"Debates are not my strong suit," Texas governor Rick Perry conceded, in a bit of an
understatement, while talking to reporters after Tuesday night's GOP presidential debate at Dartmouth College.
"But you know we get up and do 'em and we just try to let people see our passion."
Perry's debate performance was not disastrous like the September 22 showing in Florida that sent him spiraling downward in the polls.
But it wasn't close to what he needed to bounce back. Mitt Romney and Herman Cain dominated the debate Tuesday evening, with Newt Gingrich and Michele Bachmann offering flashes of wit and intelligence.
Perry just seemed sleepy and lackluster. He lacked command of the room and, at times, his words.
While Perry is certainly down, he's not out--at least not quite yet.
After the debate ended, Perry showed off his skills as a retail politician at a small event with Dartmouth students. At the Beta fraternity house, Perry enthusiastically gave his stump speech. He warned about the debt hanging over their generation and perfectly recited his line about making D.C. as inconsequential to their lives as possible.
During a brief question-and-answer session, Perry asked students to raise their hands if they think Social Security will be around for them when they retire. Two or three hands popped up. "Those guys believe in the Tooth Fairy, as well," Perry cracked. The students laughed. "Just kidding, brother," he added with a smile.
Perry spent 10 minutes shaking hands after he spoke. He asked students questions about their lives, displaying a near-Clintonesque ability to make each student feel like he or she is the only one in the room.
The dull Perry who showed up at Tuesday's debate was not the same upbeat and good humored Perry who showed up at the Beta house."