Ron Paul Fans Allege Rick Perry ‘Assault’ During Debate Break Based On Photo

[jefferson_dem]

Ron Paul Fans Allege Rick Perry ‘Assault’ During Debate Break Based On Photo
by Tommy Christopher | 11:27 am, September 8th, 2011

There’s no freakout like a Ron Paul fan freakout. A meme has emerged on the PaulWeb that, during a commercial break in last night’s Republican Presidential Debate, Gov. Rick Perry “assaulted” fellow Texan Ron Paul, “suddenly grab(bing)” Paul’s forearm while “aggressively pointing his index finger towards the Congressman’s face.”

The only “source” for these allegations is an AP photo with a much blander caption, but that’s just what you’d expect from the anti-Paul media, right?



According to Paul fansite RonPaul.com, here’s how it went down:

During a commercial break at Wednesday’s Republican debate, Rick Perry and Ron Paul continued their spirited exchange on stage. Suddenly, Perry grabbed Ron Paul’s forearm while aggressively pointing his index finger towards the Congressman’s face. Alerted by Perry’s menacing gestures, Ron Paul’s bodyguard (front left) was standing by, ready to protect the Congressman.

Admittedly, the photo does look like it captures a somewhat heated exchange, and the two did go at it pretty hard last night, but for all we know, they were discussing the relative merits of My Little Pony and Thundercats. The AP caption cuts against the idea that it was anything to freak out about:

<SNIP>

There’s also a second photo in the mix, which carries the same caption, apparently taken shortly after the first. Did Perry “menace” Paul off of his podium, or did he just really need a Tic Tac? Only Ron Paul knows for sure.



<SNIP>

http://www.mediaite.com/online/apoplectic-ron-paul-fans-allege-rick-perry-assault-during-debate-commercial-break/

[TwilightGardener]

1. Got up in the old man's grill. That's the kind of bullying dickwad Perry appears to be.

[jefferson_dem]

2. A nasty, mean "i'm a tough guy" streak for sure.

Check out this one.

[TwilightGardener]

3. Yeah. This sort of shit might fly in Texas, I hope the rest of the country sees it

for what it is.

[Inuca]

Huntsman as mediator? :-) n/t

[MADem]

6. That one IS concerning--Huntsman looks sane. NT

[Inuca]

7. Huntsman IS sane

and his attempts at being a whore are more classy than Romney's. Also, and completely irrelevant, a rather good looking guy :-).

[soleft]

9. But good looking in a Rob Lowe kind of way

Too pretty to be electable by neanderthal standards.

[bklyncowgirl]

17. I was thinking George Hamilton.

[MADem]

10. No, he just creates an APPEARANCE of sanity. He's way out there in many regards.

That's why he scares the shit out of me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYJEJmXNZ-A

[TwilightGardener]

12. He wants to tax military combat pay and housing/food allowance.

He's a pile of shit in my household.

[MADem]

14. I can imagine what he'd do to my pension, the bastard! nt

[TwilightGardener]

16. Yep. His idea of shared sacrifice is that military personnel haven't sacrificed enough lately.

[Inuca]

26. Sane does not mean

that I agree with him or like his ideas. But I think he is the kind of opposition that the Ds would be happy to have to deal with (as opposed to what they have to deal with now).

[MADem]

29. I think he's scary because he can FOOL people into thinking he is normal when he is not.

He wants to take away Granny's check, make no mistake. I think that's a nutty idea.

However, he can come off as a "regular guy" because he doesn't have a big enough or deep enough policy footprint to get mired in his past behaviors, like some of these candidates with long, convoluted records have.

[bklyncowgirl]

15. Huntsman: Get me out of here. Please god get me out of here.

It's tough being the only sort of kind of sane person in a group of total wackadoodles.

I would have liked to see Ron Paul knock the smirk off Perry's face. The doctor may be a little guy but my guess is pretty boy Perry has a glass jaw. At least he might do some damage to his hair.

[Bake]

33. Damn, looks like Huntsman's been sleeping in the tanning bed ...

I bet John Boner is jealous.

Bake

[MADem]

34. I suspect a bit o' "man tan" at work, here-on both of 'em....

They're both fakes, so why wouldn't they fake-n-bake?

[Ohio Joe]

4. Fuck that racist douchebag

I like it when the repugs eat each other. Fuck 'em all.

[MADem]

5. Looks like Perry studied LBJ. That looks entirely like "The Johnson Treatment" to me.

LBJ used to do that shit all the time--invade people's space, loom over them, do the finger pointing thing--the whole idea is to make it appear, in a photo, that the Big Man is "lecturing" the hapless point-ee.

LBJ would do this kind of shit even if he was saying he liked the guy's wife's apple crumble at dinner the other night--the whole idea was to make him appear powerful in the PHOTO.

We know how those pictures are worth a thousand words, after all...

That does not look like a "forearm GRAB" to me either--it looks more like a gentle laying of a hand upon a wrist....

[TwilightGardener]

8. This is probably true--he had to know there were cameras on.

That said, though, you don't touch another man in a confrontation, unless you are really trying to dominate him. If I were Paul, I would have thrown off Perry's hand and got back in his face. I think Paul was too shocked to react, based on the pictures.

[MADem]

13. Of course--that's the goal. However, if that "arm grab" was a gentle

laying-on-of-hands, starting out as a friendly pat ending in a squeeze, Ron Paul might have perceived it differently than someone on the business end of the camera might have.

