Can Rick Perry’s 'Freaky' Speech Save His Campaign? (VIDEO)
Texas Gov. Rick Perry has gained both local and national media interest from a video of his off-the-wall speech in Manchester, New Hampshire last Friday.
During his talk at the Cornerstone Action Dinner, Perry was sweaty, giddy and animated while he spoke on a range of subjects, including Herman Cain’s tax plan, the similarities between New Hampshire and the Lone Star state, and the sanctity of marriage.
Because the speech was so unlike the usually stiff Perry, it has gotten considerable notice over the past few days; so far, the video has garnered over 400,000 hits, according to ABC News.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The former GOP frontrunner has been struggling in the polls recently, lagging behind Massachusetts ex-governor Mitt Romney, business mogul Herman Cain, and, in some cases, Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich.
In a Des Moines Register poll, Perry, who was the lead Republican candidate a few months back, slipped to fifth place with only 7 percent of the vote.
In New Hampshire, a Rasmussen Reports survey put Perry sixth in the primary, falling behind even the largely ignored Jon Huntsman.
In the south, the Texas native’s regional support base is shrinking rapidly, according to poll reports. Florida and South Carolina, two of the first southern states to cast ballots in their primaries, both place Perry solidly in fourth.
The governor can’t get first place among his own constituents. A recent poll had him tied with Herman Cain in the state of his birth.
So will the New Hampshire video that went viral breathe new life into Perry’s wounded campaign? It is certainly possible.
When Herman Cain released his famously peculiar ad featuring his chief of staff blowing smoke into the camera, he was, in most polls, either behind GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney by anywhere from three to five points, or tied.
Just a few days after the video received thousands of views, a Fox News poll and a Quinnipiac poll showed Cain leading Romney by four points and five points, respectively.
In addition, Cain’s campaign had reportedly raised only about $2 million last quarter, before the ad. Afterwards, during October alone, Cain had boasted fundraising over $3 million.
Although the tendency of a variety of political pundits, media outlets, and anonymous Internet users is to poke fun at Perry’s unusual oration, it could promote him in a successful way as well.
Watch video below:
