On Thursday's edition of The Situation Room, CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer ran with the media herd that he's "probably never seen anthing as dramatic" as the Rick Perry brain freeze. Then he turned to commentator Jack Cafferty, who insisted, "Not since Sarah Palin sat down with Katie Couric as a candidate for one of the nation's highest offices disgraced himself the way Rick Perry did last night."
When Blitzer replied by estimating Palin's made about $20 million since she ran for vice president, Cafferty shot back: "Stupidity sells. I won't argue with you about that."
Cafferty regularly trashes the country's "morons" (who never seem to be journalists) in his commentaries, and Perry was merely the latest to be punched:
BLITZER: On to politics now and the Rick Perry moment. I've been watching debates for decades. I've probably never seen anything as dramatic as what happened last night. Jack Cafferty is here. He was watching as well together with the whole world. Jack, it was a pretty amazing moment.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: You didn't see anything like this at the Lincoln-Douglas debate?
BLITZER: I missed that one, but I read about it.
CAFFERTY: Not since Sarah Palin sat down with Katie Couric as a candidate for one of the nation's highest offices disgraced himself the way Rick Perry did last night.
Note to Mr. Perry. It's time to go away now. This wasn't the first time you came off as an intellectual lightweight in these debates. And this "ah, shucks" grade school stuff might play in Texas, but I for one, sir, don't want you anywhere near the nuclear launch codes. We have a world on the brink of economic collapse and the Middle East on possibly the brink of another war. There is trouble all around. And you claim to being able to run the country with what amounts to half a loaf. That saying is half a loaf is better than none. In Rick Perry's case, that's not true. Please just go away.
Here's the question -- is it time for Rick Perry to withdraw from the presidential race? Here's the answer -- you bet. Post a comment on my blog or go to our post on the Situation Room Facebook page. It really did remind me of the Sarah Palin train wreck with Katie Couric. That was just painful to watch.
BLITZER: Yes. It didn't hurt her career as far as making money though, as you well know.
CAFFERTY: It hurt her political career. She's not running for anything. She's no longer the governor of Alaska.
BLITZER: But she's made about $20 million if not more since that train wreck, so she's done OK.
CAFFERTY: Stupidity sells. I won't argue with you about that.
Later in the hour, Cafferty returned with his e-mails. The ones he selected, unsurprsingly, agreed with him about what a comical embarrassment Rick Perry is:
The question this hour: Is it time for Rick Perry to withdraw from the presidential race?
Orla from Santa Cruz, "If Perry can't function during a debate, how ever will he function as president in a crisis? Time to send this good old boy out to a Texas pasture."
A Texan writes, "I'm voting for Rick Perry. It's the only way we can get him out of Texas, and I want you folks to suffer like we have for the last 10 years."
Steve writes, "Wow. It seemed like he was channeling his inner George Bush. Texas governors for president, been there, hated that."
John in Florida, "Absolutely not. This is too much fun. Can you imagine Perry as president?"
"As president, I have ordered a nuclear strike on the capital of -- can't remember. Was it Israel? Oops. Morning headline news, 'USA Nukes Wrong Country.'"
"Come on, Jack, Jon Stewart, Colbert, and all the other comedians need this guy."
Steve on Facebook writes, "He's like the guy who stays at the party until the very end, doesn't know when to leave, and can't remember where he put his coat. Show him the door. Call him a cab back to Texas."
Lee writes, "I think Perry could bring back what America once was: a wilderness dotted with train wrecks and groups of survivors sitting around campfires playing their banjos."
D.J. in Houston, "I'll put it this way, Jack: Rick Perry is not one of the stars at night that shine big and bright deep in the heart of Texas."
And D. writes, "Either withdraw or write the talking points on his hand for the next debate."
If you want to read more on this, go to my blog, CNN.com/caffertyfile, or through our post on The Situation Room’s Facebook page.
He is good entertainment. I kind of hope he sticks around.
Cafferty's viewers clearly changed his mind, from "Please just go away" to I kind of hope he sticks around."
