Perry Flames Out

We may not have Rick Perry to kick around much longer, so I prepared the above video to show my appreciation for the 45 seconds that (perhaps) ended a candidacy.

Here's a collection of reactions from around the web...

I’ve seen a lot of debate flubs and mistakes.

But Rick Perry’s performance last night may very well go down as the. worst. debate. in modern political history.

After having a night and a morning to process what happened last night, I still can’t wrap my head around Rick Perry’s performance. Mitt Romney could not have scripted a better implosion for his rival. In one fell swoop, Rick Perry may have just cost himself any shot at the GOP nomination.

The above was written by a fetus who first became aware of politics in 2000. Listen, kid -- you're too young to recall Ford versus Carter. Neither of them knew how to debate; Carter sounded like he had marbles in his mouth and Ford sounded like he had marbles in his brain cavity. But there was a moment during the second debate -- I'm pretty sure it was the second -- when Ford declared "There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe." He wouldn't back down from the statement even when given a chance to do so. That was the moment when everyone in the country knew that our next president would have a southern accent.

Here's Mike Littwin of the Denver Post:

Rick Perry is, in fact, the Texas governor for those who think George W. Bush was too cerebral.

Bill Kristol:

The e-mails flooding into our inbox during the evening were less guarded. Early on, we received this missive from a bright young conservative: “I'm watching my first GOP debate...and WE SOUND LIKE CRAZY PEOPLE!!!!”

You've been sounding that way since before that bright young conservative was born, Bill.

But no front-runner in a presidential field has ever, we imagine, had as weak a showing as Rick Perry. It was close to a disqualifying two hours for him.

Jimmy Kimmel:

"He’s like the Sarah Palin of politics."

A personal theory: The Republican leadership knows that Perry might lose in the general, so they injected a lot of cross-talk into his earpiece prompter.

(Remember bulge-gate, 2004? I started that. Well, my ladyfriend did.)