Rachel Maddow had some ominous predictions to share about GOP candidate Rick Perry on her show Monday night. She discussed what she believed was "the most important presidential political news of the day": footage from Perry's Friday night campaign speech in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Maddow was referring to moments in Perry's speech when, in her words, he "broke character" and demonstrated to voters that he was "not the politician character he has been playing on television." While Maddow said his performance was an "esoteric" and "non-quantitative thing," she pronounced the footage "devestating" to Perry and warned that it could lead to "the end of Perry's campaign this year."
Perry spoke to a conservative group called Cornerstone about a range of campaign topics, including his flat tax plan and fellow candidate Herman Cain. Perry's delivery differed from his previous public engagements in that he appeared overly joyful and almost giggly at times.
"I would argue that Rick Perry can really no longer be considered a serious contender for president after this," Maddow said. "Once you see this tape, you'll never look at this guy the same way again."
Maddow wondered if Perry's campaign would blame what she called his "ebullient expression of excitement and delight" on "a medical issue," "a bad drug reaction" or being "overtired."
Maddow also likened Perry's New Hampshire speech to Howard Dean's infamous "Dean Scream" campaign moment after the Iowa caucuses in 2004.
"Any one of these moments is a 'Dean Scream,' and there were 25 straight minutes of it," Maddow said.
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