# Perry the Showman \[Rick Perry's speeches and debate performances\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 1, 2011, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460 "2011-11-01T04:22:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/81 "2011-11-10T17:40:14Z")
I have actually been pushing the pov. that Perry does have a hope of a comeback. I believed this because a) Clearly the majority of the GOP primary voters want someone more conservative than Romney b) Perry is the only viable presidential candidate more conservative than Romney. I believe that the irresistible logic of a and b would prove enough to keep Perry in the hunt despite the obvious problems of his campaign. I have to admit that after his latest meltdown his campaign looks pretty much dead in the water. What has happened is that point b) is no longer true. Perry is no longer a viable candidate though he certainly was when he entered the race. In a matter of months Perry has managed to make himself a joke, joining the ranks of Cain,Bachmann et al. It’s been a truly remarkable display of political ineptitude. Like all of you, I wonder how on earth this bozo got elected governor of Texas twice. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/82 "2011-11-10T17:40:35Z")
He should have stuck to his inclination to not appear in any more debates. With the money backing he has and recycling the Bush II, “I have all these prominent advisors… Henry the K, Cheney, Paul Wolfman, somebody, somebody”, he could have toughed it out for a few primaries. The advisor spiel would take care of all those “gotcha” questions. Besides, he can see Mexico from Austin. Really sad (for the country and the GOP) to see him get this far on a national stage. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/83 "2011-11-10T17:51:00Z")
Was he like this as governor? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/84 "2011-11-10T17:56:45Z")
I have to admit, I think that video is AWESOME. What a bumbling fool, and the more he shows it, the less likely he’ll receive the nomination. My biggest fear, though, is that Romney will pick Perry for VP, and people will say “well, yea, he’s a fool, but he’ll ONLY be VP.” Sarah Palin in drag, indeed. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/85 "2011-11-10T18:10:48Z")
Perry is just way out of his depth, which is sad when you consider the depth we’re dealing with here. It’s like seeing a 14-year-old in the kiddie pool wearing water wings. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/86 "2011-11-10T18:25:48Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > “I propose to dismantle the 5 agencies…” > > “Three agencies…” > > How did he get to be governor, again? He was Lieutenant Governor when Bush the Younger got his social promotion to DC. That doesn’t explain the three elections he’s actually won since then. Except that there were so many “special” candidates in [2006](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_gubernatorial_election,_2006) that the opposition was splintered; thanks to everybody who thought it was cute to vote for Kinky! In the last election, as mentioned above, he came up with a cockamamie excuse to avoid debating Bill White–who would have wiped the floor with him. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/87 "2011-11-10T18:27:17Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Perry as Maxwell Smart: Would you believe it, I’ve got three agencies to dismantle to save the government billions. _Three_ agencies! > > Moderator: I find that hard to believe. Name them. > > Perry. Would you believe two agencies? > > Moderator: Go on … > > Perry: How about the White House bowling alley? Oh this made me laugh. But I feel so bad about it. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/88 "2011-11-10T18:50:27Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > You’d think that somebody had kidnapped his dog and was holding it for ransom to blackmail him into throwing the election. I was thinking about a dog analogy too – a dog who put his bone down for a minute and someone came along and swiped it. And he’s looking for it, his head is spinning around, and he not angry yet, he just knows there’s something wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/89 "2011-11-10T19:05:50Z")
I have to say I can’t understand feeling bad for Perry. He’s 60 years old and even if he needed to be talked into running for president, nobody made him do it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/90 "2011-11-10T19:07:08Z")
> [@Kolga](#): > > I have to admit, I think that video is AWESOME. What a bumbling fool, and the more he shows it, the less likely he’ll receive the nomination. My biggest fear, though, is that Romney will pick Perry for VP, and people will say “well, yea, he’s a fool, but he’ll ONLY be VP.” > > Sarah Palin in drag, indeed. After the last debate (not the one last night, but the one a couple weeks ago, where Romney told Perry he had a problem with letting other people talk), I don’t see this happening. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/91 "2011-11-10T19:12:46Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I have to say I can’t understand feeling bad for Perry. He’s 60 years old and even if he needed to be talked into running for president, nobody made him do it. Not really sorry for him, but it’s like he was the starting high school quarterback who’s now trying out for a Big Ten Team, and it’s clear after the the first few plays he just doesn’t have what it takes to play with the big boys. Sad and kinda pitiful. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/92 "2011-11-10T19:17:16Z")
You can just _feel_ his humiliation, and it is painful to watch. Then you remember what an ass he is and go, “Haw! Haw!” ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/93 "2011-11-10T20:16:30Z")
Not to worry though. Perry has said: > [@](#): > > This ain’t a day for quitting nothing. Apparently, it’s not a great day for properly constructed sentences either. Does he really talk like this, or is it the typical politician’s way of showing he’s “just like the common folks out there”? ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/94 "2011-11-10T20:19:33Z")
The best part was the second time he was asked he could only name one until someone helped him out. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/95 "2011-11-10T20:39:51Z")
> [@Kolga](#): > > I have to admit, I think that video is AWESOME. What a bumbling fool, and the more he shows it, the less likely he’ll receive the nomination. My biggest fear, though, is that Romney will pick Perry for VP, and people will say “well, yea, he’s a fool, but he’ll ONLY be VP.” Remember that the VPs still have to debate. This will never happen. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/96 "2011-11-10T20:41:29Z")
Don’t forget that Romney and Perry seem to dislike each other personally. Based on that, I don’t think Romney would ever pick him. Unless Romney changes his mind for political reasons, of course, but what are the odds of that? ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/97 "2011-11-10T21:03:19Z")
For something truly evil - Perry’s latest disaster was a ploy to distract the media from Cain’s problems, “See the shiny ball”, by the Bilderberg conspirators. Perry was going down anyway, he’d be “useful” as a diversion. (insert supervillian smirking smiley here). ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/98 "2011-11-10T21:05:58Z")
A couple of weeks a go the Perry campaign floated the idea that he wouldn’t participate in future debates. [I thought it was a good strategy](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14402075&postcount=22) given how terrible he performed in them. I [didn’t](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14402325&postcount=23) [get](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14404896&postcount=29) much agreement. Bow to my genius! ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/99 "2011-11-10T21:18:24Z")
The guy had already fallen from first place to fourth, i think it’s silly to say “oh now he is done” when he already clearly was. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460/100 "2011-11-10T22:52:21Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > The guy had already fallen from first place to fourth, i think it’s silly to say “oh now he is done” when he already clearly was. There’s been a lot of churn for number two spot over the last few months. And I think Cain’s starting to outlive his fifteen minutes, so its not impossible Perry could’ve clawed his way back to the almost-top if he’d been able to avoid looking like an ass on national TV for a few weeks. > [@Boyo](#): > > A couple of weeks a go the Perry campaign floated the idea that he wouldn’t participate in future debates. I thought it was a good strategy given how terrible he performed in them. I didn’t get much agreement. I guess. But I can’t really see disappearing from the debates helping him either. And even if he did, if he got the nomination, he’d still have to debate Obama in the general. Probably better to work on his debating now while he’s still in the kiddie pool. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perry-the-showman-rick-perrys-speeches-and-debate-performances/601460.md?page=6)