Governor Zombie Stumbles Relentlessly Toward Humiliation in South Carolina UPDATE: Rush Limbaugh Compares Perry ‘Vulture’ Attack to Fidel Castro

Posted on | January 12, 2012 | 44 Comments

While I was in Iowa, a source told me that suspicions about Rick Perry’s weak debate performances being caused by back pain — which I had first reported Sept. 23 — were essentially correct. At one point, said the source, the governor had been prescribed oxycontin for the pain, but when his advisers realized that this was causing problems, his medication was changed. Of course, as anyone familiar with such things can tell you, changing medications can be a tricky business, sometimes involving bad side-effects, and it is possible that continuing medication-related problems explain some of the bad judgments and mental lapses Perry has exhibited in recent months.

I didn’t make a big deal of what my source told me in Iowa because it was difficult to explain the circumstances that lent credibility to his information without identifying either him or his source. And it wasn’t until I got to New Hampshire that, when I mentioned this to other journalists, several of them said to me, “Yeah, everybody knows that.”

But nobody’s reporting it, of course, because you can’t prove it, and it’s not as if the Perry’s campaign staff is going confirm that, yeah, the governor’s gobbling all kinds of pills every day, just to be able to endure the physical and emotional rigors of showing up at events and saying the stupid things he keeps saying:

“Listen, I love capitalism,” Mr. Perry said at a campaign stop at Duke’s Bar-b-q in Orangeburg, S.C., but “this corrupt and fraudulent activity in Washington, D.C. — between them and Wall Street — has got to stop.”
Mr. Perry stopped short of explicitly criticizing rival Mitt Romney and his business record at Bain Capital. But he highlighted workers at factories in South Carolina where Bain had cut jobs during Mr. Romney’s tenure. . . .
“My whole concern about Wall Street is the Republican Party should be about creating jobs, not creating instant wealth,” Mr. Perry said at a stop at a Lizard’s Thicket restaurant in Blythewood.

After calling Romney a “vulture capitalist” the other day, now Perry is unwilling to criticize Romney by name? Listen to Perry’s interview with Laura Ingraham:

Ingraham: You know I am going to raise the issue of Texans for Public Justice, their analysis of your campaign contributions since 2000 you have received more than $7 million from private equity firms and private investment firms. Are any of those “vulture” firms?
Perry: Listen, I didn’t paint with a broad brush and say that every private equity firm out there is…
Ingraham: Only Romney’s are vultures? None of your guys, only Romney’s?
Perry: Look, Romney is running for president.
Ingraham: Yeah, you are running for president too and you have benefitted from these firms.
Perry: Correct, and I don’t have a problem with that.

On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” today, Joe Scarborough said Perry “sounds like a stoned NYU grad student in Zuccotti Park.”

It’s a zombie campaign at this point: Dead, but undead, the former frontrunner shuffling onward in a bizarre ritual simulacrum of campaigning for president.

UPDATE: Perry is sixth in the latest South Carolina poll by Insider Advantage, and also sixth in the latest Florida poll by Rasmussen. Maybe Erick Erickson can explain what purpose is served by Perry’s continued candidacy, other than spending the rest of the millions the Perry campaign collected in August and early September, before the wheels fell off that bandwagon.

UPDATE II: If Perry’s lost Rush Limbaugh . . .

After Perry described rival Mitt Romney’s work at Bain Capital as “vulture capitalism” (rather than venture capitalism), Limbaugh lashed out.
“That is indefensible!” he said on his EIB broadcast [Wednesday]. “It’s absurd…this is the language of leftists! This is the way Fidel Castro thinks, or says he thinks.”As you probably know, Limbaugh is no fan of Romney, whom he views as a flip-flopper and a closet moderate. He says he’s irked because Perry and others are going after Romney on “the one thing he’s actually pretty clearly conservative about.” He directed his ire at both Perry and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
“The attacks that they’ve mounted on Romney are indefensible,” Limbaugh said.

