Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire reports that Perry is considering skipping at least some future debates because they are so unfair. Should we call the whaaambulance?
Perry complains that is all so unfair:
Mr. Perry has made no secret of his distate for the debates. “These debates are set up for nothing more than to tear down the candidates,” he told Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly Tuesday night. “It pretty hard to be able to sit and lay out your ideas and your concepts with a one minute response.”
Well, perhaps so when you have so few ideas to lay out.
Conor Friedersdorf at Atlantic asks the obvious question: If he can't handle debates, how can he be President? Friedersdorf notes that debating by itself isn't a vital skill, but these forums show if a candidate understands the issues and can express his ideas effectively.
As it happens, these are the very things at which Perry is failing miserably. Would you send him to meet with world leaders? To address the press corps of foreign nations on trips? To quickly understand the issues at play in a complex and unexpected crisis? To do Town Hall meetings where he persuades the American people to rally behind his policy initiatives?
Well, no I wouldn't, actually. That is why I want the GOP to nominate him. Rick Perry would assure us that he is the man to face down Putin in Russia and the Ayatollahs in Iran. That's hard to believe if he is afraid of Anderson Cooper.