Perry Does Letterman With ‘Top 10 Excuses’
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
J.J. Goldberg November 11, 2011
David Letterman just presented an amazing Top Ten list: “Top Ten Rick Perry Excuses,” presented by Texas Governor Rick Perry (for real). He actually did a pretty good job – got some outright laughs, hammed it up just right. If anything could save his candidacy, this might have been it.
No. 10: Actually, there were three reasons I messed up last night. One, the nerves. Two, the headache. And three – uh – um – oops.
No. 9: I don’t know what you’re talking about. I think things went well.
No. 8: Hey, I was up late last night watching Dancing With the Stars.
No. 7: I thought the debate was tonight.
No. 6: Hey, listen – you try concentrating with Mitt Romney smiling at you. That is one handsome dude.
No. 5: Um, El Nino?
No. 4: I had a five-hour energy drink – six hours before the debate.
No. 3: I really hoped they’d get me on my favorite talk show, but instead I ended up here.
No. 2: I wanted to help take the heat off my buddy Herman Cain.
No. 1: I just learned Justin Bieber is my father.
See if you can catch it on video. It was followed by a guy shooting a flaming dart out of his nose and another guy playing “Stars and Stripes Forever” on a bicycle pump. High quality stuff.
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
