The CNBC pundits evaluating the debate issued a pessimistic long-term outlook for Perry Inc.: Sell. The deep pockets will take their largesse to another candidate with better prospects. Kay Bailey Hutchison.Īnd so begins the unraveling of Perry's power.Īfter Wednesday's debate performance, his stock surely plummeted among the big investors in political endeavors. In his last election, he tapped the electorate's anti-Washington fervor to defeat one of Texas' smartest, and hardest-working, Republican officeholders, Sen.

Bush left for the White House he kept it when not-so-funny comedian Kinky Friedman siphoned votes from more serious opponents. With that, a whiff of vulnerability settled on the man who became the longest-serving governor in Texas history through a chain of good breaks.

The presidential campaign trail is no place for a candidate accustomed to winging it. What went wrong? Like the athlete so gifted he thinks he's above ordinary drills and workouts, Perry skipped the preparation that most career politicians endure: engaging pesky reporters and editorial boards, debating his opponents. So painful to watch, you almost felt sorry for him. As president, he would shut down three federal agencies: the Department of Education, the Department of Commerce, and the. Perry had been regurgitating a standard stump speech, one that he has uttered dozens - maybe even hundreds - of times since joining the quest for the Republican nomination. But can't we all relate to having a word on the tip of our tongue that we can't quite summon?Īnd yet that explanation didn't ring quite true in the context. Good thing ol' Rick was wearing his custom-made cowboy boots Wednesday, 'cause he sure did step in it.

His chief campaign spokesman, Ray Sullivan, attempted a positive, folksy spin.

Echo of war quest chain