In an interview with the Des Moines Register, Rick Perry explained that his recovery from back surgery in July took a toll on his debate performances, up until his recent improvements.
“Looking back and trying to ‘would have, could have, should have’ is an interesting question to ask, but the facts are the facts. I didn’t even make the decision to run until very late June, and I had surgery on my back in very late July.”
Columnist Kathie Obradovich asked Perry how his back was doing now, and he said that things were much better — and explained that “part of the reason you have seen a somewhat different candidate on the debates is my health.”
“So were you not feeling good in those early debates?” Obradovich asked.
“I would suggest to you that I was pretty fatigued,” said Perry. “No excuses. It was error. It’s what it is. Look, if anybody is looking for the perfect candidate, I’m not it.”
