Learning from Rick Perry's Mistakes

Rick Perry has exited the building.  This week, the former Texas Governor added Former 2016 Presidential Candidate to his resume.  Perry was better prepared this time than he was 4 years ago.  He had obviously studied the issues, both domestic and foreign.  He had a new pair of snazzy reading glasses.  He was rested, rehearsed, and ready.  So, what went wrong?  

It's possible, there wasn't anything Rick Perry could have done differently in this campaign that would have made a difference.  He was running against another candidate who's mouth was keeping Perry's polling depressed.  No, I don't mean Donald Trump.  I referring to Rick Perry from 2011.

Four years ago, Rick Perry jumped into the campaign late, but instantly became the front runner. He had a great resume as the longest serving Governor of Texas, a state that was growing when the rest of the nation wasn't.  He had a great story of fighting against the Obama Administration, filing lawsuits to push back against Federal overreach.  And, he had great hair.  What he didn't have was great preparation.  A series of disastrous debates sunk Rick Perry in 2011.  His iconic moment of forgetting which departments of the government he'd get rid of became the "oops" heard around the world.  (If you haven't seen that moment, I included it in our Media Training video.)

Prior to the Oops, Perry enjoyed poll numbers as high as 31% in the Real Clear Politics average of polls.  After the Oops, he never topped 9%.  Flash Forward to this year and Perry still never tops 9%.  I believe his lack of preparation and focus in 2011 not only doomed his campaign that year, it has doomed his campaign again this year.

Lessons to Learn...

I've always admired people who are able to learn from the mistakes of others.  Rick Perry falls into that category for me.  10 years ago, in the late summer of 2005, Rick Perry was battling for his political life.  Polls said The Republican Governor of Texas was losing in a primary fight for reelection.  Then, quite suddenly, his poll numbers and political fortunes turned dramatically.

The reason for the uptick in Lone Star support was literally an act of nature.  Hurricane Katrina slammed into a poorly prepared New Orleans.  Evacuations which had been suggested by FEMA and NOAA were ignored by city and state leaders until it was too late.  Then, after the city was under water, Governor Kathleen Blanco was not able to handle the crisis well.  People died.  When outsiders looked at how Mississippi managed the disaster and compared that to how Louisiana dealt with the same storm, Louisiana leadership looked like they were in over their heads.

Jump forward one month and another destructive hurricane was barreling into the Gulf Coast.  This time, it was going to hit Texas.  Perry, to his credit, had learned from Blanco's mistakes.  Evacuations were not only ordered in a timely manner, they were generally smooth.  Rick Perry looked like a genius statesman compared to Blanco and his post hurricane poll numbers reflected that newly discovered competence.  He sailed onto reelection, becoming the longest serving governor in Texas history.

That's why his lack of preparation in 2011 was so surprising to me.  He had been in the politics game long enough to know better.

The good news is that we can learn from Perry's mistakes.  Perry never got second chance with the voters.  You may not either.  That's why it so important to be prepared.  Before you step up to the podium or address the microphones, do you know what you're going to say and how you're going to say it?  Have you practiced reacting when things go wrong?  Do you have the important information you need to share at your fingertips?  

If you need help with this type of preparation, please give us a call.  We are prepared to help you present the best you possible.