Networks Curb Cain Obsession as They Pounce on Rick Perry's Forgetfulness
After 117 stories over ten days, what would it take for the big three networks to ease up on their unending obsession with the Herman Cain sexual harassment story? The opportunity to go after another Republican, this time Rick Perry. From Wednesday night's evening newscasts through the Thursday morning shows, there were only two Cain stories (bringing the total to 119).
Good Morning America, CBS's Early Show and NBC's Today all pounced on Perry's debate performance and an inability to remember a government agency that he wished to eliminate. The three morning shows only offered brief passing mentions to the Cain scandal. Instead, co-host Ann Curry pressed Perry, "Have you thought about ending your campaign? Are you staying in this race, sir?"
Going into the debate the night before, however, both CBS's Evening News and NBC's Nightly News each offered another full report on the Cain scandal.
NBC's Chuck Todd breathlessly reported, "The elephant in the room, of course, is Herman Cain and the ongoing saga of the sexual harassment allegations. How does he handle it when or if it comes up? How does he handle this if opponents choose to go after him about it?"
On CBS's Evening News, Jan Crawford intoned, "Republican strategists say the allegations also are starting to have a negative impact on the entire Republican field, distracting from the issues less than two months before people start voting."
Once the debate was over, however, the networks had a new target to attack. Just hours later, ABC's Amy Walters appeared on Nightline and remarked, "This was supposed to be a debate where Herman Cain was under fire, where he was going to have to answer a lot of questions about all the allegations that have come up this week."
On Thursday's GMA, a graphic bombarded, "Perry's Debate Debacle: 53 Second Meltdown on Camera." Co-anchor George Stephanopoulos spent his interview with Rick Perry piling on: "But you did look like you were in pain during that answer last night. What but your thinking about?"
"You have got a host of Republican operatives out overnight saying this is a death blow to your campaign," he helpfully added.
A transcript of the November 10 GMA segment can be found below:
Story Continues Below Ad ↓7:14
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Let's hear from the governor himself, Rick Perry, joining us this morning. And, boy, no one wants pity from an opponent. But you did look like you were in pain during that answer last night. What but your thinking about?
RICK PERRY: I was thinking about the number of federal agencies that were coming to mind. But the one that I wanted to say, the Department of Energy, would not come out. And, you know, in all seriousness, that is one of the problems we have in this country, is we have got so many agencies in government out there, that are impacting people's lives. Everybody makes mistakes. Trust me, I'm a human being.
STEPHANOPOULOS: That is true. That is one of the standard questions that everyone prepares for. Name three agencies you'd get rid of. Larry Sabato, presidential scholar, already calling this the worst moment in modern primary debates. You have got a host of Republican operatives out overnight saying this is a death blow to your campaign.
PERRY: Well, the bottom line is, we're going to get up every day and go talk to the American people. And they know that there is not a perfect candidate that's been made yet. And I'm kind of proof positive of it every day, that people make mistakes when they debate. People make mistakes when they make statements. But there's one thing that Americans do know about me, and that is that my conservative beliefs about getting this country back on track are very deep-founded. For ten years, in the state of Texas, as I've had the great privilege to serve there. We created more jobs than any other state in the nation while America lost two and a half million. So, if they're looking for the best debater or the best, smoothest politician, I might not be it. But if they're looking for someone that is a principle, fiscal conservative, they can count on me every day.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I take your point, Governor. But it came at the worst time for you in this campaign. You're on a downward spiral since the campaign began. Dropped almost 20 points in our ABC News poll nationally. If you look at the polls in the early states. You've gone from first to fourth in Iowa. First to fourth in South Carolina. First to fourth in Florida. Doing even worse in New Hampshire. How do you recover?
PERRY: Oh, we just keep on going out there and talk about the issues that we think are important to the people of this country. And, again, there's going to be some mistakes made. And we'll deal with those as we go through them. And Americans are pretty forgiving people. What Americans are not forgiving about is-- those sitting around the dinner table last night, watching the debate-- worrying about whether or not they're going to be able to have a job in the future to take care of their family.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You got in this race pretty late. Did you fail to understand what kind of preparation it would take?
PERRY: Oh, absolutely. I mean, from the standpoint of preparation to run for the presidency, it is a long slog and a hard slog. But absolutely. We gave complete and absolute thought to that. But again, the perfect candidate's never been created yet. And there's going to be people that make mistakes. And I'll make my share of them.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Let me ask you about Herman Cain. He got some applause last night when he addressed the questions about sexual harassment allegations against him. Did he put those questions to rest last night?
