August 15, 2014 2:24 PM

Stanford: Perry not getting second chance at first impression

From the left -- no fresh look from national press as Perry tries to re-brand himself

Al Gore never claimed he invented the Internet. Sarah Palin never said she could see Russia from her house. And when Dan Quayle visited Latin America, he never wished he had studied “Latin harder in school so I could converse with those people"—but they might as well have.

Once the national media decides on a narrative, it is nearly impossible for a politician to get a rewrite. That’s what’s happening to Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is begging for another crack at the role of a lifetime. Unfortunately, the press has decided that he’s just not what they’re looking for because he blew his last audition so badly. Perry would not concede this point on a return trip to the Iowa State Fair.

“I'm not saying it was necessarily bad. Life is about having experiences you can grow from. I had one in 2011 and 2012,” he said. “Being prepared physically, mentally, and intellectually is very, very important if you’re going to be running for the President of the United States.”

The rest of Jason Stanford's column can be found in today's R&D Department.

By Jason Stanford