amazing how you spend more of your time devoted to the GOP candidates than do "the righties". You must be a real bore in your personal life why you get your jollies devoting yourself to politics

My take is, I'm not interested in judging candidates based on their memorization skills.

So cutting me down personally make you feel more like a man?

I find your assumptions to be pretty hilarious tho.

 

[zsdersw]

Surely he didn't forget to say the Ministry of Truth...

 

[Doppel]

He was on David Letterman making fun of himself. Sad and desperate.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-11-10-19-40-52

 

[Thump553]

Poor Texas. Droughts of biblical proportions, raging wildfires, and now a proven dolt as your state's leader.

If Texas was California, you'd have the Bachmann crowd claiming it was God's Wrath. Maybe it really is.

 

[kage69]

I can't bear to watch the Repub crowd anymore, it's depressing to watch them flail about and embarrass themselves.

But tell me, was this Perry gaffe more or less cringe worthy then Bush sitting there in the 2004 debates, where he just froze for awhile looking like he was pissing his pants while trying to process what he was being told to say?

 

[Kadarin]

Surely he didn't forget to say the Ministry of Truth...

And the Nightwatch.