Gawker’s headline asked, “Just How Drunk Is Rick Perry in This Video?” The story was flagged first by Huffington Post:
Perry … was so jocular [at an event in New Hampshire] that he drew attention to himself. Speaking at a dinner for a few hundred Republican officials and conservative activists, Perry was more expressive than at any other time on the campaign trail, punctuating his remarks with a series of goofy grins, jokes and outsized physical expressions.
“We spend a half a trillion dollars a year in tax preparation. I mean, any accountant or tax lawyer out there, I’m sorry dude, but that’s too much money,” Perry said.
Perry sought to hail his tax reform plan but had trouble fishing a postcard out of his pocket that he says represents the totality of a tax return under his plan. He tried once to take it out and couldn’t, changing direction midstream in his comments. Then he tried a second time.
“The ones that want to stay in the old system, pay lawyers, pay the accountants, all that moneys’ gone, or,” he said with a long pause as he struggled to retrieve the postcard before holding it up and shouting, “That!”
“It’s pretty easy math. Subtract it and send it in. It’s awesome,” Perry said, lowering his voice and grinning. The crowd reacted with a mixture of enthusiasm and bemusement.
“It was different,” Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas said of Perry’s delivery.
