Last night Republican presidential hopefuls converged in New Hampshire for yet another debate. As we’ve reported on KUT in the past, Governor Perry’s recent slip in the polls meant that Tuesday’s job-focused debate was an important chance for him to show he’s still a major contender in this race.
So how did he do?
The New York Times was less than impressed, saying,
- “If Rick Perry’s supporters were hoping for a dynamic, energized Texas governor to fully engage with the moderators, his rivals and the audience, they were disappointed Tuesday night. Mr. Perry hardly seized the moment at the Washington Post/Bloomberg News debate to re-energize his flagging campaign.”
The Washington Post put Perry squarely in the ‘losers’ category of last night’s debate,
- “The problem for Perry in the first three debates in which he participated was that he didn’t seem to have enough answers to the questions thrown his way. Tonight, Perry had a different problem: he didn’t get many questions and, for much of the debate, felt like an afterthought. When Perry did get opportunities, he tended to try to bend each question back to his preferred talking point — energy — and often made awkward transitions to do it. Perry’s decision not to roll out any portion of his economic plan during the economic-themed debate — he said he would do so over the next three days — seemed baffling. And he was totally unprepared to answer questions on energy companies and their dealing in his administration in Texas, Perry didn’t do enough to change the prevailing storyline which is that he is a fading commodity.”
Fox News was less harsh in its critique, but they didn’t exactly give Perry a glowing review.
- “The good news in this debate for Perry: He didn’t blow it and gave plausible answers. The bad news: There will be a nationally televised debate next week and laying back won’t feed the bulldog … Perry surmounted the very low bar he set for himself in the third debate, but will have to be substantially better to convince skeptical voters on the Republican right to unite behind him as the most conservative candidate who is electable.”
Diana Furtchgott-Roth, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, had positive things to say.
- "Let's hear it for Governor Rick Perry. With jobs the greatest area of concern to Americans, Governor Rick Perry clearly articulated the barriers to hiring, ranging from Obamacare to energy regulation. He made a compelling case, based on his Texas record."
And what of the other Texan Presidential candidate, Congressman Ron Paul?
CBS News put him in the ‘winners’ category, but said,
- “The Texas Libertarian is another candidate who almost surely isn't going to make it to the White House. (Sorry, Paul fanatics.) But while many of the other candidates read like potentially-dissembling politicians, Paul had the aura of a truth teller - particularly when he called for the repeal of Sarbanes-Oxley, which "was done by the Republicans." Paul also got in a solid shot at Cain, noting that he had been director of the Kansas City Fed and opposed an audit of the Federal Reserve. Cain's claim that Paul misquoted him "You've gotta be careful of the stuff you get off the Internet," Cain said, condescendingly - was quickly debunked by the Paul campaign.”
The Wall Street Journal had this to say,
- “But in Thursday’s debate, as candidates Mitt Romney and Rick Perry tore into each other, Mr. Paul showed once more that he isn’t particularly upset with, or allied with, anyone.”
And, finally, Guy Benson of Townhall also noted Paul’s strong performance in this debate,
- “I'd say Paul's performance was one of his best. His sparring match with Herman Cain over the Fed was interesting viewing, and he made some good points on the federal government's distortionary social experimentation dressed up as housing policies. Perhaps his most resonant moment in my mind, though, was when he lambasted both parties for contributing to the economic and political mess we face today. He said the GOP's impulse to blame everything on the events of the last three years is "misleading," and feeds the public's cynicism about Washington. And he's right.”
The next debate will be on October 18th in Las Vegas at the Sands Expo Convention Center.