Perry Flub Enlivens Dull DebateThe Republican candidates' debate on CNBC Wednesday night was pretty dull until Gov. Rick Perry made a Texas-size blunder. Perry, a Tea Party favorite whose poll numbers began sinking after earlier debate gaffes, tried to name three government agencies he would shut down if he were president. He named the departments of Education and Commerce but couldn't remember the third. For almost a full minute he fumbled and flailed. He named the EPA, realized it wasn't the agency he had in mind, and again drew a blank. He just couldn't think of No. 3. It was embarrassing to watch. "Oops," he said. Oops, indeed. Perry's floundering confirmed suspicions, already held by many, that he was never a serious candidate. A serious candidate would have undergone enough debate prep to avoid a nationally televised humiliation. Herman Cain, a rising star now shadowed by allegations of sexual harassment, fared better. But not by much. Cain answered almost every question by proclaiming the wonders of his 9-9-9 tax plan. At first, audience members were wildly supportive, partly because he presented himself as a victim of media persecution.
Most of the other candidates were just as guilty of offering slogans and sound bites. The CNBC debate focused on fixing the economy, and the GOP hopefuls all had the same ideas. They seldom got beyond 1) "Cut corporate taxes"; 2) "Eliminate business regulations"; and 3) "Repeal Obamacare." There were a few surprises: Mitt Romney beat the drums — foolishly, in our view — for a trade war with China. Ron Paul tried to out-conservative the conservatives by pledging to scrap five Cabinet agencies and slash $1 trillion from the budget his first year in the White House. More debates are coming up. Perry hopes to repair the damage. (He even lampooned himself on David Letterman's show Thursday night.) If he can't, and if Cain can't shake off the sex scandal, expect Romney to solidify his image as the front-runner. At this point, his strongest competitor might be Newt Gingrich, whose sarcasm and media-bashing seem to resonate with GOP audiences. REPRINTED FROM THE NORTHWEST FLORIDA DAILY NEWS DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM
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