Front-runner Rick Perry takes heat at GOP debate

[AsahinaKimi]

The Republican presidential candidates stand together before a Republican presidential candidate debate at the Reagan Library Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011, in Simi Valley, Calif. From left are, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former House Speaker NewtGingrich, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, Businessman Herman Cain and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman.

Simi Valley, --

Ventura County - GOP front-runner Rick Perry, in a high-stakes debut at his first presidential debate, sharply defended his jobs and health care record as Texas governor and his status as a "career politician" Wednesday while under attack from fellow Republicans in a lively forum at the Reagan Presidential Library.

From the opening shot Perry was often the focus as the moderators - and seven other Republican candidates - explored the economy, immigration, Social Security, health care and energy in the televised 90-minute forum sponsored by NBC and Politico.

"I kind of feel like the piñata here at the party," Perry quipped midway through the debate.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/09/07/MN3R1L1LQL.DTL#ixzz1XL4eVLwT

[tomg]

1. The "piñata at the party."

And when you crack him open, he full of shit.

[AsahinaKimi]

2. I was thinking more like

Hot air..gas.. but yeah, I guess that works too.

[pacalo]

3. I was thinking more like, give me a stick.

:rofl:

[Enthusiast]

4. Me too!

:rofl: :hi:

[pacalo]

9. I don't want what's inside the pinata; I just want to hit it!

:rofl:

:hi:

[Major Hogwash]

5. I gotta be honest with ya, I didn't know Rick Perry was insane until tonight.

Calling Social Security a ponzi scheme is one really whacko "out comment.

But, his remark about Galileo just went spinning off into the Twilight Zone.
Perry may think science is trumped by religion, but if he breaks a leg during this campaign, I have $100 they will rush him to a hospital where they use conventional, modern medicine based on scientific facts of human physiology, rather than take his dumb ass to a church so the minister can "lay hands on him and say a prayer over him."

I feel more empathy for my fellow Americans in Texas now than I ever have.

[RandySF]

7. Two things will haunt Perry either now or in the General

1. Ponzi scheme
2. "I don't believe in science."

[AsahinaKimi]

10. I have a feeling

There will be far more people who, like him, don't believe in Science. That's probably why we are having so many difficulties today with Republicans and Tea Party people. They think that being stupid is something to be proud of.

[hobbit709]

13. I recently reread two short stories written by H. Beam Piper

Day Of The Moron and Null-ABC. He was 50 years ahead of his time in describing the teabagger mentality.

[HereSince1628]

14. The truth is none of them believe science should inform gov't policy

or their low information voters.

When you unwind conservative politicians positions on science, it turns out most of them believe and take advantage of the application of science to industry. Indeed, on inspection it turns out they don't hold a grudge against science in particular. They reject the application of knowledge from any source that conflicts with their cherished ideologies.

And it really isn't that they dismiss all science or modern knowledge, they just dismiss the parts that interfere with the pursuit of their agendas. When you see their use of knowledge for what it is, you understand that they just want to shape the arena of public politics to their advantage. The rhetorical techniques of republican politicians in America are much like those of defense attorneys defending guilty clients.

[WinkyDink]

17. It's that when science gets in the way of their making one more buck, then they "don't believe

in" science.

If science made these greedheads wealthy, thye'd be gung-ho lab-rats.

[Brother Buzz]

8. He's all for science when he has skin in the game

Rick Perry underwent spinal fusion surgery in early July that included an injection of his own stem cells, a therapy that is unapproved by the FDA and costs tens of thousands of dollars.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/texas-gov-rick-perry-received-experimental-stem-cell/story?id=14232057

[RandySF]

6. I think Perry is done now.

He had his 15 minutes but I think he imploded tonight. OTOH, I remember when McCain knocked the stuffing out of Dumbya in the early 2000 debates. I go waver in my thinking that it will be a quick knockout for Mittens or it will drag on like Obama/Hillary.

[enuegii]

11. He felt like a "piñata at the party"?

He looked more like a geek at the circus to me.

[opihimoimoi]

12. Ignorance is BLISS,,,what a pathetic man.....and he wants to become...what? our President? NO WAYS

[Scottybeamer70]

15. The only reason he is the "front runner" is

because the M$M says he is. They will push him to the top every chance they get......which is every other minute or so.
He will probably be the GOP "choice." There may be just enough insane people in this country to put the "good ol' boy"
over the top. Scary thought indeed.

[Motown_Johnny]

16. the MSM are reporting on the poll numbers

The newcomer always gets a little bump, and with this terrible a field Perry got a pretty big bump.

You can't blame all of this on the media. Some of it maybe, but not all of it. He seems to have timed his entrance into the race pretty well.

[WinkyDink]

18. Well, pinatas ARE usually shaped like this: