CNBC Presidential Debate: Winners & Losers—just how bad was Rick Perry’s meltdown?
Rick Perry: The 43-second-stumble that was Perry’s attempt to name the three federal agencies he would eliminate as president will go into presidential debate folklore as one one of the most awkward moments ever. It’s hard to overemphasize just how damaging this was for Perry. While the moment itself was awkward enough — the Fix felt physically uncomfortable for at least the last half of it — it also played into an existing concern that Republican activists, voters and donors had about whether Perry was ready for primetime.