Another Campaign Post-Mortem
Rick Perry is out, although it was almost as if he was never really in. All the promise he showed as Governor of one of the best-run states in the Union was squandered by a just-plain-lousy campaign. His early debate performances — the single most-important metric this season — were awful. But he studied hard, and from there, they became comically awful.
But I think Perry’s biggest problem was he never articulated a vision as President. It was, as I’ve remarked before, as though he were running for Governor of America. That also showed up in a looseness, an unseriousness, on the stump, better suited to a glad-handing local pol than the next President of the United States.
The last straw had to have been a recent poll showing him running third behind Romney and Gingrich in Texas. When you’re the third-favorite son? Your campaign is over.
Word is, Perry will endorse Gingrich, on the eve of Gingrich’s immolation-by-ex-wife courtesy of ABC News. I’m not sure why Perry feels the need to endorse anyone at this stage, except perhaps as part of an anyone-but-Romney movement. It looks to be a little late for that, so I honestly don’t understand what he’s thinking.
But that’s been pretty much the case since Fabulous Governor Perry became Terrible Candidate Perry. And what a shame for a guy who — on paper — was one of the best candidates the GOP field had to offer.
He waited until now…not even trying to get votes out of South Carolina?
If he endorses Newt, then he isn’t hurting Romney as much as he’s hurting Santorum.
Staunch Perry supporters were not going to swing to Mitt anyway. If they follow the endorsement over to Newt, (not sure he holds that kind of sway, apparently even in Texas…or, from Stephen’s information, maybe especially in Texas), but IF they followed the endorsement, it would be an attempt to hasten the primary fight down to Two and a Half Men…by knocking Santorum back on his heels and out of contention.
I don’t see Perry having that kind of impact, however. His departure from the race will have about the same net effect as Bachman, Pawlenty and Huntsman.
He ran perhaps one of the worst campaigns in modern history, squandering every advantage and taking a decent resume and making it look like it was somebody else who was attached to those achievements or responsible for them.
He has nobody to blame but himself, although he tried every excuse and alibi in the book.
The sooner we get to Mitt vs. Newt at this point, probably the better.
It will focus the attention on the core differences and maybe someday really focus on the ongoing attempted overthrow. Of course, with the lunatic sideshow of the certifiably insane buzzing around the fringes…taking up 10% of OWS’s bathing contingent.
On paper, Professor (Doctor) Langley of Princeton should have been the first to fly instead the High School educated Orville and Wilbur Wright. It didn’t work out that way.
Perry never ran in or participated in a Presidential campaign before this one. While is resume was excellent, I think he went into this totally unprepared for the actual process of becoming President. I think he thought that his experience in Texas was immediately transferable to the campaign and that all he had to do was hold up his resume and say “see!” to the residents of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that. The campaign for President is a test of a candidates organization and strategic skills. Resume and speechifying can only take you so far. You have to have “boots on the ground” you have to make a plan and execute it, you have to adjust that plan when things change. Most of all, you have to run your campaign with one thing in mind – if you are successful getting the nomination, you have to take the same group of folks that you put in place in all these states and you have to make it work against the other party. If you’re the “scorched earth” type, that’s a warning. Treat your people and the people on the other campaigns nice, because you are going to need them on your side when the first half is over. (I’m looking at you Newt.)
I think the Perry campaign should serve as a warning to anyone who thinks they want to be President. Its harder than it looks just to run for the job.
People get so caught up in running through each candidate’s positions on issues that they forget we are electing a President who serves as a Chief Executive and Commander in Chief. He/She’s not just a super-Senator with a checklist of reassuring quotes, issue positions, and swell guy/gal personal characteristics.
It’s a JOB, and a hard administrative and strategic task day in and day out. Character, judgment, and ability count, and no politician who opines on dozens of issues can satisfy everyone. It appears that Gov Perry is just another pol who doesn’t appreciate that, or who simply lacks the application and preparation needed to be successful. But then none of those running, in either party, seem to know what is require and how to present themselves to the voters.
Last time I actually held my nose to vote for someone it was Bob Packwood’s last campaign. Guess I’ll have to do the same for the not-Obama.
Hey, anyone notice where Ron Paul went? Because all of a sudden this became an “All Republican” Primary.
Seems to me that all Perry really did is prove that Texas really doesn’t need a Governor
I liked Perry best until I learned more. That “In Texas …” line always popping up in his speechifying got old in a hurry. In one of the later debates a camera on someone else caught Perry in a look — I kid you not — of doltish surprise and confusion. It was like a plowman looking at the first tractor. “Wha …?”