Posted on 09/22/2011 9:10:58 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Mitt Romney is an incredibly vulnerable Republican candidate, from his numerous policy reversals to his championing of the Massachusetts health care law that served as the basis from Obamacare. But for him to lose, somebody else has to beat him. And like Tim Pawlenty before him, Texas Gov. Rick Perry is blowing his chances to exploit Romney’s weaknesses.
The defining moment in this debate may well have been the point at which Perry went on the attack against Romney for being a flip flopper. As I noted earlier, there’s a long file to choose from. And Perry had clearly rehearsed such an attack – you can tell he was starting to go through the list of issues Romney had reversed on, and even used the “for it before he was against” phrasing, a not-so-subtle reference to the infamous Massachusetts flip flopper, Sen. John Kerry. But the exchange came toward the end of the debate, and as has been his habit, Perry began to fade as the debate wore on. During this particular answer, he wrestled for words and stammered. He couldn’t finish his sentences. If you weren’t a political junkie who knew all of the background, you’d have no idea what Perry was mumbling about. And Romney's smooth response made him come off as more steady and reassuring, even though on substance, Perry should have owned him.
The rest of the debate was hit or miss for Perry. But when he received an admittedly difficult question about what he would do if he got a 3 a.m. phone call informing him that Pakistan’s nukes had been taken over by Islamists, he struggled. He ended up giving an incoherent answer that was more of an information dump of random stuff he had been briefed on about the region. It was not very reassuring for those of us who are waiting to see if Perry can prove his dissenters wrong and come off as someone substantive, capable of beating President Obama, and of running the country competently.
Romney remains vulnerable. And unlike Pawlenty, Perry is starting from a stronger position in the polls, so he certainly has a good chance of ultimately winning. However, he’s going to have to step up his game by showing a better grasp of the issues, more stamina in these debates, and by being able to take apart Romney’s endless contradictions. In short, Perry has not blown it, but he is blowing it.
“The mormon Romney will win South Carolina right after the sun stops shinning for good.”
Watch it. Your evangelical prejudice is showing.
Romney’s path to the White House just got easier. This was a big win for him and a huge bumble for Perry.
While some are joyful, I’m not. Of the credible candidates Perry and Romney, Perry was the conservative.
Oh, no? Watch the next polls Romney will be the new frontrunner and nobody in this field will be him unless Perry turns it around.
Luntzes case study group had a lot of switchers to Romney. People are afraid of Obama and they want a candidate that is “Presidential and competent”...
Cain did well and could move up, but realistically Romney could run away with this now.
If Palin is going to get in, her instincts should be buzzing that now is the time...after this week’s polls show Perry plummeting.
“Perry needs a serious debate coach. Just remember, he’s going up against people who have been campaigning for 5 years”
Perry has been a professional politician for 35 years. If he can’t debate by this time, it’s hopeless. The guy is lousy at it and it won’t improve if he’s had 35 years in politics to practice public speaking and he still can’t debate.
Like it or hate it, but the Mormon factor weirds America out more than an unfamiliar race or gender does, and Mitt isn’t even that “good” of a Mormon, as in putting in an obvious effort to live what Mormons would call a virtuous lifestyle. So they’re saying those evangelical (and Catholic) rednecks in South Carolina will give Romney a lukewarm reception? Call them biased but that’s what will happen.
“the Mormon factor just weirds out too many people”
The real reason so many Freepers (primarily Evangelicals) won’t back Romney.
If Romney gets in front, he can’t hide. It’s the nature of being in front. He will be caught up by his own sins too, and fail.
Who's left?
Enter Palin.
Perry isn’t all that sure who he is. He’s like one of those walking Darwin fish on the stupid anti-creationism bumper stickers. Not quite aquatic, not quite terrestrial. Bachmann and Cain know who they are. They will quite possibly be the tortoises that outraced the hares of both Perry and Romney. If Sarah Palin jumps in with a presidential bid, all bets are off.
