The Reluctant Debater

Worth Clicking: Blasts from the past wound Romney

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September 06, 2011

The Reluctant Debater

Politico: "When Rick Perry shows up Wednesday for his first presidential debate, the GOP presidential field will witness an unusual spectacle -- the Texas governor's appearance at a candidate debate. Perry may be the longest-serving governor in Texas history, but voters there are largely unaccustomed to seeing him go head-to-head on stage with his rivals. He's done it just four times in the decade that he's served as governor -- and skipped debates entirely against his last general election opponent in 2010."

"Confident and folksy, Perry has a talent for coming across as sincere, staying focused on his key themes, and answering the questions he wants to answer rather than the ones he's been asked. He never, ever backs down: In four hours of debates spanning three different campaigns, all of which focused on knocking the incumbent -- Perry -- off balance, not once does he admit error, express regret, or acknowledge the merits of criticism."

Paul Begala to the Daily Beast: "He is a superior debater. I think he's got more political talent than anyone in the field, except potentially Bachmann. He's way better than Romney."

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Taegan D. Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer and Christian Science Monitor.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

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September 06, 2011