I’m going with “yes.”
I’m not judging the man for drinking. (Hey, I loves me my scotch.) But if I were running for president, I probably wouldn’t give a speech wasted. (Probably.)
Check out the clip below, which went viral this weekend. If you don’t have the stamina to watch 8 minutes of Rick Perry (I almost didn’t), you should at least watch the first 3 minutes. It’s… um… interesting:
Fom Daily Mail:
Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas told Huffington Post after the speech: ‘It was different’, but added he had never seen anything like it before
A Perry spokesman said in an email: ‘The Governor is passionate about the issues he talks about.’
Those in attendance said that passion is not a word to describe his performance, off the wall, bizarre and rambling though, were more adequate.
One Republican operative who watched the video called it ‘strange and peculiar’, and said it could prove fatal to Perry’s campaign. Others questioned whether he was on medication or if he had had a few drinks before he came on stage. Nevertheless, he appeared uncomfortable and erratic in parts and sweat glistened on his forehead.
His camp have yet to issue an official statement about the speech.
At least now we know what a pre-wagon George Bush would’ve sounded like.
[via Daily Mail]
[cross-posted at Angry Black Lady Chronicles]
PurpleGirl
At another blog where I watched the first few minutes of the clip (I think the sound quality made it hard to hear), I said he was drunk. A drunk clown. But it hit me later that he was a drunk, morose clown and not at all funny.
agrippa
I do not know about this. I figured that Perry was not ‘ready for prime time’; but, this is odd.
Amir Khalid
Now, be nice. This man is your next president, after all.
Violet
Perry is like a drunk, dumber George W. Bush. How depressing is that?
j low
There are a few moments where he looks remarkably like Nixon.
different-church-lady
Isn’t he having back problems or something? Could be the pain, or the pain killers catching up to him.
JPL
Perry has had back surgery and supposedly has some pain associated with it. In my professional opinion (as a commenter on Balloon Juice) he used a combination of drugs and alcohol.
Villago Delenda Est
Hmmm….interaction between that tumbler of scotch and his back pain meds?
Could it be?
This guy may not be physically capable of running for president.
Kola Noscopy
IOKIYAAR
General Stuck
Perry was debating John Barleycorn in that clip
David in NY
Is there an unedited version somewhere?
different-church-lady
@j low: I dunno, it’s reminding me more of some of Steve Martin’s Wild and Crazy Guy stand ups.
Quaker in a Basement
You may go with Yes. I’m going with He’s Toast.
BGinCHI
I just thought it was his extended Foster Brooks impression.
dmsilev
And yet, people will actually vote for him. Hell, people in Texas have voted for him several times.
AA+ Bonds
The only thing Perry is good for anymore is making Mitt Romney look bad, and this makes Mitt Romney look good, so eh, also Fox is taking a bat to Cain’s knees over the perv stuff so maybe we should focus on Mitt
BGinCHI
@dmsilev: Did you hear Dick Mell wants to license all bicycle riders?
I guess getting his son-in-law on the fast track to be Governor and then fucking up the state just wasn’t a big enough success for him.
What a jackass.
AA+ Bonds
Don’t get me wrong, ABL, I am always really happy to see an awkward video of a drunk racist Republican stumbling around in public so thank you
AA+ Bonds
Fox News is running a bunch of ads in front of their video stories about how Mormonism is great for recovering alcoholics.
I’d say it’s synchronicity but it’s probably just Fox taking advantage of the TV-happy LDS to push Romney over Perry.
harlana
omg, he’s channeling a tipsy Colbert channeling a drunk Perry.
Thoughtcrime
@BGinCHI:
He’s auditioning for the GOP Celebrity Roast.
AA+ Bonds
If Rove’s smart he has busty blondes out ratfucking every also-ran Republican candidate by being handy with the drinks at campaign events. Romney’s the only one immune to this, because he’s
1) Mormon,
2) a freaky plastic Epcot Center automaton
cmorenc
Perry looks and sounds as if he’s channeling Steve Martin’s early comedy routines. OK, so Perry isn’t nearly so intentionally funny, but the many of Perry’s gestures are eerily similar. When Perry whips out that postcard-size piece of paper, I can almost hear him saying: “See this? I got it for five dollars!”