Stupid attacks like Perry’s are probably actually helping Romney.

Category: Election 2012, Rick Perry, South Carolina

Comments

44 Responses to “Governor Zombie Stumbles Relentlessly Toward Humiliation in South Carolina UPDATE: Rush Limbaugh Compares Perry ‘Vulture’ Attack to Fidel Castro”

Adjoran
January 12th, 2012 @ 5:31 pm

Barry Wynn, one of the bigger SC money men, has dumped Perry and endorsed Romney over this commie crap.

Romney’s latest robo-call is just a recording of Gingrich praising Romney and Bain.
Zilla of the Resistance
January 12th, 2012 @ 5:49 pm

I’ve never been a Perry supporter, but it’s kind of sad to see him soil himself like he has been. Are the Perryists embarrassed yet? Or do they still think he’s GOP Jesus and anyone who doesn’t agree is the devil?
And Newt, geez, Newt, DUDE!
I don’t like dhiMITTude Romney, bit of all the things to attack him over, this is the dumbest possible choice.
And that’s what they get for blowing all that green on self proclaimed “smart people” political advisers I guess, dumbasses should have been reading The Other McCain instead.
Anonymous
January 12th, 2012 @ 5:52 pm

Both Perry and Newt have sh*t the bed with this idiotic line of attack. At least Perry can legitimately say he was high.
Brendan Haley
January 12th, 2012 @ 5:55 pm

Perry’s ridiculous demagoguing on Bain was the final straw for me from a support standpoint. However, I do think he would do the best job, by far, of the remaining candidates, if we could magically place him in the Oval Office on 1/20/13. And therein lies the reason(s) for my aggravation and disgust.
CCR
January 12th, 2012 @ 6:02 pm

I’m pretty sure Perry remains in the campaign because it affords Ace and Erickson such golden opportunities to further destroy what little standing they have left in the conservative blogosphere.
Anonymous
January 12th, 2012 @ 6:03 pm

Check out some of the comments at Rightscoop. There’s alot of Perry support there, and they seem to agree with his attacks on Bain.
Anonymous
January 12th, 2012 @ 6:09 pm

Ouch.
Anonymous
January 12th, 2012 @ 6:56 pm

Protein Wisdom Today: “GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum defends capitalism, defends Mitt Romney’s earlier engagement of capitalism on capitalist grounds (as opposed to Romney himself, who appealed for a defense to progressive corporatism), and yet the GOP establishment and its attendant media — as well as an increasing number of sober, pragmatic, ‘it’s time to rally behind a single candidate’ members of the conservative base — tell us that it is Santorum who is unelectable, and throw their support behind the candidate who enacted state-run health care, and who can’t even defend his own engagement in capitalism without retreating to a progressive defense.”
I also linked your latest to this.
Anonymous
January 12th, 2012 @ 6:58 pm

Acutally Ace had a pretty good quote with this:

Ace yesterday: “By choosing to make their last stand in a way that seems anti-conservative, they might have sealed this all up for the Romnster…And here’s my next fear: That this film makes Romney unelectable, and Perry and Gingrich have made themselves unelectable by pushing it.”

The guys to blame are Perry and Newt (and Huntsman if he were worth blaming).
Bob Belvedere
January 12th, 2012 @ 7:37 pm

‘GOP Jesus’ – love it, Zilla. I may steal it.
Mike G.
January 12th, 2012 @ 8:00 pm

So Stacy, do you have your itinerary planned out for SC yet? Inquiring minds want to know.
Finrod Felagund
January 12th, 2012 @ 8:48 pm

Erick talked more about Gingrich today than he did Perry.
Zilla of the Resistance
January 12th, 2012 @ 9:08 pm

He should also be planning for Vanuatu, because as Newt Perry take out dhiMITTude Romney, and nobody cares about Huntsman, Rick Santorum may just be the last republican standing.
CCR
January 12th, 2012 @ 9:12 pm

