In fifth debate, Perry Finally shows up

The Washington Examiner ^ | 10/19/11 | Byron York

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

In previous debates, the adviser explained, Perry had tried to abide by time limits, leading some observers to say he seemed passive and withdrawn. Perry intended to make sure that didn't happen in Las Vegas.

It didn't. The Las Vegas debate was Perry's fifth, but the first one in which Perry really showed up to play. That doesn't mean he won, doesn't mean he was particularly likable, doesn't mean he always had cogent answers. But it does mean that Perry, on the verge of being completely written off as a candidate, gave himself a chance to get back in the game.

And Perry, for the first time in any GOP debate, rattled former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. He did it by bringing up a 2007 charge that Romney hired illegal immigrants to do lawn work at his Massachusetts home. Jobs are the magnet for illegal immigrants, Perry said. "And Mitt, you lose all of your standing, from my perspective, because you hired illegals in your home and you knew about it for a year. And the idea that you stand here before us and talk about that you're strong on immigration is on its face the height of hypocrisy."

Romney tried to laugh it off and to deny the story. "I don't think I've ever hired an illegal in my life," he said. Romney tried to explain, but Perry kept pushing, leaving Romney protesting that Perry was ignoring the rules -- just as Perry had planned.

"I'm speaking," Romney said. "I'm speaking, I'm speaking, I'm speaking. You get 30 seconds. This is the way the rules work here…Anderson?"

By the time Romney appealed to CNN moderator Anderson Cooper for help, Romney seemed flustered, almost frantic. "Would you please wait?" he said to Perry. "Are you just going to keep talking?"

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Oh, and by the way, anyone who thinks that Perry did an "Awful" job in the debate, you need to pull your head out of where every you have been keeping it lately. To attack Perry at this venture, is to support Romney, since Perry is the only candidate with the guts to take the Teflon God off of his high horse! It's just that simple.......Fire away! I'm ready.

[TomGuy]

the verge of being completely written off as a candidate,

Only to the news junkies, beltway, insiders, and professional politicians.

CNN's latest debate has a viewership of 5.5 million, which was down from the last FoxNews debate, which had 6.1 million.

Those numbers are way sort of the approximately 120 million voters.

Most of the voters are not paying attention. They see the few select video clips the news programs run, but most cannot even name the candidates, much less identify the candidates' positions and issues.

When the actual primaries voting starts, the polling will probably change also. Otherwise, we would be talking about President Guliani or President Hillary. And if bandwagonery were the decider, we would be talking about President Thompson.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

[gov_bean_ counter]

So people are going to like his big mouth boorish side better than his arrogant condescending side? Good luck with that,

[rob777]

Actually, I am more interested in his Flat Tax and entitlement reform proposals than I am how he did in the last debate. This will guarantee that tax and entitlement reform get even more attention on the national stage. Cain's 9-9-9 plan has already put a discussion of tax reform front and center, now Perry can intensify discussion of this topic and add entitlement reform to the mix. Ron Paul's detailed proposal for spending cuts is another boost to this discussion. Regardless of who one backs, it is important that such issues get more attention.

Perry, along with the other candidates, need to put more focus on the fact that Romney did support NATIONAL mandates during the 2007-2008 Primary season. He can deflect criticism of Romneycare by saying that it was a state level plan and is not something he would support at the federal level. It is harder to deflect criticism of support for federal mandates at a time when there are several court challenges on this very issue. That is where they need to go after Romney.

[montag813]

To attack Perry at this venture, is to support Romney, since Perry is the only candidate with the guts to take the Teflon God off of his high horse! It's just that simple.......Fire away! I'm ready.

Is that a joke? It took FIVE debates for Perry to land a single punch on Romney. Our nominee only gets 3 with Obama TOTAL. Perry did a great deed by flustering the metrosexual Mittens. But then when Perry tried to make his own points, he was as utterly incoherent as always. The more these two bash each other, the more Cain benefits.