PERRY: You know, that's for the American people to address. And that's the exact right place for it. So, we'll leave it with the American people and allow them to make that decision.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Final question: How are you going to prepare for the next debate?
PERRY: Well, it's coming up on Saturday. So, just like we have prepared all along, is be ready to talk about our plan to cut and to balance and to grow the economy and talk about the issues that are important to the people of America. And we'll probably- as a matter of fact, I have got a website up, George, at Rickperry.org. What federal agency would you most like to forget?
STEPHANOPOULOS: I'll bet you get a lot of answers. Governor, thanks for your time this morning.
PERRY: [Laughs.] You're welcome, George. Thank you.
- Scott Whitlock's blog
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Comments
...the value of the MSM
Submitted by vrwc13 on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 5:58pm.
It only goes to show the real value of the MSM.
Fortunately, I gave up watching it years ago. I get my news from Drudge (thanks for the headlines, that's how most men like their news), NB, and CNN for balance.
Thanks to NB for keeping me posted on their continued uselessness other than some mild form of entertainment.
v
The burden of life is from ourselves, its lightness from the grace of Christ and the love of God. - William Bernard Ullanthorne
Perry's Palin Moment
Submitted by Pizza Dude on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 7:17pm.
I haven't felt this uncomfortable watching a politician speak since...
Since Obama, Biden or Frank?
Submitted by LAM SON 719 on Fri, 11/11/2011 - 9:46am.
Since Obama, Biden or Frank?
Can't talk
Submitted by Mike009 on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 7:24pm.
It pains me to say this but the last thing we need is another Republican who can't talk.
Being able to put words together into complete sentences and then putting sentences together into a coherent paragraph is a core skill for anyone who wants to be President of the United States.
Sorry, Rick.
Sorry for you Mike, this guys
Submitted by vrwc13 on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 7:26pm.
Sorry for you Mike, this guys been governor for 12 years of one of the most successful states in the last decade, and you judge him for 53 seconds?
v
The burden of life is from ourselves, its lightness from the grace of Christ and the love of God. - William Bernard Ullanthorne
Again...
Submitted by EvilCon555 on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 7:47pm.
A MSM female reporter fumbles through a report and blames a migraine. I think Gov. Perry has had a TIA or vascular migraine. He needs a CT scan and a good physical. Hope he's ok.
EvilCon555
"All great change in America begins at the dinner table" Ronald Reagan, Jan 21, 1981
You've never played Trivial Pursuit ?
Submitted by mandrake on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 8:01pm.
This kind of thing happens to people all the time without being rushed into ER. Besides, I would imagine a national debate is rather stressful.
duh
Submitted by kinijane on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 7:49pm.
No body in the media ever had a brain fart?
Remember how the media ignored Obama's 57 states speech?
Submitted by cbeyer on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 8:35pm.
Obama made a huge gaffe in Portland Oregon in a campaign speech in 2008 by saying he had visited 57 states. Totally and completely ignored by the MSM. But with Perry's panic attack and memory slip its major news everywhere! As a reminder, here is the UTube link to Obama's 57 states comments.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpGH02DtIws
Obama has committed a number of gaffes, even a few
Submitted by Jer on Fri, 11/11/2011 - 1:17am.
which may be reasonably comparable to Perry's brain freeze, but the "57 states" slip-of-the-tongue isn't even remotely analogous. Do you honestly believe if someone had asked Obama about the actual number of states he intended to cite he would have fumbled around for nearly a minute and finally conceded he couldn't remember. I don't think so.
Jer
Give us a break
Submitted by Marcus Porcius on Fri, 11/11/2011 - 6:28am.
Obama had the 57 states thing, he spaced what state he was in, he's told stories about sick women not having health insurance who did, he's told stories about teachers being laid off who still had jobs. He signed a guest book 2008 when it was 2011. He named a dead Medal of Honor winner as the first one to not die. He talked about the "Austrian language." He pronounced corpsman as "corpseman." I could keep going.
I have no use for Perry but it's the double standard I get sick of.
Obama says 57 states and it's "oh, he was tired." Dan Quayle gets potato wrong and we still hear about it 20 years later.
"Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions." G.K. Chesterton
www.theconservativereview.com
Porcius, you apparently misread the first sentence
Submitted by Jer on Fri, 11/11/2011 - 4:28pm.
of my post, including the headline, and mistakenly thought I claimed "Obama has not committed a number of gaffes..." Otherwise, I don't understand the purpose of your first paragraph except to itemize once again several of Obama's verbal missteps with which I, as is all of NewsBustersville, am thoroughly familiar.
