Weigel

Rick Perry’s Monster Movie

The Lucas Baino-ified Perry campaign keeps cranking out the effects-driven videos. This one, getting plenty of free media before I jumped on board, goes after Mitt Romney on health care.
The goal: A lot of flash and a lot of FUD. Romney’s dominating debate performance appears in a grainy clip – Rick Perry, having blown it in real time, is going to win the argument with editing. And there’s stuff like this: Screen shot 2011-10-10 at 9.47.57 AM In 2008, after Obama started to outmatch Hillary Clinton (back when he was the guy conservatives could stand, and she was the devil), Romney’s team crafted their own version of Obama’s slogan. What this is meant to say about Romney’s health care compromises: I have no earthly idea. Here and in the Jeff Zeleny take-out over the weekend, Team Perry is actually raising the stakes for Tuesday’s debate, promising to shake off the sleep and beat up Romney. If he fumbles, this is the context that’ll bring him down again.