Rick Perry denies drinking or drugs influenced his strange NH speech

[ProSense]

Rick Perry denies drinking or drugs influenced his strange NH speech

By Rachel Rose Hartman

Rick Perry denied Thursday that he was under the influence of alcohol or pain medication during a recent speech he gave in New Hampshire that prompted questions about the candidate's bizarre behavior.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

Responding to the suggestions by some political observers that the animated Perry may have been on pain medication for his past back surgery, the governor said: "No. I was just giving a speech."

In his interview with the Chronicle, the Texas governor said he had spine surgery on July 1, but was not taking medicine "or anything else" before last Friday's event, the newspaper's Carla Marinucci writes. Perry also rejected the accusation that his behavior-- marked by giddiness, clapping, strange speech patterns, mannerisms and comments-- was influenced by alcohol. "It wasn't that either," he said.

Perry suggested the hype was the result of a video that was edited to make him look bad.

more

Rachel Maddow on Rick Perry's speech

[izquierdista]

1. Natural stupidity?

:shrug:

[TwilightGardener]

2. "No, I'm just naturally weird. And boy do I love maple syrup."

[ProSense]

3. .

:rofl:

[yellowcanine]

25. He "cuddles" the maple syrup. Gotta love Rachel for that one.

Rachel rocks.

[hamsterjill]

4. He'd probably been speaking in tongues right before this.

You know - the gifts of the spirit, etc. Wasn't this speech given at a religious event?

[Blue Owl]

5. Nope -- just some good ol' down-home, Texas-size crazy

n/t

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. In other words, he's just naturally weird.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

19. yep

[Happyhippychick]

7. That's a headline which makes any democrat smile

[themaguffin]

8. based him talking elsewhere, he looked like his normal idiotic self

[NV Whino]

9. Rick Perry cuddling with maple syrup

:rofl:

[YvonneCa]

10. Here's a new theory...totally my own...

...after reading this article, posted to DU today:

http://consortiumnews.com/2011/11/02/end-of-the-reagan-narrative/

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2235291


After the early Republican debates, several people remarked to me how much Rick Perry reminded them of Ronald Reagan. I couldn't see it, but I DID notice that his hair and dress seemed to be different than usual...maybe in an effort to seem 'Reaganish'?

Here's the theory...could Perry also be trying to sound like, behave like Reagan in his speeches and public events? That 'joviality' reminded me a lot of the Gipper. :7

[saras]

18. So he's imitating Alzheimer's? Woo hoo!

So it's not enough to be stupid and crazy? You have to imitate a more famous stupid and crazy person?

If that works, we should just have someone channel Emperor Norton.

[Enrique]

27. interesting theory

I think he was trying to change his personality, sound more something, that something could very well be "more like Reagan". Well whatever it was, he missed so badly that no one can even tell what he was going for. Unless it was Richard Simmons, in which case he nailed it. ;-)

[YvonneCa]

31. Richard Simmons! I hadn't thought of...

...that one. :7

[MilesColtrane]

29. You are correct.

That was him trying to do "charming".

He's just so solipsistic and fundamentally stupid he can't pull it off.

[YvonneCa]

32. 'Charming'...

...has never been so ridiculous. ;)

[YvonneCa]

11. Delete, dupe. n/t

[tanyev]

12. Governor MoFo doesn't get that pain meds is a better explanation for that behavior

than 'that's just how I am'.

[pscot]

13. "I was not drunk when

I gave that speech; so stop saying that."

I miss Bob Boudelang.

[yellowcanine]

26. I was not drunk when I sideswiped that car officer, I normally drive that way.

[yellowcanine]

14. Perry suggested the hype was the result of a video that was edited to make him look bad.

How does that work Rick? In the process of editing the technician is able to make you do strange things, laugh giddily at your own jokes, and make funny faces and nonsensical noises?

[nxylas]

28. The wicked librul media can do ANYTHING

(of course when James O'Keefe does it, it merely counts as editorial license).

[Politicalboi]

15. WTF?

"Perry suggested the hype was the result of a video that was edited to make him look bad".

Edited? It wasn't edited in any way. And he doesn't need an "edited" video to look bad.

[Brother Buzz]

16. I saw a compilation video

His material was in no way edited, just a compressed to highlighted his bombastic attempt at humor in a short period of time.

[workinclasszero]

17. Ah so Perry is just a straight up loon then

Good info to know!:rofl:

[EffieBlack]

20. When you're denying that you were drunk or high during a speech, you're in serious trouble

[ellisonz]

21. Maybe Rick had just gotten laid...

I wouldn't bet against him being a sleaze.

[bklyncowgirl]

22. This is not reassuring.

Alright, a presidential candidate showing up to give a speech after having had a few too many is bad, but a presidential candidate who acts like that without being drunk, stoned, hammered, plastered however you want to put it, is worse.

If this is what he's really like and he somehow gets elected, God help us.

[baldguy]

23. Maybe that's how he is sober?

[EffieBlack]

30. Jon Stewart said something like that . . .

He said he was either hammered during that speech or he was sober during that speech and was hammered during all of his previous ones.

:rofl:

[olegramps]

24. He should claim he was drunk or high.

At least that could explain his bizarre behavior. We can only conclude that he is certifiably nuts if this is his normal behavior and wasn't under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

[OhioBlue]

33. I don't believe him for a second

the guy was just short of being plastered - he was in the happy-feel good- chatty cathy stage of drinking. He was feeling warm and fuzzy.