As far as Dan Quayle and "potato", I rarely if ever hear of it other than when those on the right cite it as evidence of a double standard. So, agreed, it's time to sack the potato.
Jer
I am sure, Jer---
Submitted by matthewdean on Fri, 11/11/2011 - 6:40pm.
that any liberal Democrat would much prefer that conservatives, whether residing in "NewsBustersville", or elsewhere, came down with collective amnesia regarding the patent double standard in use by the media.
If that were to occur, NewsBusters would be history.
Your opportunities to attempt to defend the defenseless would be too. :o)
MD
Much more excruciating than Perry's relatively brief lapse
Submitted by 26CX on Fri, 11/11/2011 - 7:16pm.
This performance by Obama eclipses the Perry stumble by a mile...
(P.S. - I do not agree with the title put on this video)
That was a good one, CX...
Submitted by Jer on Sat, 11/12/2011 - 1:01am.
...not quite reaching the same level on the doofus meter as Perry's humiliating blunder, but it was close. And, I do give Perry high marks for his being a good sport about it afterwards and later on Letterman.
My favorite Quaylism was the time Danny meant to repeat the homily "a mind is a terrible thing to waste" and instead solemnly observed: "What a waste it is to lose one's mind...or not to have a mind is being very wasteful." Capped off with "how true that is!"
Jer
Have to disagree with you, Jer.
Submitted by 26CX on Sat, 11/12/2011 - 8:16am.
Perry knew when to stop. Obama just kept rolling along.
And why are you bringing up Dan Quayle? My post was about Perry and Obama.
Well, CX...
Submitted by Jer on Sat, 11/12/2011 - 8:16pm.
I say it was close. You say Obama's was worse by a mile. So, yes, we disagree.
I brought up Quayle because Marcus Porcius brought up Quayle and therefore Quayle was on my mind.
Jer
Jer, this may just be a case
Submitted by PeskyDane on Sat, 11/12/2011 - 10:07am.
Jer, this may just be a case of who's ox is getting gored but I have to put them on the same level. I have to be careful where my commander-in-chief is concerned, but he really didn't know when to quit.
As far as Quayle is concerned, I vividly recall when a reporter tried to trip him up by asking him for his take on Bosnia and the rest of the "Baltic" states, and he replied, "No, you mean 'Balken.' The Baltics are Lithuainia, Latvia, and Estonia."
Just say'n.
Pesky...
Submitted by Jer on Sat, 11/12/2011 - 8:39pm.
Again, I conceded the Obama and Perry screw-ups were close in the comparative level of egregiousness.
I remember watching Quayle question a witness during a Senate committee hearing prior to his V-P candidacy and was impressed with his competency and general grasp of the subject-matter. ALL politicians will slip up from time to time--whether speaking off the cuff or even from prepared texts [obviously more so in the former case], and both Quayle and Bush II in particular were treated unfairly and were the targets of far too much focus by the media with respect to their verbal gaffes.
Jer
I'm more partial to guys like Giuliani and Gingrich...
Submitted by krendler on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 8:39pm.
...guys who are articulate, great on their feet, and who absolutely $H*&%T down the throat of and humiliate these Obama lackeys every time they ask one of their loaded questions.
Having said that, BFD on Perry's misstep. 1/1000th as embarrassing as, say, Gore waddling over to Bush during the 04 debate and standing there like a big retard, only to have Bush dismiss his stupid a $ $ with nothing more than a head nod ("Go away, imbecile.")
I remember watching ALGORE do
Submitted by killa37 on Fri, 11/11/2011 - 12:37am.
I remember watching ALGORE do that........and thinking 'what the hell is this dumbbell doing???' I mean, I allready knew that the guy wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, and I also knew that he had 'alpha-male' issues (which Obama hasn't figured out yet!!!), so I just concluded that he was trying to act like some kind of 'bad-ass' on national TV, but ended up making a complete fool of himself............although the loony libs probably thought it was kind of 'macho'!!!
I kinda wished that Bush would've given him a 'false crack' - as we say here in Hawaii. I think that's called a 'bitch slap', or a 'sucker punch', on the mainland. And told him to 'get outta my face, meat'!!!!
Perry should be thankful
Submitted by ThisnThat on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 8:40pm.
that he didn't claim to have visited all 57 states. I can't even imagine how the press would pounce all over him for that, can you?
__________
“Didn't win the Medal of Honor? Didn't even serve? Then lie about it. We'll support you." — 9th Circuit Court
Rather than Perry's memory disability
Submitted by Pizza Dude on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 9:23pm.