Johnson used to do that shit all the time. He'd hug people up, immobilize their arm with a friendly elbow grab, and point away, right up in their face looking down at them. It's placement genius--it creates a totally false impression, but it is clever as hell.

Johnson with SC nom Abe Fortas:



With Sen Russell:





http://www.uiowa.edu/commstud/resources/nonverbal/lbj.htm

The experienced ones always know that there are cameras on...!! Perry may be a toad, but he's experienced.

[hedgehog]

23. Oh yes!

[vaberella]

44. Well then that must be a great thing & get DU votes; since that's what DUers want Obama to be & do.

n/t

[sudopod]

11. "they were discussing the relative merits of My Little Pony and Thundercats. "

No contest. Ponies 4 lyfe.

[eleny]

18. Perry appeared to be containing a menacing demeanor throughout the debate

Newt let his anger spill out. I could deal with that and laugh about it. But Perry appeared to be trying to keep his under control which I found off notch.

[Honeycombe8]

19. Sure looks like Perry was hot under the collar about SOMETHIN'. Glad to see that Paul kept his cool

At least it looks like Ron Paul was keeping his cool. He's been around awhile. He also probably knew the kind of person that he was attacking during the debate.

Ron Paul was the only one (well, Romney did a bit) who really went after Perry about Perry's Texas record. Paul being a Texan himself.

the media isn't discussing Ron Paul at all, and yet, I thought Ron Paul was great during the debate. Going by just performance, not substance.

[TacticalPeek]

20. Perry is sore because Ron Paul proved he was in bed with Al Gore.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ronpaul?blend=7&ob=5

[hedgehog]

21. Is Romney taller than Perry? Sure looks like the bully went after the smaller man.

[Brother Buzz]

22. Ron Paul Fans Allege

That's it. That's the crux of this non-story.

[mainer]

24. What is the sequence? Did Huntsman move between them or away from them?

In some photos, Huntsman's standing between them looking uncomfortable. Did he subsequently leave, or did he move between them after the confrontation started? It would be interesting to know if Huntsman was trying to mediate between them -- or trying to escape.

[MADem]

25. Or was his podium between their's and they just met in the middle?

I didn't watch--I was trapped in traffic (w/no car radio).

[Inuca]

27. No, Huntsman's podium was at the far end

they were standing according to their standing in polls (highest in the center), and you know how Huntsman's are. He and Santorum were at the 2 opposite ends.

[MADem]

28. HA!! Maybe he was channelling the Johnson Treatment, too!

Saw what Perry was doing, and decided to cadge a little of his camera time???

If so, he's a clever little shit.....

[rev.mesick]

30. Hey Ronnie, Nex time yous toucha my pie, I'm gonna breaka yo' arm, kapeesh?

This is typical…the mindset of those weak in thought and message are usually the one’s resorting to physical force. If we disagreed, I cannot ever remember even touching an “intellectual” competitor. If there is any display of difference that people should note when it comes to the behavior and methods of our “leaders,” I fear for my son should Parry ever become president and have a disagreement with another country…tell me that is the face of a president…looks more like a hit man for the mob…especially the one with Huntsman in between them.

[tanyev]

31. Heh. Here's hoping the Paultards make it their mission to make Perry's life miserable.

[Phx_Dem]

32. They certainly have a point. Remember the Hillary/Rick Lazio debate for

the NY Senate seat when he dared to take two steps toward her and everyone gasped and got the vapors? Looks like Perry took more than a few steps and looks alot more agressive than Lazio did.

Assault is a bit strong, however, since Perry doesn't appear to have laid a hand on poor fragile Ron.

Edited: Ooops, looks like Perry did lay a hand on Paul. Very bad form. He is an aggressive asshole. Paul should watch out in case Perry decides to whip out his Ruger to make himself feel like a man.

[SpiralHawk]

35. ReThuglicans

No wonder Americans have lost respect for them -

[yellowcanine]

36. It is not an assault but Perry has a school marmish finger wagging style that is going to wear thin

real quick.

[okieinpain]

37. well that's some presidential stance mr. paul has there. he looks

a little scared and meek. mr. perry looks like he needs anger management. man what a bunch.

[Ter]

38. Well, he's 76

Perry is significantly younger and in better shape, not to mention larger.

[okieinpain]

41. 76 or not he's suppose to show some backbone, not start looking

like he's scared to death. and perry looks like a bully beating up on old people. lol

[Dokkie]

42. Something tells me that you

are either a bully or never faced down a bully in your life. Stand up to them and you may loose a few teeth. Perry looks like a maniac with serious anger management problems and i would try to keep my distance if he ever came up to me like that

[SwampG8r]

39. i feel sorry for dr paul

he is a medical dr and a us representative yet he is just "ron paul" on the media
why do they diminish his legitimate accomplishments?
dr or rep paul is correct but he is denied this routinely
when i see the media do stuff like this i have to wonder
i know they are trying to make it romney vrs perry so maybe thats why
not a paul fan or anything it just seems disrespectful in a common courtesy sort of way

[ClarkUSA]

40. Ron Paul supporters will never vote for Perry in the GE now.

[vaberella]

43. Stupid post and senseless. People were all over Obama when there was a pic of him & Lieberman.

Really loving how he appeared to be putting his foot down and stepping up to Lieberman. And were shouting stupid to the Repigs who saw it as a violent confrontation. Now on DU, some of the same people are saying how Perry looks like a thug against Paul. It just doesn't make a lick of sense. Fuck that.