COMMENTARY | Texas Gov. Rick Perry has participated in five presidential debates. But it appears his campaign is laying groundwork to not attend a few of the upcoming forums, according to statements made by campaign spokesman Ray Sullivan to the Houston Chronicle. Perry, whose debate performances have become somewhat of a running punch line, has expressed regret to Fox News for ever having done the debates. But is not attending future debates the answer?
A quick review of a couple sound bites or Perry's speaking parts can give even the most casual observer an idea of how poor his performances were in each of the Republican contests. It is the most quoted factor for his precipitous drop in the national preference polls. Where once Perry led the pack, he has fallen to barely pulling double-digit support in most polls.
But not attending debates? Wouldn't that hurt his already damaged standing, perhaps make him appear cowardly?
"The governor has done five debates," Sullivan said. "We will do more, and we expect to accomplish our goals and have the governor convey his strong record and ideas in those debates. It is a function of time and energy, not the content of the debates."
But Sullivan noted there were "something like 18" debates scheduled and he expected Perry to miss a few of them. "We haven't made any decisions," he said. "There are up to 18 more in the works and it's unlikely that we or other candidates for that matter will be able to commit to all those debates."
Could it be that the campaign, realizing the shortcomings of Perry when debating, concluded that absence would work toward the candidate's benefit insofar as his presence thus far has done nothing but literally help demolish what was once a double-digit lead among the Republican field of contenders?
Perhaps, but some, like Sen. John McCain's 2008 campaign manager Steve Schmidt, see missing debates as a mistake. "It's like skipping the third quarter of a football game. It's not practical. Plus it's a stipulation he can't make an argument and is unprepared on the issues."
Some would point out that is what he has done at the debates he has attended.
Democratic strategist James Carville told "Good Morning America" earlier in the week that Perry would not be the Republican nominee. He said Perry was "evidently not up to this. He had plenty of chances to do it. He can't debate. He can't give a speech. He can't hold a position paper. He can't go on television. ... He's in over his head."
Perry's own sentiments seem to at least partially agree with Carville -- that his mistake during the campaign was "probably ever doing one" of the debates. He complained, "All they're interested in is stirring it up between the candidates instead of really talking about the issues that are important to the American people."
And although the three-term Texas governor might have a point in the media's seeming need to "stir it up," it should also be noted that much of the coverage given Perry's performances have been centered around incoherencies (the Mitt Romney flip-flop episode), fumbled statements and outright gaffes (mating Herman Cain with Newt Gingrich).
So if the Perry campaign is set on winning the nomination, it would appear part of its strategy will be picking and choosing the debates the governor becomes involved in, sort of hedging their bets that limited debate time will only improve his chances over time. Perhaps fewer appearances will also put distance between his prior poor performances and the primaries.
But all of the strategy will only be as effective as Perry's future performances. Regardless of his past problems, he has drawn even more attention to the failings of his campaign when the focus should have been on the unveiling of his 20 percent flat tax proposal. Perry will have to at least present himself as less the bumbler and more the statesman. He will have to at least not do anything to undermine a candidacy that has already experienced a fall due to underwhelming performances.
But the only true positive in Rick Perry deciding not to attend certain debates? He won't have to worry about hurting himself at the forums he doesn't attend.
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