I'd be more concerned with his pledge to lay off 150,000+ currently employed by the departments he's pledged to eliminate.
Dude
Submitted by Radical1979 on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 9:29pm.
So the government shouldn't lay off unnecessary workers? Talk about not making sense...
Yes, Radical
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 9:39pm.
There you have it. Not only do the Dems want to continue the featherbedding, they want to create more of it.
Cool
Submitted by Radical1979 on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 9:44pm.
There's only so many people they can register to vote. I guess they need to register a few live bodies, and government/union employees are the next best thing to dead.
Tru Dat Radical
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 9:48pm.
Proof is in those FOIA emails involving the NLRB on Boeing's SC plant.
These guys admit to trashing jobs in an effort to land high paid positions at France's Airbus.
More of the same Chicago Way.
Deddy, those 150,000 position holders produce nothing...
Submitted by Dave. on Fri, 11/11/2011 - 12:10am.
...and require about 1,050,000 or so private sector workers just to support their positions.
Even if you put them all on unemployment, it's far cheaper than the $162,000 per each federal position holder that we in the private sector are getting screwed out of each year.
And that doesn't even include their over-grown (not to mention unsustainable for much longer) benefits packages.
Just fire their worthless asses already.
-Dave.
Vote for the American in November
Yeah, it's a good thing this came out now.
Submitted by Order270 on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 9:26pm.
Wouldn't it be a major foreign policy blunder if as President he started popping off about the leader of one of our strongest allies on an open mike to reporters?
So Rick Perry had a brain fart. Who hasn't?
Submitted by Dave. on Fri, 11/11/2011 - 12:00am.
Besides, the list of unconstitutional federal agencies that could be eliminated has grown to mind-boggling proportions.
There are so many to pick from, how can you blame someone for momentarily tripping over the pile?
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Obama's Gaffes and Goofs
Submitted by jmigyanka@msn.com on Fri, 11/11/2011 - 7:37am.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama’s Gaffes and Goofs
1. “The Bomb” that fell on Pearl Harbor
2. “The Middle East is obviously an issue that has plagued the region for centuries.”