Tough love hurts.
Anonymous
January 12th, 2012 @ 9:26 pm

it comes down to this, Romney will be the nominee unless a few of the anybody but romney candidates step aside. They are splitting the vote so Romney will walk to the nomination, and more than likely lose the general.
Multimedia Group
January 12th, 2012 @ 9:33 pm

Erikson keeps saying Santorum has no “path” to the nomination but keeps pushing Perry as if Perry has a “path”. I like Perry’s politics but c’mon, this is just sad. Cain could get back in and have a better chance than Perry at this point.
ThePaganTemple
January 12th, 2012 @ 9:49 pm

No, the dumbasses should be reading The Pagan Temple, then they’d know the right way to attack Romney over Bain, a way that doesn’t dishonor free market principles yet seriously questions Romney’s integrity and sincerity as a small government conservative. If Perry had used my approach he’d be rising in the polls as we speak, as opposed to where he is now, at the bottom of the barrel and the object of derision and ridicule. Santorum should actually consider my approach. If he does he can thank me after he whips Romney’s ass. I’ll settle for a post as Ambassador to Martinique.
ThePaganTemple
January 12th, 2012 @ 9:53 pm

Shit, Fred Karger has as good a chance as Rick Perry as of now.
Where I’m At, Where I’m Coming From | Wizbang
January 12th, 2012 @ 10:10 pm

[…] a bit perplexed at the performance of Rick Perry since he entered the race and took a nosedive. This from The Other McCain makes sense, it doesn’t explain his latest poor decision to attack Romney from the left, but […]
TWB
January 12th, 2012 @ 10:13 pm

Ace seems to have backed off a bit. I think he knows Perry blew it for whatever reason. Erickson on the other hand continues to double down on stupid.
Pathfinder's wife
January 12th, 2012 @ 11:06 pm

And this is why Republican voters need to tell the GOP to kiss off 😉

Gingrich and Perry should be blasted for their antics, but Romney needs his feet held to the fire (effectively) and not given the “poor wittle puppy” treatment over this: Santorum and Paul are doing the heavy lifting in defending capitalism, and they are getting shat on (I opened Yahoo last night to “Santorum’s commie clan” from the Daily Beast, and is anyone defending him from this smear job? crickets!…b*stards).
Adjoran
January 12th, 2012 @ 11:11 pm

Santorum had several events in the Lowcountry today (not his strongest area of the state, the Upstate would be as it was for Huckabee) and was reportedly well received. He spent two full hours at an SRO town hall at Daniel’s Island (Charleston) and met with enthusiasm from a crowd which the reports say was mixed/undecided going in.

Santorum and Romney will have a joint town hall in Charleston Saturday. Gingrich has a previous commitment to a CPUSA meeting and can’t make it, and nobody knows about Paul.

Perry also had several packed events in the Lowcountry today and was well received, but has dropped the OWS talk completely from his stump speech and advertising.
Pathfinder's wife
January 12th, 2012 @ 11:11 pm

He(Perry) really can’t, because he’s been pretty blasted things: the guy isn’t at all a supporter of small government (unless you consider putting all the power into the executive branch “small government”), and last time I checked that’s hardly a conservative platform either (or shouldn’t be).
Da Kingfish’s heart beats progressive pink (and bleeds money green) — how he managed to get the GOP Jesus, love it by the way, mantle is a case study in the crowd’s vulnerability to a certain form of mesmerizing…and populist demogougery, mustn’t forget that).
Pathfinder's wife
January 12th, 2012 @ 11:14 pm

My Border Collie would stand as good a chance (and he is more handsome and probably smarter, definitely more ethical — can’t bribe him with food, not even a steak bone…good dog).
Pathfinder's wife
January 12th, 2012 @ 11:18 pm

Well, he’s back to defending (left handedly at least) his heartthrob….ay yi yiii oy….basta (how much handwriting does the wall need to take?)