“(and Catholic) rednecks in South Carolina”
I don’t know too many Catholic rednecks, lol. There aren’t even that many Catholics livin in southern states. This is a predominantly Evangelical dislike of Mormons, always has been. They don’t like Mormons, and never have.
I've been saying that about Mitt Romney for four years. Furthermore, Mitt Romney can offer the excuse of needing to survive politically in Massachusetts. Nothing was stopping Rick Perry from taking better stands on these issues, but he didn't.
Ronald Reagan had a long history of thoughtful, intelligent writing and speaking on important issues. The press liked to call him an "amiable dunce," but he was not a dunce. He simply took stands that the media didn't like. Rick Perry doesn't have that history. All he has is a Republican legislature in Texas and a book written to boost sales to red-meat conservatives at a time when red-meat conservatism sells books. If he wants to be president, he needs to spend a few years figuring out what he believes and how those beliefs can be implemented. If he makes that transition, he might be ready to run for president.
Evangelicals simply find it difficult to relate to Mormon theology. They pretty much have an agreement to disagree with Roman Catholics, but they understand where the differences are. But when a Mormon gets into a rousing chorus or two of “Hie Thee To Kolob” and the mystical underwear is mentioned, along with the secretive habits of Mormon worship (a Mormon would be welcome to visit an evangelical church, but the Mormon temple will not reciprocate — this can be really awkward for things like weddings) this is where evangelicals just call it too strange to trust somebody from there.
WOW, it is all over now for Perry because of the debates? Seriously folks you are way overrating the importance of the debates in winning and losing elections.
I’m not saying it is a done deal for Perry, but I’m telling you he will take a big hit in the polls. Huge hit.
I agree. While the original poster statement that we are electing a president not a debate captain is 100% true, we absolutely must select a candidate who can be agile in the debates against Obama. Perry has to get radically better before I will vote for him. There are reasonable answers to movement past these issues, he is getting pummeled and is not able to respond effectively at all.
He might have had a chance if he had said it was pointless to veto it. Instead, he called those who oppose it heartless. The heartless will not vote for him. Someone better get in the race soon, or Cain had better take off soon, or we lose.
We shall see about the polls. Just remember that Perry has not yet used the political ads to expose Romney super liberal record. They will be devastating ads with Romney own voice and image taking liberal positions on abortion, gay marriage, gun control, man-made global warming, etc... Romney would not recover from these ads. Speeches, political ads, and face to face meetings with voters are more effective and have more impact on voters opinion than debates and in particular primaries debates that are watched mostly by political junkies.
I would suggest somebody start running those ads asap.
Seriously, think about it, Perry sort of came in in a vacuum and his front runner status was a bubble. Bubbles pop.
He can recover, but it’s going to take some effort.
Shows how smart the crowd was.
They should have rushed the stage and tarred and feathered the con man who's family hasn't sent a single one of its members to serve in the military, should have jeered him like the Romanians jeered Ceausescu during his last speech when he started talking about how Romneycare is different than Obamacare.
Yeah, that's one bright crowd.
Next debate this glad handing dishonest son of a bitch needs to get a stake put through his vampire heart; he will be the death of the GOP if he is not stopped.
First of all, the question about Pakistan was stupid. You would need to know all kinds of information about what the situation on the ground was, what our capibilities were, and what the events leading up to it were, and even if you knew all that you wouldn’t be able to say what you would do ahead of time, and wouldn’t want to if you could. If they had asked Newt that he would have told them that the question was moronic, then given an answer somewhat like Perry’s, that you can’t let it get to that point in the first place. Unfortunately Perry isn’t as sharp as Newt, but his answer about preventing it in the first place, and a closer alliance with India wasn’t bad.
I really hope some of these candidates will learn from Newt how to handle these stupid “gotcha” questions based on false premises.
Amen to that. And with that I'm off to bed (with my hard hat on) in case that spacecraft crashes in on my house.
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