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Amir Khalid: Please, sir, what have we done to so offend you that you would dare speak (okay, write) such a horror aloud (okay, on a blog)? Granted, I responded to an aggressive, immature and petulant faux Muslim earlier in the day. But isn’t this a bit harsh?
Blessed Samhain, my friend. Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.
Linda Featheringill
@David in NY:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21z30aNO3cA
It calls itself the full, uncut version. I haven’t watched it yet.
Ron Beasley
John Denver talked about a natural Rockie Mountain High – Perry has a natural Texas hammered.
dmsilev
@BGinCHI: I must have missed that bit of absurdity. You’d think that being the person most responsible for unleashing Blago on the state would be enough to kill anyone’s cred, but I guess Illinois power brokers come from the same genus of cockroach as do Washington pundits.
BGinCHI
@dmsilev: Agreed, but you’re being pretty hard on cockroaches. At least they run when the lights come on.
harlana
o.O
Is he shooting for the Colbert bump?
I’m just throwing shit out there, I got nothing really. He’s on the wrong medication or drunk.
harlana
@JPL:
i think you nailed it
Amir Khalid
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q):
Well, he could be your next president. (God forbid.) But you know what would be really horrifying? Suppose it turns out that he did give that speech while stone cold sober.
ETA: And, um, a Happy Hallowe’en to you too.
harlana
Merry Christmas, Karl.
Keith
Wait until you see Romney hopped up on spoiled milk.
vtr
He didn’t know he would called upon to speak.
AnotherBruce
Obama continues to choose his opponents wisely.
Villago Delenda Est
@vtr:
“I was told there would be no talking in these debates, or at these speech appearances…”
Odie Hugh Manatee
Maybe Perry was jealous of Romney being called a well-oiled weather vane so he decided to get lubricated before this event.
Them damned Texans and oil.
JR in WV
Wow, just… wow.
I have some friends who have big parties, and folks who live locally (one-lane dirt road, first gear all the way, or walk over the ridge close) sometimes get self-medicated to nearly an extreme. That’s how Rick looks in this video, self-medicated to an extreme.
This kills his chance at the Oval Office. No one wants a self-medicated a-hole with his finger on the button, any button.
Cat Lady
He’s incoherent but not really slurry, and he seems a little overly hyped up and maudlin or something, so I’m thinking it’s a light painkiller or something in the ecstasy family to help him with his public speaking FAIL anxiety. Somewhere out there is the right combination of drugs for his dawning awareness that he’s not in Texas anymore and WAAAAAYYY in over his head and too far down the road to quit now. I’d be taking 8 balls now if I were him.
Josie
@cmorenc: It’s kind of spooky how much he resembles Steve Martin. He’s actually a little funny in spots, not so much in others. I too think he took a shot to limber up and it reacted badly with his pain meds. Even though I am from Texas, I haven’t seen him much, since he has always avoided debates and televised speeches (for obvious reasons), so I don’t know how much this is like or different from his usual personality.
Cain
@Villago Delenda Est:
Not so much.. JFK suffered from back issues with debilitating pain. I don’t think back problem should be some kind of litmus test for being President.
Catsy
@Keith:
Please see the attendant to claim your Internet.
Cain
For once, I actually kinda liked Rick Perry in this video. A little more goofy.. of course, his talk is complete bs, but his delivery was definitely interesting.
Quaker in a Basement
Are you absolutely sure this isn’t an elaborate prank by the Bad Lip Reading people?
Lojasmo
Yup. That’s a narcotic talking, with a couple belts of booze to sweeten the deal.