3. 10,000 People (A Whole Town!) Died in Kansas ~ Oops, Overstated by 9,988
4. Admits His Plan would Necessarily Cause Energy Prices to Skyrocket
5. Air Raiding Villages a la Yankee Air Pirates: Destroys Whole Afghan Villages!
6. Another Senior Moment
7. ATMs Cause Unemployment
8. Blames Hugo Chavez’s Election on (ta da) BUSH! Oops.
9. Blows off the Salute To Heroes (MOH) Inaugural Ball
10. Botched Toast ~ Babbles over “God Save The Queen”
11. Bowls like a Special Olympian
12. Bows to the Chicom President
13. Bows to the Emperor of Japan
14. Bows to the Saudi King
15. Burns up 9,000 gallons of Jet Fuel on Earth Day
16. Can’t Keep MOH Recipients Straight
17. Can’t Remember His Own Wife’s Name
18. Celebrates the Fifth of the Fourth
19. Claims to be the only President in History to Try to Eliminate Unnecessary Regulations
20. Confuses “his” Christianity for “his Muslim faith”
21. Congratulates the FBI’s First Hundred Days
22. Constitutional Principles on Judiciary Written 20 Centuries Ago
23. Cops Acted Stupidly (@ 1:30)
24. Date Nights at a Quarter of a Million a Pop
25. Did He REALLY just call Palin a “Pig”??????
26. Disrespects the Flag and the National Anthem
27. Dr. Obama on the Causes of Autism
28. Doesn’t Know How Old His Daughter Is
29. Exaggerates about Military Small Unit Methods, Weapons, and Tactics in Afghanistan
30. Expects to be President for “Eight to Ten Years”
31. Faux White Sox Fan Can’t Name Favorite Players, Loves “Cominskey” Park
32. Flippantly Answers the “When Does Life Begin” Question ~ Above His Pay Grade
33. Flips Off Her Royal Clinton
34. Flips Off John McCain
35. Flubs Town Hall Hosts’ Name
36. Forgot to Duck ~ Too Busy Waving
37. Gins up the Reason for his Birth In Selma (Bonus…Jive Accent)
38. Gives a Shout out to MOH who Isn’t
39. Gives the Queen an iPod
40. Gives Thoughtless Gifts to Brit PM Brown and his Children
41. Had an Imaginary Assignment to the Senate Banking Committee
42. Had an Uncle who Liberated Auschwitz
43. Har, Har, Har, $800 BN Wasn’t As Shovel Ready as We Thought ~ Hilarious!!!!!
44. Has Visited 57 States
45. Harvard Degree ~ Mechanical Engineering? No, Definitely NOT!
46. Hates Old People
47. How to Keep All Those Wars Straight?
48. Identifies a Whole New State (Eau Claire)
49. If I Can’t Dazzle Them With Brilliance, I’ll Baffle ‘em With BS
50. If Asking A Billionaire to Pay the Same Tax Rate as a Jew ~ Anti Semitic? (Shrink friend calls it the Amytal Interview)
51. (a) through (m) I’m Just Freakin’ Perfect Every Day, In Every Way. If You Don’t Believe it, ASK ME!!!!
52. Inhaled Frequently. That was the Point.
53. Insults French President Sarcozy ~ “Hope Your New Kid Isn’t Ugly Like You”
54. Israel is a Strong Friend of Israel’s ~ Whilst being Perfectly Clear
55. Makes a Nasty Joke about Nancy Reagan and Seances
56. Medical Genius (Off Prompter)
57. Mistakes a Window for a Door
58. Mocks Joe the Plumber
59. Navy Corpse Man
60. Oaf of Office
61. Ogles La Derriere Like a Frenchman
62. Oh Wait…Robots Create Jobs with Unions (@ 1:35)
63. Panders to Hispanics…Rewrites History Again
64. Pesky Infrastructure Terms Like “Intercontinental” Trip Him Up
65. Pitches Like a Girl Whilst Wearing Mom Jeans….Wheeeee!!!!!
66. Promotes Canada’s Prime Minister to a President
67. Refused to Visit the Troops Because No Media Was Allowed
68. Reporters with Foreign Policy Questions are SOOO Annoying!
69. Scares the Crap out of New Yorkers
70. Scares a Marine Guard by Shaking His Hand
71. Screw Our Allies ~ I’m going with Hugo and Ortega on This One
72. Seeks Greater Inefficiencies in the Health Care System via Obamacare
73. Sees Dead People
74. Shankopotomus (watch the Crackberry go flying)
75. Signs the Wrong Year in Guest Book at Westminster Abbey
76. Snubs Brits by Returning the Bust of Winston Churchill
77. Someone Waging a KMA can’t Spell “Libya” (h/t our own Warner Todd Houston)
78. Staff Incompetence ~ Obama’s Limo Gets Stuck
79. Staff Incompetence Part Deux ~ Obama’s Ignorance of Geography is Apparently Virulent
80. The Time has Changed for Come
81. Thinks “Victory” is a 4 Letter Word
82. Thinks Austrian is a Language
83. Thinks Europe is a Country
84. Throws Out the Honored Guest with the Trash
85. Wants to Halt the Rise of Privacy
86. Waves Like Alfred E. Neuman (h/t El Rushbo)
87. Waves Again ~ Speak to the Hand Part Deux
88. We are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For
89. We Can’t Balance The Budget…w/o Tax Increases ~ Um, Bernanke Disagrees
90. When in Ireland, Do as the Irish Do….NO WAIT….BYOB (non-alcoholic)
91. Will Halt The Rise of the Oceans
92. Wouldn’t “Punish” His Daughters with a Baby AND Equates Pregnancy to an STD
93. WTF of the Day
94. You Might be a Filthy Rich Cretin If….Oh Never Mind, the Math Doesn’t Really Work
~ Blonde Gator
(Originally posted at NewsBusters in the “Latest New” Forum)
*
Submitted by jon_torlin on Fri, 11/11/2011 - 11:51pm.
*
Thanks!
Submitted by Blonde on Fri, 11/11/2011 - 11:39am.
Here's the link, as each gaffe has it's own link (we like proof!).
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
-57 states -Stand up
Submitted by LAM SON 719 on Fri, 11/11/2011 - 9:45am.
-57 states
-Stand up chuck
-When my uncle help capture Auschwitz
The guy had spine surgery...
Submitted by panz on Fri, 11/11/2011 - 11:15am.
I might forget once in a while myself. I'm sure he is concentrating on other things occasionally. My husband had this type of surgery nearly a year ago and he fights the pain daily. It isn't just a discomfort, it's a deep overwhelming pain. And my husband isn't running for president. Rick Perry should have waited a cycle and let his surgery heal so he could keep up with the schedule necessary.
But the overarching story is this is just the liberal media deciding who will be the GOP nominee. They are trying to destroy them one-by-one and they will pick the one they like best, the one they prefer Obama goes up against. That appears to be Mitt Romney.