[Darth Reardon]

Awful? Well, it was painful to watch, and I kind of felt embarrassed for him. He made Ron Paul look good. Heck, he made Huntsman look good in comparison. I think I now know what the Dems feel like when Biden starts talking. But I don’t know that the word awful would apply.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Very true, at this stage, the campaign takes on a completely different direction as well as appeal.

Mr. Perry is still very much in it and most voters are watching how Romney lost his cool, short clip after short clip. I love it when phony jerks like Romney are exposed for what they are.

Perry won this one in a very big way.

[truthguy]

But it does mean that Perry, on the verge of being completely written off as a candidate, gave himself a chance to get back in the game.

Was he ever out of the game? And who was writing him off. Surely not the voters. I'm getting sick of the Press trying to nominate the Republican Candidate. It's starting to rub me raw. There hasn't even been one vote yet, and they are writing people off. We don't have the first vote yet and the press is deciding to end this or that candidates chances. I don't think any of the candidates should drop out until late spring at the earliest. I'd like to see a good number of primaries before we can say who the front runner is. People when they are polled will say and act differently when they actually get into the voting booth. What's the f***ing rush?

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

I haven’t seen Cain take any jabs at Romney.

[ClearCase_guy]

Rick Perry is Fred Thompson.

A lot of Conservatives really, really love the guy and think the future depends upon him. Others think he's asleep and failing to impress time after time. The fans deny it, but then one day it all just goes *poof* and eventually even the fans end up saying "Ehhh, maybe he wasn't quite that good."

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Your obvious bias towards Perry is starting to dominate your thinking, it seems.

The average American is not looking at it the way you are spinning it. Perry scored points with the second phase of the campaign season just beginning.

[TsonicTsunami08]

And he came across like a chump. He is shallow and not very quick! Sorry folks, it’s pretty much over for Rick Perry!

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

It’s funny you would see it that way.

I see no parallel with Thompson what so ever. The contributions are radically different, the two candidate’s approach is also 180 degrees apart, and Perry is not an ex Senator of 6 years out of office.

There is just no comparison in my view. If anything I would say the due to Cain’s lack of enthusiasm and experience, also his serious lack of funding and ability to manage a campaign, the comparison between Thompson and Cain would be far more accurate.

[TexasFreeper2009]

Perry had nothing to lose, and I think he accomplished his goal which was to upset Romney and expose him for the lying jerk that Romney is.

It's a shame Perry passed on his opportunity to hammer Mitten with a backhanded apology in regards to his Mormon cult beliefs.

Perry, when ask to apologize should have said something to the effect of.... Hey, listen if Mitt over here wants to believe that he gets to be God of his own planet and that he has magic underware, then that's his constitutional right, but how I feel about Mitt being a Mormon isn't the issue, the issue is that a recent poll found that 40% of Republicans wont vote for a Mormon to be president. So the real question here is how Mitt plans to beat Obama when 40% of Republicans stay home?

[Outlaw Woman]

Absolutely agree with you. Perry is absolutely the most qualified in this race.... Wait..that must make me a racist.

:O

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

Is it time to draft Sarah Palin yet?

[jgge]

You are way overrating debates. No elections were won or lost based on debates. If debates are so important then the candidates do not need to campaign, raise money, make speeches, meet with voters, run TV and radio ads, get out the vote, etc... they just hold few debates and then go on elections day. In fact in the general elections debates occur in the last few weeks before elections day and before the debates the candidate has already defined his opponent (and vice versa) and before the debates it would be known with over 90% chance whether someone would lose or win the elections.

[Meet the New Boss]

anyone who thinks that Perry did an "Awful" job in the debate, you need to pull your head out of where every you have been keeping it lately.

Then that would include the Frank Luntz focus group of Republican voters on Hannity who watched the debate and pretty much unanimously thought that Perry did a lousy job.

[montyspython]

Yeah right, he tried throwing punches but became a punchline instead. I don’t know who’s more uninteresting and inept between Rumplestilskin and Ricky Ricardo.