Jebus. Happy Samhain.
xian
don’t people take beta blockers for performance anxiety? do they interact with booze or pain meds?
jeff
I think he is intoxicated. But it would have to be really pretty drunk…not a little. Maybe the meds with a couple three martinis would do it, but he’s wasted, I think.
Anoniminous
Is October 31, 2011 the day Romney won the GOP Presidential Nominating Primary?
ETA: Watched part of it with the sound off. Creeped me out.
aimai
I find him oddly less offputting in this state. He’s definitely high, and apparently always dreamed of doing stand up comedy. Its like he finally relaxed and took the stick out of his ass–note: not an anti gay joke–but you know now that I’ve written that I think I might be on to something. Perry always looks and sounds like someone who is in terrible, hidden pain (to me) a fake, slightly depressed, and very stiff. Its like he took enough of something to lubricate him and take the weight of the permanent lie he’s living off his shoulders.
aimai
Triassic Sands
It would have helped if you’d included the first few seconds of the clip when Perry announces “Hi. My name’s Ricky and I’m an alcoholic.” “Hi, Ricky.”
The “payoff” comes at about six minutes when Perry says, “…nook-kew-lur.” OMG. It must be a requirement in Texas if you want to be governor.
Nutella
Weird, yes, but the joke about Tim Geithner’s tax return was pretty funny.
harlana
Yes, but the question is, would he have been that eloquent?
PanAmerican
Ibogaine
Cliff in NH
looks like someone slipped him a brownie or something.
Dude is Sooo high.
if he had surgery and was recently in Vt .. Medical exemption maybe.
harlana
For me, what’s of interest, and somewhat disturbing, is the stark contrast between this Rick Perry and the Perry we have seen up until now and what might be the cause (what may be the effect, for that matter?).
nastybrutishntall
In other breaking news, NASA spots Lorne Michael’s boner from space.
This will be a great 12 months for fake debates. And even faker debates.
rikyrah
he was on something
FlipYrWhig
He sounds goofy, definitely, but, like aimai, I actually found his hamminess a lot more entertaining–and warm–than his usual act.
cleter
Looks like somebody hasn’t developed an immunity to Jerk-o-caine Powder after all.
Rihilism
All I can say is, “Ooooohhh, myyyyy”
You know, it’s Halloween, so to all suggesting it’s booze or drugs or some combo thereof, [holds flashlight under chin], “What if he’s just that waaayyyy????????”
Bwahahahahahahaa….
[vanishes in a puff of smoke]
jake the snake
Rove again. Instead of dropping the dime on Perry like he did on Cain, he just dropped a tab of some Owsley acid on Rick
Marginalized for stating documented facts
@JR in WV:
Oh?
Really?
Then why did the American public elect Dubya twice?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Cliff in NH:
Mooshi, mooshi, mooshi
Mark
Yep. Bad case of drunkyface.
different-church-lady
@nastybrutishntall:
That’s the kind of thing the 70s cast of SNL might have actually done.
Arundel
Aimai kind of alluded to it I think.. watching this, he not only seems a few drinks and painkillers in.. I’m struck about how fey he seems at moments.
Really out of character, especially for a Texas governor. I’m gay, and I really don’t credit or have truck with rumors- I know in politics those rumors have a purpose. I go out of my way to be skeptical of gay rumors, when it comes to politics especially. (I also take people at their word, I’m not out to “claim” anyone for “our team”, sigh. )
But I have to say, whatever got Perry into that uh relaxed mood.. he reminded me of the sort of fun gay guy who could do some campy impressions when the party gets going. So strange.
hoodie
@Arundel: Agree, a little bit of his inner Paul Lynde slipped out in that appearance. For example, look at the part where he gets the bottle of maple syrup and clutches it to his breast. Maybe he wouldn’t be such an asshole if he were like this more often. But don’t forget the 200+ executions.
Paul in KY
I think he was conciously trying to do a stand up bit or interject lots of jokes. There are points where you can see him mentally fishing for a slogan.
He didn’t look ‘hammered’ to me. Could have been a bit tipsy though.