After his debate gaffe, Rick Perry goes into full spin mode
Since he 鈥渟tepped in it鈥� with his freeze-up during Wednesday night鈥檚 debate, GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry has been in full spin mode.
He鈥檚 hit just about every broadcast media outlet on the planet (plus his e-mail list of supporters), topped off by Thursday night鈥檚 appearance on CBS鈥檚 "Late Show With David Letterman."
The message: I鈥檓 human. We all make mistakes. Sure, I鈥檓 not a slick debater and speaker like Mitt Romney or Barack Obama. I can make fun of myself. And oh, by the way, if you could slip another five bucks into my campaign coffers, that would be great.
Asked by the Associated Press if his debate blunder might force him out of the Republican presidential field, Governor Perry was quick to respond in his typical folksy way.
"Oh, shoot, no," he said. "This ain't a day for quitting nothing."
Is the full-court media press working?
鈥淚 can鈥檛 remember a candidate who has tackled a campaign crisis so forcefully and so strongly,鈥� veteran Republican media consultant Alex Castellanos (no particular fan of Perry鈥檚) told Jill Lawrence of The Daily Beast.
Republican political professionals can argue it either way.
鈥淗is campaign is effectively over,鈥� Steve Schmidt, who managed the 2008 presidential campaign of Sen.聽John McCain (R) of Arizona, told The Washington Post. 鈥淭his was not a singular episode. It is the grand finale in a ruinous series of public appearances.鈥�
But Sara Fagen, former Bush White House political director, sees a narrow chance for Perry to find a way back.
鈥淗is only option, at this point, is to convince primary voters that Romney聽is not acceptable,鈥� she told the Post. 鈥淧erhaps he鈥檒l have enough money to do that in a state or two, but it鈥檚 getting harder with each passing day.鈥� Indeed, some of his funders now are pulling out.
But it鈥檚 really too soon to tell. The next few polls and, perhaps more important, his performance at Saturday night鈥檚 debate at Wofford College聽in Spartanburg, S.C., will tell.
As part of his comeback strategy, Perry is using his substantial war chest to blanket the airwaves with ads.
鈥淎 source tracking the early state media buys said Perry鈥檚 campaign is currently spending more than $400,000 a week on television and radio advertising in Iowa, presenting a determinedly folksy appeal,鈥� reports Politico.com. 鈥淗e鈥檚 also spending more than $100,000 a week on television advertising in New Hampshire and more than that blanketing Granite State radio.鈥�
Still, all the money in the world can鈥檛 buy back those 45 excruciating seconds when he couldn鈥檛 remember the third of the three federal departments he says he鈥檇 like to eliminate. Those are Commerce, Education, and (the one he forgot, ironically enough for a man from a big oil state) Energy.
So absent a time machine, Perry is doing what he can with Texas grit and self-deprecating humor. On the Letterman show Thursday night, he offered these 鈥淭op Ten Rick Perry Excuses鈥� for forgetting. Video .
10. "Actually, there were three reasons I messed up last night. One was the nerves, two was the headache, and three was, and three, uh, uh. Oops."
9. "I don't know what you're talking about. I think things went well."
8. "Hey, I was up late last night watching 'Dancing With the Stars.' "
7. "I thought the debate was tonight."
6. "Hey, listen. You try concentrating with Mitt Romney smiling at you. That is one handsome dude."
5. "Uh, El Ni帽o?"
4. "I had a five-hour energy drink six hours before the debate."
3. "I really hoped to get on my favorite talk show, but instead I ended up here."
2. "Hey, I wanted to help take the heat off my buddy Herman Cain."
1. "I just learned Justin Bieber is my father."
