During his first presidential campaign, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) started very strong, effectively positioning himself as the Republican frontrunner the day he announced. But the more voters got to know him, the worse the governor fared.
The “oops” moment at a debate is obviously the most well-known example of Perry’s stumbles, but it was hardly the only incident. The public later learned from sources close to the Texas governor that Perry was on medication during his campaign for a back ailment, which had an effect on his acuity as a candidate.
And that may be true. But as the multi-term governor readies another campaign, it’s hard not to notice that the Texan voters saw in 2011 really hasn’t changed all that much. The Des Moines Register reports on Perry’s visit yesterday to the Iowa State Fair.
When The Des Moines Register asked Perry if Iowans will see a lot of him, he answered, yes, between now and November. After the election, he’ll take a break, he said.Perry seemed pumped up after his enthusiastic, heckle-free reception at the Register’s Soapbox. When the Register’s moderator thanked him as he came off the stage, Perry said: “You’re welcome. I’m awesome!”
Well, his self-confidence is clearly intact. Lisa Crivelli posted some video of Perry’s appearance. Emma Margolin has more on “Rick Perry 2.0.”
More from the Des Moines Register‘s piece:
Perry paused near the Republican Party of Iowa’s booth to take reporter questions, including one about how he seems to be doing things differently this time. “Ya think?” Perry answered with a grin. […]Perry circulated among the reporters, sharing his bacon. “Don’t be a fool. Take some,” he said. And then he searched for some napkins. “Don’t lick your fingers in public,” he said to no one in particular.
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Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."