On Wednesday night we witnessed a political suicide live on national television.
Rick Perry
is now the official Charlie Brown of presidential candidates. He
reminds me of the kid who got held back in high school. Even though he’s
been there longer than the rest of the class (or governor for 10
years), he still doesn’t know the answers.
It’s one thing to not be able to tick off all of Mitt Romney’s 59-point economic plan. Or even a 10-point plan. But when you can’t get past two in a three-point plan, you’re done. Disqualified.
Perry is now a dead man walking.
He’ll go through the motions to save face, but he won’t get a single new
voter. And he will quickly lose the ones he had. Once they’re laughing
at you, you’re finished. Perry supporters Wednesday night were running
out in the dark and pulling out yard signs.
Romney had another good night. Cain
deflected and treaded water. Gingrich was confident and strong.
Huntsman was OK but largely ignored. Santorum was too self-focused.
Bachmann exhibited strong message discipline but never seemed to get
past her talking points. Ron Paul was predictable.
And points to the sponsors and the panel. The debate was substantive and full of relevant and tough questions.
But, there’s only one story from
Wednesday night. Last rites for Rick Perry. There will be no
resurrection. No second act. He will join the political hall of fame of
presidential losers from Texas like John Connally and Phil Gramm, who
started with bang and went out with a whimper and no delegates.
There was only one story from last night’s GOP presidential debate, writes The Daily Beast’s Mark McKinnon: the political suicide of Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Mitt Romney had a good night, and Cain mostly deflected sexual-harassment questions. But when Perry said he’d cut three government agencies—and couldn’t remember the third one, coming up short with a sorry “oops” —he became a dead man walking. Plus, Howard Kurtz, Michelle Cottle, and more Daily Beast contributors weigh in, and watch video of the best debate moments.
ReplyDeleteEugene Robinson on the GOP Debate
ReplyDelete"The Nonsense Debate" -- Don’t laugh too hard at Rick Perry for his mortifying episode of brain-lock at Wednesday’s GOP presidential candidates’ debate. His opponents managed to remember their lines, but didn’t do any better at making sense.