Anybody want to go over there and put up “I told you so!” for me?
Sign it “Best regards, Jane”
Tennwriter
January 12th, 2012 @ 11:33 pm

Paul was last seen talking to the Greys.
Pathfinder's wife
January 13th, 2012 @ 1:40 am

good post by the way — I would also suggest showing how a lot of companies have learned to play within this crooked progressive system and how that in turn does indeed screw the workers — kind of tears the heck out of the Dems too I should think
ThePaganTemple
January 13th, 2012 @ 6:38 am

Thank you. That’s a good suggestion too, might even make for an interesting series of posts, each one highlighting a different company and how its gamed the system. Large corporations can do that. Small and mid-sized businesses, not so much.
ThePaganTemple
January 13th, 2012 @ 6:39 am

You know he’s got the Abductee vote all sewn up.
Bob Belvedere
January 13th, 2012 @ 7:39 am

Well put.
Bob Belvedere
January 13th, 2012 @ 7:56 am

You know, I have some sympathy for Perry, but I must admit I’m enjoying watching Erickson take it up the wazoo every day.
Anonymous
January 13th, 2012 @ 8:29 am

What do they pay Erickson to say this stuff?
Pathfinder's wife
January 13th, 2012 @ 10:15 am

Too late! My husband and I started a blog last night — guess what’s one of the first things in the works for a post?

I’ve been a recipient of this junk, so now I’ve got plenty of time on my hands. Might as well put it to some use.
Finrod Felagund
January 13th, 2012 @ 10:30 am

I’ve backed off on criticizing RedStaters for now. I figure they’re going to go through some serious grief cycle issues when Perry drops out after SC, and I’m not cruel enough to twist the knife on them– even though I’m tempted to what with their douchy attitude towards Palin back at the end of September.
Finrod Felagund
January 13th, 2012 @ 10:54 am

That’s not what Erick is saying now:

A candidate could run a very grassroots campaign against Mitt Romney between now and April when the full slate of winner take all races start. But such a person would have to have a pile of money either within their campaign or with a related Super PAC. The candidate would also have to sit back a bit and let the media vet Mitt Romney, along with the Democrats, in the way we all know is going to happen.

It is possible, but not probable. Right now, the only person who seems capable of doing that is Newt Gingrich. Gingrich has a well funded Super PAC and has had a good bit of money flowing to him as the alternative to Mitt Romney.

Jon Huntsman’s campaign is a non-starter. Ron Paul cannot build a majority coalition largely because of his foreign policy views. Rick Santorum does not have the money. Most everyone has given up hope in Rick Perry’s ability to come back barring a miracle.

That leaves Gingrich. And he is just the stubborn sort to do it. Mitt Romney is only the guaranteed candidate if Republicans want him to
be. I personally think he will be a disastrous general election candidate. But every day he inches forward makes it harder for anyone
else to catch up.
Anonymous
January 13th, 2012 @ 11:30 am

That’s not how a brokered convention works. You don’t automatically win the nomination just because you got a plurality of the votes in a bunch of early primaries.
Anonymous
January 13th, 2012 @ 11:31 am

They’re going to have a hell of a time getting those absentee ballots home from Zeta Reticuli.
ThePaganTemple
January 13th, 2012 @ 1:07 pm

I refuse to defend Wall Street from their egregious antics. We’re playing right into the left’s hands by portraying Bain Capital as representative of the free market system. It’s fucking bullshit. It makes about as much sense as portraying little Susie’s lemonade stand as the essence of multinational corporatism.
ThePaganTemple
January 13th, 2012 @ 1:08 pm

Oh I don’t know, I kind of get a kick out of watching people soil themselves, especially when they start looking around to see if anybody’s noticed.

Oh wait, you meant that symbolically right?
ThePaganTemple
January 13th, 2012 @ 1:10 pm

Hey good luck with it.
ThePaganTemple
January 13th, 2012 @ 1:13 pm

Oh go ahead and twist the knife, you know you want to, and its not like they don’t deserve it.
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