Rick Perry Has Replaced Jon Huntsman in the Coveted ‘Gov. Asterisk’ Position

Posted on | January 11, 2012 | 23 Comments

Marginal poll numbers, yet deemed debate-worthy:

According to CNN’s criteria for inclusion, a candidate must get at least 4th place in either Iowa or New Hampshire, or get 7% support in at least three national Republican or three South Carolina primary polls released in January. The requirements were posted online last Tuesday afternoon, several hours before the Iowa caucuses began later that night.
Perry came in fifth place in Iowa, and sixth in New Hampshire. And currently, his national and South Carolina poll numbers do not show him meeting that threshold, either.

Never mind, says CNN, they’re including Perry anyway.

Because to do otherwise would be . . . well, heartless.

Category: CNN, Debates, Election 2012, Rick Perry, South Carolina

Comments

23 Responses to “Rick Perry Has Replaced Jon Huntsman in the Coveted ‘Gov. Asterisk’ Position”

CCR
January 11th, 2012 @ 10:28 pm

No, they’re including him because they don’t want Ace and RedState to cry.
richard mcenroe
January 11th, 2012 @ 10:41 pm

If it preserves us from Ace and his wooden coat hanger again, I’m all for it.
Adjoran
January 11th, 2012 @ 11:01 pm

What is the point of setting criteria if you don’t follow them?

But I get it: it’s CNN, and Perry’s been spouting anti-capitalist OWS rhetoric for several days. They couldn’t let their comrade down.
ThePaganTemple
January 11th, 2012 @ 11:17 pm

It’s pretty clear to me they’re propping up Perry hoping he’ll help further dilute the conservative vote.
Jayden
January 11th, 2012 @ 11:20 pm

It falls under the “every retard deserves a trophy” rule that modern society requires.

Just like Perry’s ballot requirement failure in Virginia. Laws like thats just fur City Folk who don’t know nuthin’.
Anonymous
January 11th, 2012 @ 11:32 pm

Ah…so it all comes to pass…

(Rick Perry killed the Tea Party…yep…he did)
Adjoran
January 11th, 2012 @ 11:45 pm

Concerning Huntsman, there is a side story to the “Governor Asterisk” that is mostly confined to South Carolina.

The state always paid for the primaries for state and local offices, but when the parties started holding their Presidential primaries on different days (the GOP wanted to move up, the Dems didn’t), the state said, “Whoa! This isn’t a state office and we not only aren’t paying for two primaries, we aren’t paying for any!” So the parties were stuck with the tab, roughly half a million in total costs, which they have always struggled to pay.

Enter Stephen Colbert, the faux newsman/comedian, who offered to pay for it if we renamed it “The Colbert Report Republican Primary.” He figures we rename stadiums and bowl games, why not primaries? Well, the GOP declined, so Colbert commissioned his own poll, a legit one except his name was on the ballot list, too.

He finished next to last, but drew 5%, beating the margin of error – and Jon “I Love You Barack” Huntsman, who won only 1% support.
Anonymous
January 11th, 2012 @ 11:47 pm

Ace was actually pretty good today. Here’s a palette cleanser…funny Chinese dogs.
Pathfinder's wife
January 12th, 2012 @ 12:04 am

Maybe they are hoping for another oops moment to further the meme that Republicans are slobbering imbeciles.

Wooden coat hangers (???) and bitter tears be damned, somebody please tell him to pack it up!
Anonymous
January 12th, 2012 @ 2:33 am

They’re hoping Perry will serve as a speed bump to slow Gingrich down.

Also, they probably have a pool going on which candidate will be the first one to melt down and say “fuck” on national TV, with lots of money behind Perry for the win.
MrPaulRevere
January 12th, 2012 @ 3:24 am

Let’s be frank here, Rick Perry was finished the moment he uttered the “you don’t have a heart” line. Anyone with an IQ in triple digits knew it. Dan Riehl and Ace have done serious damage to their reputations for continuing to pimp for this loser.
AngelaTC
January 12th, 2012 @ 8:22 am

He was actively opposed by the TEA Party in his last election. The media allowed him to brand himself as their candidate, but that’s just another distortion of the facts.

I almost feel sorry for the guy. I don’t think he actually planned to run, but was sort of dragged in by the desperate “Anybody But Romney” crowd.
Anonymous
January 12th, 2012 @ 9:00 am

I don’t think he actually planned to run, but was sort of dragged in by the desperate “Anybody But Romney” crowd greedy political consultants eager to cash in.

Fixed that for you.
Bob Belvedere
January 12th, 2012 @ 9:08 am

As the Left has said regarding Morality, Tradition, and Truth: ‘We don’t need to follow no stinkin’ criteria!’
Bob Belvedere
January 12th, 2012 @ 9:09 am

You made it, Stacy! Enjoy the days off.
Anonymous
January 12th, 2012 @ 9:09 am

Again, not true. I live in TX. I was collecting signatures at the first Tea Party rally down outside American Airlines HQ. Some Tea Party organizations endorsed Perry. Some didn’t. None of them endorsed his opponents.
William_Teach
January 12th, 2012 @ 10:13 am

Perhaps CNN enjoys Perry parroting the same “I created jobs in Texas” line ad nauseum.

“Governor Perry, what do you think about Iran attempting to develop nuclear weapons?”

“I created jobs in Texas.”

“That’s nice, but, what about the threat from Iran”

“Did I mention I created jobs in Texas, and that you’re heartless for asking me about anything else?”
Pathfinder's wife
January 12th, 2012 @ 10:40 am

…and his wife Anita (she always struck me as sort of a Sugar Land Michelle O.)
Pathfinder's wife
January 12th, 2012 @ 10:46 am

The cracks were beginning to show long before that though. You don’t have to look much further than that damn prayer rally (if you are religious this guy should give you the heaves) and the house he rents (and he has the nerve to start this OWS crap?) — I think I’ll quit calling him Fundamentally Oral Bill and start calling him Da Kingfish if he stays in this!

This guy has been a political toxic waste dump for a long time — it just took this long for the slime to bubble up.
Pathfinder's wife
January 12th, 2012 @ 10:55 am

I suppose he could say he’ll create more jobs in Texas by having Texans sign up to invade Iran?

Ok, I should probably stop with the snark; the guy needs to go (so does Huntsman, and Gingrich had best watch it — although he’s at least polling well enough for now — but Perry is a personal target for me).
Mike Rogers
January 12th, 2012 @ 11:53 am

Nah. Do do otherwise would be to miss the chance of “handbags at dawn” between Perry and Romney, and we wouldn’t want to deprive the voters of their entertainment, now would we? THAT would be heartless!
Right Wing Extremists: January 13, 2012 | REPUBLICAN REDEFINED
January 14th, 2012 @ 1:48 pm

[…] Rick Perry Has Replaced Jon Huntsman in the Coveted ‘Gov. Asterisk’ Position […]
Right Wing Extremists: January 13, 2012 | An Ex-Cons View
January 14th, 2012 @ 4:48 pm

[…] Rick Perry Has Replaced Jon Huntsman in the Coveted ‘Gov. Asterisk’ Position […]